Why Hakuba Is an Epic Spot to Visit for Your First Dose of Pow

Before we get into this blog, let’s make something super clear – there’s no bad option.

If you’re heading over to Japan for a ski trip this winter season, you’re in for a truly unforgettable time. But, your choice of resort will impact what’s on offer, both on and off the slopes.

So we wanted to make things a bit easier for all the beginners out there unsure which resort they want to hit up for their first ever dose of Japow. This time around, we’re focusing on Hakuba and why we think it’s an epic spot to get your first ever taste of skiing or snowboarding.

Endless Options of Terrain

If you’ve been to the snow before, you’ll remember your first time. Chances are, one of your friends overhyped your abilities, took you onto terrain far too advanced for your skillset and the overall experience was only memorable because of how enjoyable it was…

Trust us, it’s a canon event – but that doesn’t mean it has to be. Sure, at some resorts in Aus or New Zealand, you may be slightly dictated to by weather and trail conditions leaving only some terrain open, but in Hakuba, you have your pick of the bunch.

10 different resorts, all offering up something different. From Jigatake and Iimori offering up epic beginner slopes and learning areas, to 47, Happo and Tsugaike offering steeper terrain and tree runs, the options never stop in Hakuba.

Meaning that if it’s your first time, you can ride through the whole valley, starting out at beginner resorts like Iimori before levelling up to the likes of 47 throughout the course of your stay.

Less intense pow

It’s called Japow because it’s famous all around Japan, but in Hakuba, pow isn’t as much at the forefront as Niseko or Furano, which receive the cold fronts from Siberia crossing over the Sea of Japan.

Instead, Hakuba’s snow is a lot more forgiving. Sure, pow may reduce fall damage, but that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily for the best for beginners, with the softer density making it significantly harder for beginners to get back up after they fall.

Hakuba offers the best of both worlds. Soft pow but not so deep that you’ll need a snorkel and forklift to dig your way out of it – unless you’re hitting up more advanced terrain in the back and sidecountry.

Easy Access

There’s a definitive ranking of the most deflating moments in any trip that involves air travel.

1. Flight Delays
2. Realising that you are in the middle seat
3. Connecting domestic flights

Connecting domestic flights is truly a killer. After a multi-hour flight, you’re already tired, you’ve exhausted all of your downloaded songs on Spotify, you’re desperate for anything other than in-flight food, and the last thing you want to do is jump back on a flight and do it all again.
Hakuba gives you that luxury. Simply get into central Tokyo, jump on a train or bus and head straight to the resort.

After you’ve caught the snowbug, domestic flights getting you to ski fields in Niseko and Furano are not only 100% worth the effort, but exciting legs of the journey – with each minute only getting you closer to endless pow and ramen joints. But for the first-timers, go the easy route and spend your first time enjoying time out on the slopes, not navigating airports.

Epic Bar and Apres Scene

High-end cocktail bars like Sugar, epic retro game and music bars like Cross Bar and Garage 902, awesome nightcap spots like Refuel that sell burgers late into the evening, and favourites like Holy Smokes and Matsurika offering everything from cosy divebar vibes to karaoke respectively, Hakuba is arguably Japan’s best mountain resort for apres and off-snow activities.

And trust us, after your first taste, you’ll come to find that apres is just as big a part of snow culture as skis and snowboards.

Budget-Friendly Options for Accommodation

Unsure how much you want to spend on accommodation? Hakuba is an awesome place to suss.

While most other resorts now lean into specific styles of travellers, with Niseko offering more high-end options and luxe suites, Hakuba still offers options for everything. Whether you’re chasing a luxury getaway or would rather get cosy at a traditional ryokan B&B, Hakuba has a stack of epic options, allowing you to find something that works with your budget and preferences.

Eat Your Way Around

Ski resorts offer a melting pot of cultures, with people from all over the world descending upon mountain towns each and every winter season. So what does that mean in the long run? The food scene expands! And for Hakuba, which has been a bit of a cultural travel hub for over two decades now, the food and beverage scene has expanded to include almost anything you want.

If you’re chasing a full-on Japanese experience, the options for izakaya, yaki-niku, hotpot and ramen will be endless, but you’ll also never be short of different options, covering everything from burgers to tacos and everything in between.

Epic Onsen Facilities

We don’t want to say that we have favourites, because we don’t. Choosing between Japanese ski resorts is like choosing a favourite child, it’s almost an impossible task. That being said, there are certain things that stand out with each resort, and for Hakuba, the views truly reign supreme.

So naturally, there’s some pretty phenomenal onsen facilities around town, giving you some of the best views you’ll ever see – all from the comfort of a traditional hot spring.

Free Valley Shuttles

A convenient shuttle network connects the 10 different resorts in the area, making it simple to move around once you arrive.

Off-Snow Activities

Snowmobiling, indoor skateparks, snow monkey sightseeing trips, honestly, the off-snow activities around Hakuba are equally as fun as the time you’ll have ripping up the slopes.

No Japanese, No Problem

Need lessons but don’t speak Japanese? Not a worry, we offer ski lessons at both Able Hakuba Goryu and Hakuba 47 Mountain Resort!