Why Everyone's Talking About Japan This Winter (And Why You Should Be Too)
Alright, picture this.
You’re at a party. Everyone’s telling epic travel stories. Berry has just finished telling the group how he reached the highest peak in Nepal, so high that only 3 people have ever stood there. The crowd goes wild. Ferry’s up next, she enthrals the crew, telling them about making friends with a Shaman in Peru. The crowd's sceptical, but still, they go wild.
“Well, I was looking into doing this huge pow adventure in Japan. And I looked into it and there were heaps of sales on flights, accom was still on offer and the rentals and lessons were actually super cheap…”
“Uh huh,” they murmur. You can see everyone is on the edge of their seat in anticipation, high-fiving each other out of excitement. So you take another breath and continue, “And then… I just didn’t book it in the end.”
The. Crowd. Goes. Mild.
That’s a bad story, dude. You know it, we know it – and there’s only one way to fix it, coming over to Japan and making new epic stories this winter! And when we say EPIC stories, we mean it, Japow is an experience next to none.
If you’ve ever visited during the winter months, you’ll know what we are talking about. If you haven't, you probably don't know what we're talkin' about – so we decided to break it down for you, looking into exactly why Japan is such a spoken about travel destination this winter, and why you should probably start talking about it yourself.
Why Everyone’s Talking About Japan’s Weather Trends
It doesn’t matter if you get your info from the newspaper, blogs, or in the case of Ferry, a Peruvian shaman, everyone’s saying the same thing – that Japan is on track for a banging winter season this year. So we wanted to look into it, and while everyone’s saying the same thing, we decided to take our advice from the JMA (Japan Meteorological Agency), here’s their take.
“We expect near-normal to above average snow and higher volatility, with potential for intermittent heavy dumps.” Not only that, they raised the potential of another La Niña weather pattern...
So what does this mean?
Well, in layman’s terms, that Japan is in-store for snow – A LOT of snow. And if last winter’s record breaking season is anything to go by, we’re talkin’ a lot of snow +1. It’s going to be MAMMOTH.
Why Everyone’s Talking About Hakuba
No doubt, it’s always been a favourite amongst Japanese ski resorts, but 2024/25 was a mental season for Hakuba, breaking almost every single snowfall record in their books and standing out as arguably their best winter season on record – ever.
Which means one thing: everyone who was along for the ride wants to relive a piece of the action, and everyone who couldn’t make it over has had 12-months of FOMO. So as you can imagine, Hakuba is in HOT demand this season.
If you're planning on heading over there, we recommend getting in quick! Or if you want the pow without the crowd, maybe start looking into holidays in Furano this winter?
Why Everyone’s Talking About All The Sick New Pow Gear
While they are insanely pretty on the eyes, Japan’s mountain resorts aren’t museums. No one wants to just hear stories about you coming over and looking at the mountains – strap in and shred some gnar instead!
Although, before you do, if you’ve never visited a destination like Niseko, Hakuba or Furano, you may not know what’s in store for you. Learning how to ride in pow can be a difficult process, especially if you’ve stubbornly tried to save a buck by bringing over your set of planks and are now learning how to ride pow on a set of park twin-tips…
Pow’s a different beast and if you’re not rocking a set of pow specific skis or board, your weight distribution will be off and you’ll most likely end up nosediving at a more frequent rate than you get chairlifts throughout your trip. Plus, practicality aside, there’s a whole heap of awesome new gear on the market just waiting to be tried this winter…
So we reckon you should get the right gear – the gear that’s MADE for Japow’s unique conditions – and enjoy shredding with ease this trip. Plus, and this is a big one, it’ll also save you a stack of hassle while in transit and give you an opportunity to ride all the new gear without breaking the bank to pick up a new model!
Why Everyone’s Talking About Japan Being Bang For Your Buck
If you cast your mind back a year ago, it seemed like the entire world was taking advantage of Japan’s yen slipping to the lowest it had been in 38 years. The yen collapsed and all of a sudden, the dream Japow holiday didn’t just seem achievable, it seemed like incredible value for money.
Well, newsflash, it hasn’t got all that much better. If anything, it’s looking like it may even get worse, having slid past the ¥150 to the US dollar last week. So what does that mean?
For us living here in Japan, it’s not good. For you coming over for a holiday, it’s the best thing ever! Allowing you to spend as much as you want without the fear of going into a financial deficit. And while we don’t encourage celebrating another nation's weak economic situation, we do encourage you to start thinking of the weak yen as another kind of “early bird sale,” allowing you to save a few yennies and live large while on holiday this winter.
Why Everyone’s Talking About Japan’s Terrain
If you’ve ever tried backcountry touring, you either have the finest memories of it, or the worst memories of your entire snow sports journey. Some people love it, adopting the ‘no pain no gain’ mentality, hiking up the side of a mountain (literally) and earning their turns in untouched terrain.
Others think about their disdain for hiking and how the overall journey just didn’t provide the same level of ease and comfort as a chairlift. But that’s why Japan is SO special – we have the gate system.
If you’re unfamiliar with Niseko's gate system, it means we have the best of both worlds. Deep, un-groomed backcountry terrain, all accessible by a short walk from the chairlift. And when we say short, we mean that some of Niseko United’s best terrain is only a 5 minute walk from the top gondola.
So if you want the absolute best backcountry terrain, deepest pow, and epic tree lines but don’t want to hike into a potentially dangerous situation just to access it, Japan is your best bet.
Why Everyone’s Talking About Japanese Food
Sushi, izakaya, yakiniku, ramen, katsu curry, the list goes on. When you think of Japan, one thing always comes to mind – delicious food. And after the travel boom we’ve seen over the last two years, it feels like Instagram is now just a platform to promote Japanese food and beverage destinations. It’s inescapable, with everyone and their mother posting about Japan’s local cuisines.
But for good reason – the food truly is that incredible. So if you’re thinking about making that trip over, don’t just consider all the pow you’ll be smashing, but the sushi you’ll be feasting on.
But before you do that, here's a pro tip: start researching and booking early. Over winter there’s a lot of tourists that venture to Japan’s mountain towns and all of them also eat food - meaning that a lot of restaurants are booked out months in advance over the winter season. And while there will always be something on offer, mountain resorts aren’t the same as Tokyo, where, if there’s a ramen joint that’s full, you can just walk down the block and find another.
Options are a lot more limited, meaning it’s best to book early and feel safe with the fact that you’ll be eating all the best foods on offer this winter. Unsure what's on offer? Start researching now!
Why Everyone’s Talking About Japan
Social media isn’t lying to you, literally everyone you know went to Japan over the last two years. In fact, in 2024 alone, over 30 million tourists spent $50 billion USD in Japan alone. A 25% increase from the pre-pandemic peak of $40 billion USD.
So what’s the hype about? Surely not all of those tourists are here for the pow, so what is it?
Simply put, it’s Japan. There’s nowhere quite like it.
Where else can you strap in to ride the best powder of your life, eat fresh sushi for lunch and then round out the day soaking in a natural hot spring? No where! Japan is one of a kind, and it’s exactly why we fell in love with it 20 years ago, and why you will undoubtedly fall in love with it this winter – if you end up booking that trip, that is….
Why It’s Now Or Never
It’s true what they say, all good things must come to an end. Which is why Japan will be implementing huge changes to their approach to tourism in 2026, making winter 2025/26 THE time to finally make it over for a pow holiday.
Before you ask, these changes will not mean you can’t travel to Japan after 2026, but it will have huge impacts on your holiday, here’s how:
Visitor Caps at Popular Sites: No, this doesn’t mean Niseko’s Grand Hirafu. But, for those of you planning to duck into mainland Japan and visit Mt Fuji, all of Kyoto’s famous shrines, and other attractions like the Tokyo Tower, there will be stricter visitor limits implemented in an attempt to reduce overcrowding.
E- Visa Approval: Similar to the U.S. ESTA, Japan will be introducing an electronic approval system for all foreign tourists.
Dual Pricing: From 2026, a national dual-pricing system will be introduced, meaning that international visitors will pay higher entrance fees than locals at certain cultural and natural attractions.
Tax-Free Shopping: While Japan will still offer tax-free shopping, it will shift to a refund-based system in which participants redeem their refund at the airport upon leaving the country. 
So what does that mean? Now’s the time. Just send it. Book that flight.
It's now or never! Get in quick before all the epic gear is booked out!