If I had seven days to master powder skiing in Japan, this is where I’d go

When it comes to skiing in Japan, powder is practically a given. The bigger question – especially for skiers looking to build real technical confidence in that powder – is where to go to actually improve.

That’s where Kamui Ski Links, a central Hokkaido resort known for its access, variety, and lack of crowds, enters the picture. And in 2025, it will also become the home of a new, multi-day all-inclusive coaching program that offers something rare in Japan: a structured path to mastering off-piste terrain, led by one of the country’s most accomplished skiers.

The Miura Off-Piste Academy, created by Olympian and Everest summiter Gota Miura, is set to launch this coming winter, with three sessions scheduled in January and February 2026. The program (delivered in English) promises more than just guided skiing – it’s a full immersion into Miura’s coaching philosophy, designed to give strong intermediate and advanced skiers the tools to explore powder, trees, and backcountry terrain with confidence.

Kamui as a powder destination

Kamui Ski Links isn’t a mega-resort. There’s one gondola, a modest network of lifts, and a distinctly local feel that stands in contrast to Hokkaido’s more high-profile destinations. But it’s precisely that scale – compact but well-laid-out – that gives Kamui its strength, particularly for skiers who want to build mileage, explore terrain, and improve.

“The size of the ski area is just right,” says Gota Miura. “Anyone who gets on the gondola can take one spontaneous line for, I would say, ten minutes. Then you get back on and lap it all day.”

From the top station, options open up quickly: sweeping groomers, open faces, and – Kamui’s signature – widely spaced trees that hold snow well into the afternoon. The tree skiing is what Miura returns to again and again in conversation.

Gota Miura in action at Kamui Ski Links. Image supplied

“The tree skiing is amazing,” he says. “The ski patrol here deserve real credit. They’ve kept restrictions minimal, so even though there are closed zones, they’re limited. Any time of the day or week, you can find powder in the trees – and it’s not just easy terrain. Some of it is really challenging.”

Kamui doesn’t promise bottomless powder or untouched snow from first chair to last, but it does offer consistency – in snow quality, in access, and in freedom to explore. Compared to more saturated areas like Niseko, where popular runs can be tracked out by mid-morning, Kamui’s pace is slower, the traffic lighter.

“If you go to Niseko, maybe within an hour it’s been tracked out,” Miura says. “Here, it lasts. And if you know a few of the secret spots – which I will not tell you in this meeting,” he adds with a grin, “you can find untracked snow all day.”

Kamui strikes a rare balance between the charm of a local hill and the terrain variety you’d expect from a much larger resort

Kamui’s vertical drop sits at 600 metres, and while the stats might not turn heads, the terrain feels bigger than the map suggests. In a previous Ski Asia feature on Asahikawa, I described the resort as “striking a rare balance between the charm of a local hill and the terrain variety you’d expect from a much larger resort.” That description holds up – and it helps explain why Kamui makes sense not just as a ski destination, but as a training ground.

“This isn’t Aspen or Vail,” Miura says. “But it’s enough – and more. I can easily keep a guest challenged and progressing here for a full week.”

Learning from a Japanese snowsports legend

The Miura name carries significant weight in Japanese mountain culture. Gota’s father, Yuichiro Miura, was the first person to ski down Everest – a feat captured in the 1975 documentary The Man Who Skied Down Everest, which won an Academy Award. He later returned to summit the mountain at age 80.

Gota Mirua, Nagano ’98

Gota has been both an ardent supporter of his father’s exploits as well as a highly accomplished skier and mountaineer in his own right: two Olympic appearances in freestyle skiing, two summits of Everest, and decades of high-level skiing and guiding experience. His approach to coaching is built not just on technical precision, but on freedom.

“It’s not the technicality that matters most,” says Miura. “It’s the freedom you get from that technicality – the ability to choose your line, your rhythm, no matter the terrain.”

The Academy aims to teach that freedom over the course of five progressive ski days, with instruction that moves from groomers into sidecountry, and – weather and conditions permitting – into nearby backcountry zones such as Fukagawa and even Asahidake.

Home base: Asahikawa and Sensyoen Ryokan

Participants stay at Sensyoen, a traditional Japanese ryokan established in 1938. With its tatami rooms, private onsens, and multi-course local meals, it offers a distinct contrast to ski-in, ski-out resorts – and a more immersive cultural experience.

Sensyoen Ryokan

Located in the heart of Asahikawa, Sensyoen also gives guests the chance to experience life in a working Japanese city – a rare complement to the mountain-focused rhythm of a ski trip. Kamui Ski Links is just 25 to 40 minutes away, but back in town, the evenings are shaped by local ramen shops, neighbourhood izakayas, and an atmosphere that feels authentic and lived-in. I wrote recently about how this blend of skiing and city life reshaped the way I think about winter travel in Japan – it’s a perspective that fits perfectly with the ethos of the Miura Off-Piste Academy. (Read the full article here.)

What’s included

The Miura Off-Piste Academy is a comprehensive seven-night, six-day program designed to take your skiing to the next level. Here’s what’s included:

• Accommodation: Seven nights at Sensyoen Ryokan in Asahikawa, featuring traditional Japanese rooms, authentic local cuisine, breakfast and dinner daily, and access to an onsen (hot spring).
• Skiing and Coaching:
  • Five full days of on-snow coaching at Kamui Ski Links, running from 9 AM to 3 PM.
  • Each day includes a minimum of five hours of guided instruction, with breaks accounted for.
  • Coaching focuses on progressive skill development, starting on groomers and moving into more challenging off-piste terrain.
  • Use of video analysis for detailed technique review and improvement.
  • One or two backcountry sessions in nearby areas, complete with avalanche safety gear and expert guidance.
• Lift Pass: Five-day lift ticket included for Kamui Ski Links.
• Transportation: Daily shuttle service between Sensyoen Ryokan and Kamui Ski Links. (Airport transfers are not included; taxi from Asahikawa Airport costs approximately ¥5,000.)
• Lectures and Cultural Experiences:
  • Two evening lectures: one presented by Gota Miura covering his Everest adventures, and another focused on either skiing biomechanics or backcountry safety.
  • A cultural evening featuring local entertainment to enrich your stay.
• Group Size & Requirements:
  • The program requires a minimum of six participants.
  • Skiers must be at least Level 7 (strong intermediate or above).
• Dates & Pricing:
  • Available on January 18, February 1, and February 15, 2026.
  • Cost is ¥490,000 (~US$3,312) per person

A program for skiers who want more than a power hit

While many international skiers come to Japan in search of fresh snow and fleeting turns, the Miura Off-Piste Academy positions itself differently. It’s a program for those who want to use Japan’s snow as a training ground – not just a photo op.

Gota leading a backcountry trip

The goal isn’t just to ski off-piste terrain, but to understand it – and to walk away from the week feeling equipped to tackle similar terrain anywhere in the world.

“I think any skier can be taught to feel more freedom in their skiing,” says Miura. “That’s what I want people to take away – not just technique, but the confidence to explore.”

For anyone looking to take their skiing seriously, that’s a compelling invitation.

To learn more about the Miura Off-Piste Academy or to book, visit the Kamui Resort website.