Japan Ski and Snowboard Tour: Iwate Freeride

New for winter 2027 is a variation on our popular Tohoku Traverse, the Japan Ski and Snowboard Tour: Iwate Freeride Trip. For this freeride adventure we're going to leave the ski touring equipment at home and hit our favorite resorts in Iwate. This trip is all about maximizing the downhill powder with 6 days of slackcountry freeriding the best that Japan has to offer. 

Why Iwate? Amazing snow and mountains of course, but also because it's off most people's radar. The resorts of Iwate seldom see any foreigners and are often so empty that we'll find fresh powder on the groomers to warm up for the day. Freeriding is all time in Iwate. It’s not uncommon to smash untouched powder lines from top to bottom before popping out again just feet from the trail to catch another lift. We’ll have Verts/ Kanjiki (Japanese verts/snowshoes) to gain a small peak or traverse into zones that have remained untouched for days after snowfall if needed.

The Plan

For the Japan Ski and Snowboard Tour we'll take a fairly short, 2.5 hr, Shinkansen (bullet train) trip from downtown Tokyo right to Morioka, the capital city of Iwate prefecture and our home base for our trip. After checking into our hotel, the afternoon is yours to settle in, sort gear, and ease into the rhythm of Japan: a long soak in the onsen before gathering as a group for dinner. 

Every morning we meet for a group breakfast and to discuss our options for the day. We’re obviously headed for the resort that has the most snow but we'll review weather patterns and decide on which of the over 7 resorts in the area will be the deepest. Then, we’ll load up the van and drive up to an hour or so to hit the resort with the lightest and deepest pow. 

Lunches will be had at the resort, but these aren’t your typical North American resort lunches. Miso Ramen, Pork Cutlet Curry, and Nikuman just barely scratch the surface of what is available and the prices are no different than eating in town. Following lunch, we head back out for more amazing Japow. 

At the end of the day we might hit an onsen (natural hot spring) on our way back to Morioka to soak the legs or stop off at a shrine or temple. A quick chill, change and shower back home and we head out for one of the spectacular restaurants that Morioka has to offer.  

The Resorts

Our base for this Japan Ski and Snowboard Tour will be the city of Morioka, It sits within easy reach of  7 different ski resorts which provide lift access to unbelievable slackcountry objectives, there's no end of choices. And like on all our trips, we visit new resorts and ski areas every day. It all depends on where the snow fell the most and where the crew is frothing for! Appi Kogen, Geto Kogen and Amihari Onsen are three of our favorites that we are sure to hit once, if not twice.

Appi Kogen

This is the largest resort in Iwate at 282 hectares and 828m of vertical relief. Lift lines on the biggest powder days barely reach ten minutes at the base and then top out at two minutes further on in the mountain.

The Appi gondola whisks us to to the top of Mount Maemori, the main summit of the resort. From here a plethora of runs and treed zones bring us all the way back to the bottom of the mountain, 858 meters below. Laps directly under the gondola lead us farther south east for more treed hot laps back to quad chairs.

Once we think we've ridden all that Mount Maemori has to offer we can head over west to Mount Nishimori and hop on the cat. The bump is short but shredding an old lift line after a cat ride is not to be missed!

Geto Kogen

The southernmost resort on our Iwate Freeride trip is Geto Kogen. Geto Kogen isn’t the biggest in Japan at 90 hectares but more than makes up for it with up to 16 meters of snowfall per season with a base that can reach up to 7 meters.

Two gondolas and a high speed quad whisk us to nearly the top of Yokodake. From there, 450 meters of vertical through 16 designated tree zones are undoubtedly going to wear out our legs by the end of the day.

Owing to its remote location Geto Kogen is still relatively undiscovered and competition for powder is still low.     

Amihari Onsen

Amihari Onsen sits on the side of Mount Iwate, the prefecture's namesake volcano. Amihari is an unassuming resort, old school Japanese, with next to no English being spoken. This is truly where we leave the crowds behind. The chairs are old, the pow is deep and the tree runs are long.

We often find ourselves traversing way out into the beech forests of Amihari  for 400m vertical of unbelievable tree skiing. We'll bring Verts / Kanjiki (mini japanese snowshoes) that can unlock even more terrain with just a ten minute stroll. Trust us, it's worth it.

Amihari is a surprise hit for everyone who heads there. If the skiing wasn't enough of an attraction, the onsen certainly will be.

The List goes on…

Appi, Geto and Amihari aren’t the only game in town. Shizukuishi, Okunakayamakogen, Panorama, Shimokura, Iwate Kogen are all on the Japow menu for the Morioka Freeride trip. 

The Scene in Morioka:

Now half the fun of a Japan Ski and Snowboard trip is checking out the local culture and of course the local food. Japanese après ski culture always involves a long soak in an onsen, a traditional natural hot spring, to ease tired muscles. 

That is followed by an amazing meal and nowhere is that more obvious than in Morioka which is known for its three great noodles. The non-stop free-flowing Wanko Soba that comes in bite sized bowls, the cold and chewy Jajamen noodles served in a clear broth, often with a slice of watermelon, and and Morioka Jajamen, thick udon-style noodles topped with meat miso paste.

As this is the capital of Iwate prefecture you can be sure we’ll also be grabbing Sushi, ramen, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, omurice and more! It’s a guarantee we are stopping for Egg Sando’s and Onigiri en-route. There’s no need to ask if, only when and how often!

Of course no Japanese  vacation is complete without sampling some of the local beer and spirits! Not to worry, Japan’s famous for its amazing whisky and sake, but of course it also has a booming craft brewery scene that begs to be sampled as well. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Foodie, fine beverage connoisseur or an avid skier just looking for some filling food at the end of a big day you will be more than happy with the local offerings.

Extras:

If you would like to add a few days to your Japan Ski and Snowboard trip we will be offering a few extras that can be tagged onto your trip including:

• Tickets for the Tokyo Grande Sumo Tournament (only available on select dates).
• 3-Day trip to Osaka. Japan’s third-largest city and a vibrant, modern metropolis known as "the nation’s kitchen" for its incredible street food, neon-lit nightlife, and friendly culture. Key attractions include the historic 16th-century Osaka Castle and the bustling Dotonbori district.
• 2-Day Nagano tour. Home of the 1400 year old Zenko-ji Temple, the historic black-walled Matsumoto Castle, and the famous Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park this zone is ideal for a little cultural tour while getting over the jet lag.

The Accommodation:

We use a variety of different hotels and ryokans for accommodation on our Japan trips. Hotels are generally dual occupancy with western style beds but we shoot for ones that have great onsens. The ryokans, traditional Japanese inns, typically feature tatami floors with futon beds, have great onsens and fixed menu meals. The tatami rooms generally accommodate 3-4 people per room though upgrades may be available for guests that would like their own room or western style beds. For this trip you can expect a more western style hotel with double occupancy.

Waiver & Risk Management:

As you know, outdoor activities involve numerous hazards including, but not limited to, avalanches, crevasses, rockfall, slips and falls, equipment failure, poor weather, etc. And while we do our best to anticipate and mitigate these hazards we cannot completely eliminate them. So, as with anything fun, you will be required to sign our Participant Release to take part in one of our courses or trips.

Other Japan Trips:

If this isn't the right trip for you check out our other options:

• 8-Day Aomori Touring Trip
• 8-Day Hokkaido Touring Trip
• 12-Day Tohoku Touring Trip