Last minute Christmas gift ideas for skiers who love Japow

Christmas is just around the corner, which for many of us means last-minute scrambling to find appropriate presents for friends and family. Luckily, skiers and snowboarders are fairly easily catered to, with a long list of required gear and an even longer list of desired gear. We’re hoping the list below contains something for anyone with a love for deep Japanese powder.

Active Life gift voucher

Price: From ¥15,000 (25% off)

Give the gift of “Madapow”

Anyone who’s followed this website long enough knows that we’re big fans of Active Life Japan. For the uninitiated, they’re a Madarao-based accommodation provider, with three highly-rated hotels all within walking distance to the often powder-covered slopes of Madarao (more about the resort here). They also own and operate Palcall Tsumagoi Resort, the largest ski resort in the Karuizawa area which is perfect for beginners and intermediates.

Active Life is currently offering discounted vouchers (up to ∼28% off depending on the amount) that can be used through to the end of the 22/23 season, so anyone concerned about current travel restrictions need not worry. The vouchers can be redeemed towards accommodation or rentals at any of the Active Life hotels.

Yuki Threads Sashimi Hoodie

Yuki Threads Sashimi Hoodie

Price: AU$89.99 (40% off)

Yuki Threads has strong ties to Japan (starting with their name), inspired by owners who were doing back-to-back seasons in Australia and Japan. The Yuki Sashimi Hoodie is the product of an Artisan Project by team rider Crystal Legoffe, who drew on her love for Japan, travel, sushi and food. Better yet, it’s currently 40% off.

The hoodie is Certified Fair Trade, Certified GOTS organic and partially made from recycled materials (80% organic cotton, 20% recycled polyester). That’s a long-winded way of saying they’re a company who care about their impact on the environment, which you can read about more here.

Anyone in a Christmas panic will be pleased to hear that Yuki Threads ship to anywhere in the world from their Australian warehouse, and that orders placed before 11am AEST will be dispatched the next business day. There’s even express delivery for those extra short on time.

Epic Australia Pass

Price: AU$899

Aussies take note: the Epic Australia Pass is the perfect gift for someone you really care about. Yes, it will set you back a hefty $899, but your giftee will be over the moon, with 2022 Australian season access to Perisher, Falls Creek and Hotham and, importantly, five consecutive days with no blackout dates at both Rusutsu and Hakuba Valley during the 2022/23 Japanese ski season.

Rusutsu, Japan. Image: Epic Australia

There’s loads more coverage (click here for details), but the bottom line is that this is the ticket to a season of skiing in Aus and one seriously epic Japan trip, all for the price of roughly three single day lift tickets in Aspen. When you put it that way…

Oyuki Genki Tube

Oyuki’s “Red Samurai” Genki Tube

Price: AU$24.95

This Oyuki Genki Tube is “designed for happiness”, which at just AU$25 seems a small price to pay and a perfect budget-friendly gift for friends or loved ones who ski. The “multifunctional tube” can be worn as a neckwarmer, facemask, head band on head scarf and offers its wearer protection from sun, snow and wind.

The “Red Samarai” version is a bold piece of kit and is sure to draw some attention from other riders on the mountain; those who don’t like the idea of having a samurai wrapped around their head can try more mellow designs including blue nami, midori machi and shida (fern).

As you might have guessed, Oyuki is another brand with a strong connection to Japan; it was born in and inspired by Niseko and literally means “big snow” in Japanese.

Oyuki offers shipping from its Australian warehouse, however those in a rush may wish to shop the old-fashioned way, at one of the many global retailers stocking Oyuki products.

Snow-forecast.com membership

Snow-forecast.com

Price: from AU$7.50 (1 month) to AU$41 (12 months)

If you’ve spent a lot of time at the snow, there’s a high likelihood that you’ve logged quite a bit of time on snow-forecast.com, which provides detailed weather forecasts for virtually every ski resort in the world, including 540 in Japan.

While the site/app itself costs nothing to use, the member version takes things to the next level with 12-day forecasts, hourly detail and interactive resort maps. These features are highly useful for anyone planning a multi-day trip in Japan, or alternatively for those gazing longingly at weather forecasts from afar while certain countries keep their borders closed.

This is a good one for those on a tight budget, with 1-month memberships starting from just AU$7.50 (i.e. perfect for anyone with an upcoming trip).

Avalanche course

Price: from ¥20,000

This is really a suggestion for anyone with friends and family in Japan, given the increasing likelihood that there won’t be any international travel there this season. Keep the idea in your back pocket if it doesn’t work for this year.

If you have friends and family who love skiing the backcountry, then getting them into an avalanche course may just be the gift that saves their lives – and surely nothing can top that. And while an AST 1 (Avalanche Skills Training) course is highly educational, it’s also a couple of fantastic days on snow, likely with a fair bit of powder skiing thrown in for good measure.

Niseko-based Rising Sun Guides run several AST 1 courses through the winter for just ¥25,000 (¥20,000 if you’re a resident), while Hakuba’s Evergreen Backcountry Guides combine the AST 1 with a CSR (Companion Rescue Skills) course over three days for just ¥45,000. Both are highly reputable operations.