Japan Ski Touring: Tohoku 12 Day

For 2027 we'll be offering our very popular 12-day trip into the lesser known areas of Aomori, Hakkoda & Hachimanai again. This trip hits our three favourite zones in Northern Honshu for an epic 12 day adventure that includes 9 days of skiing, 2 travel days and a rest day in the middle to recover and explore the area.

Located as far north as you can get on the main island of Honshu, just south of Hokkaido, the home of Niseko. Aomori prefecture is famously home to the snowiest inhabited city on earth, the city of Aomori! It's also our favourite zone in Japan to ski as it doesn't get the crowds that you find in many other areas, the snow is incredibly deep and light (deeper than any other Japan destination that we've found) and the terrain offers long runs, big volcanos and perfectly spaced trees with few benches. Never heard of it? That's the idea, this amazing area is still flying under the radar while offering amazing opportunities for lift assisted ski touring, roadside backcountry exploration and some epic volcano summits.

The Plan:

This 12-day trip starts in Hachimantai and works it's way north ending in Hakkoda.

Arrival:

This trip starts at Tokyo station where you will board a Shinkansen (bullet train) to travel up to Morioka. We'll hop in our van for a short drive west to our first hotel and base of operations, Hachimantai, for the first part of the trip. After check-in we'll have time to get organized for the coming week's skiing, relax, and go for a soak in the relaxing onsen before our group dinner.

Hachimantai:

Home to 7 different ski resorts which provide amazing lift access to slackcountry and ski touring objectives, there's no end of choices. Clear days can be spent summiting peaks and skiing long, untouched powder lines all the way back to the car while stormy days can be spent putting lines in beautifully spaced trees. We can even do a few laps on the resort as there's often a ton of untouched powder just off the edges of the piste. Appi Kogen also has a snowcat that offers one-way rides if we want to do a little cat skiing or simply use it to push even further into the backcountry.

Aomori Spring:

After our time skiing in the Hachimantai area we'll drive up to the city of Hirosaki stopping at a ski resort on the way for a few on-piste laps before heading into the backcountry. Then, once we're in the Hirosaki area we're a short drive to the Aomori Spring Ski Resort on the northern slopes of the volcano Mt. Iwaki. By using the Aomori Spring ski lifts we gain access onto the large volcano and explore some of the best backcountry tree skiing we've found in Japan. With long and consistent fall-line pitches, perfectly spaced trees, soft snow, and amazing views of the ocean, this area is hard to beat. There's also the opportunity to summit Mt. Iwaki for some alpine skiing and views when the clouds break and we get some sunny weather.

Hakkoda:

Our final 3 days are spent exploring the powder paradise of Hakkoda. The area has a ring road that surrounds a group of peaks, including more iconic volcanos, that get an amazing amount of snow. The road often has vertical walls along the side that are 10' (3m) high! Even better, there's a ropeway (tram) that provides a 650m lift up onto a high bench near the summit of some of the peaks that can be used to get a head start on a day of ski touring.

As it can be hard to ski 9 days in a row we have added a rest-day in the middle. For the rest day we will take anyone interested on a tour of the area including a trip to a small seaside town for a salt-water onsen, check out some temples and a castle, etc. If you've been to Japan before and want to check out a new area, this is it! Aormoi really is the STATE OF JAPOW (as the t-shirt says).

The Scene:

Now half the fun of a Japan ski touring holiday 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. Sushi, ramen, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, omurice and more might not mean much to you now, but they’ll soon become favourites!

Of course no foreign 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 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. The 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.

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 Iwate Freeride Trip
• 8-Day Touring Hokkaido