Overall Rating

Nagano Ski Buffet

Nagano Ski Buffet4.5/531
Nagano Ski Buffet4.5 out of 5 based on 31 reviews
  • Recommend
    97%
  • Would Revisit
    97%
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Nagano Ski Buffet - Reviews

Nagano Ski Buffet - Reviews

Wow

Bruce Savett
03/03/2024
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Age
    51-70
  • Ability
    Expert
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Country
    United States
  • Month:
    February
  • Admin Rating
    2

Wow

Bruce Savett
03/03/2024
It is a little hard to describe our ski trip with Japan Powder Culture Tours. The combination of great skiing, guilding and culture was incredible. We were a group of six ranging from very expert to intermediate and Jase+crew were able to give each of us a great experience. I think the best way to describe it is to say "we will be back".
See our video here

I am torn with what to post

leslie resnick
30/10/2023
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Age
    51-70
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Country
    United States
  • Month:
    January
  • Admin Rating
    4

I am torn with what to post

leslie resnick
30/10/2023
Part of me wants to be truthful and say that Jace and his crew have created an amazing experience incorporating skiing, culture and laughter. And the food!! And the people!!!

I have been to Japan to ski several times since 1990, and can't recommend this trip enough! I have opinions about the north island and the mainland. I will do both, but will be bringing more folks this way!

And then I want to also lie and say it is crappy and not to come. So I can bring my friends and keep this all for myself.
See our video here

a mixed experience, with some great skiing and meeting some nice people, but with several bad experiences meaning I would never return

Eleanor McKay
23/10/2023
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Age
    18-35
  • Ability
    Expert
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Country
    UK
  • Month:
    February
  • Admin Rating
    3

a mixed experience, with some great skiing and meeting some nice people, but with several bad experiences meaning I would never return

Eleanor McKay
23/10/2023
I (female solo traveller, 27 years old) attended a 10 day tour with JPCT in February 2022. I had a mixed experience, with some great skiing and meeting some nice people, but with several bad experiences meaning I would never return or recommend JPCT to my friends.

Good:
-I stayed at Abiya, the cheaper of the two accommodation options, with a private room and shared bathrooms. Abiya was really lovely, run by Yoshi and Seong-mi who went above and beyond to make me feel welcome and help me whenever needed.
-The snow was great. I skied all but one of the tour days and we skied everyday at Shiga Kogen, which felt like a very authentic Japanese ski resort.
-When Jase (Jase/Jason, the guy who runs JPCT) was leading/’guiding’ my group, he ensured that ability levels were well-grouped, even if that meant there were fewer people in our top group. However this was not the case when other employees were leading our group, so I did spend several days in a more mixed ability group, having to wait for slower members.

Bad:
-I rented ski equipment from Jase, and the whole experience was not good. Firstly, I was not trusted to advise my own din setting, despite being a very experienced skier, and was put on a much lower din than I normally ski. I was also on significantly longer skis than I’d ever previously skied. When I questioned this, I was gaslit by Jase, saying ‘you put down that you’re an advanced skier, these are skis for an advanced skier, are you not advanced?’ in a tone that I found upsetting. What he should have said was ‘typically in deep powder in Japan, you want a longer ski that you’re used to in North American and Europe. Why don’t you try this for a day and see how you get on, and if you want something shorter we can change them’. It turned out the skis were a good size for me, so he wasn’t wrong with the length but I felt that the way that this was questioned was unpleasant. Thankfully my group leader when we were out skiing did also adjust my din for me, back to my usual setting. However this was not the end of the drama. About 4 days in, the binding on one of my skis had come very very loose of the ski. This was only noticed by another client in my group, and not Jase, and Jase then advised me to ski gently down the piste to the bottom of the resort where we’d fix it. I (perhaps naively) followed these instructions and towards the bottom of the piste the entire binding came off from the ski. Fortunately I was travelling slowly and was unhurt, but this could have been much, much worse. After this happened I was again gaslit by Jase, claiming I’d ‘broken’ his skis. I felt extremely unsafe and immediately went to Yoshi at Abiya, who kindly helped me purchase my own skis in Nagano through his contacts there.
-There was quite a misogynistic vibe. ‘Story time’ on the bus and ski lifts with group leaders / ‘guides’ often telling stories that did not make me feel comfortable.
-I was given the impression from the website that there were distinct ‘tours’ at distinct dates that groups booked on to. This turned out not to be the case, as I didn’t meet anyone else booked onto my ‘tour’ with the same dates. There were several different tours with different descriptions that were all lumped together over the same dates, so I ended up skiing with people who had signed up for the ‘grey snowmad’ (55+) tour. Basically everyone books onto different tours with different dates and everyone is just lumped together, all going on a big bus to the same location for the day, almost always Shiga Kogen. The upside of this is the ability to have many groups, meaning similar abilities can be most accurately grouped together. But I was expecting everyone to start and finish on the same day, whereas in reality people were coming and going throughout the trip. Not a massive problem, just not the impression I got from the website. This also means the evening entertainment is also very ad hoc and fairly last minute - often you don’t find out what is going on that evening until that afternoon and the majority of evenings were just sorting yourself out for food.
- Use of avalanche safety equipment was required, but for those that hadn’t used it before, very minimal training was provided.
- At points the tour didn’t feel completely respectful of Japan and their customs. For example in Shiga Kogen you were not supposed to go into the sidecountry (judging by the shouting we often received from local instructors), but this was always ignored. And often the phrase ‘don’t take out a native’ was used which I found rather offensive. Additionally, while wearing face masks was very strongly encouraged indoors in Japan at the time, there was no effort by group leaders / ‘guides’ to follow suit and be respectful.
-Finally, I have mentioned ‘guides’ throughout this review. These are the employees of Jase who were advertised as ‘guides’ on the website. However the majority possessed no guiding qualifications or professional guiding experience and I was not aware that any of them had been trained in avalanche safety. In Europe a ‘guide’ is a qualified mountain guide, but the term ‘guide’ in Japan seems to have no such protected status, and as such anyone can proclaim themselves a ‘guide’. Something to be aware of for all skiing outfits in Japan.

All in all, I did have a good time. But there were several things that tainted the trip for me and I would definitely not return again or recommend JPCT to a friend.
See our video here

Powder Adventure in Japan

Hans Henrichsen
18/04/2020
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Age
    51-70
  • Ability
    Advanced
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Country
    Japan
  • Month:
    January
  • Admin Rating
    4

Powder Adventure in Japan

Hans Henrichsen
18/04/2020
I spent 13 days on skis with Jase and his team New Year 2020. This is my second trip with Japan Powder Culture Tours and I can recommend this tour be it to beginners or experts.
Japan Powder Culture Tours is truly a boutique tour where Jase and his team tailors the guests’ day on skis/snowboard according to their individual ability and experience. I always skied with other guests that were at my own level, and we were always led by Jase and his team of guides that set safety first.
But what makes Jase and his crew really stand-out is the level of engagement with the guests both on and outside the slope.
If you are an advanced skier, Jase and his team will make sure to find challenges wherever the snow conditions and powder is the best. And if you are novice skier you will also be in the best hands. I have never been on a tour where beginners, advanced or even experts are so cared for and have access to full days of instructions (or tips for improvement) from guides that are also trained ski instructors!
For me, I will definitely be back next year.
See our video here

So beautiful ...

Kim
27/02/2020
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Age
    51-70
  • Ability
    Intermediate
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Country
    Japan
  • Month:
    January
  • Admin Rating
    4

So beautiful ...

Kim
27/02/2020
The best thing about the Nagano ski buffet is the direct access we had to authentic Japanese culture in a ski resort. Where we stayed in the small town of Yudanaka - in lodgings that were clean, modern, friendy and run by Japanese local people, was simply beautiful. I couldn't have asked for better. I'd skied Niseko and Nozawa a number of years ago and was seeking that sense of exhilaration and freshness that you get when you feel you are truly away from your own culture. Through the ski buffet we were given this in spades. We (my daughter and I) met lovely like-minded people from around the world to ski with in our group. Over a few days we became friends and had a lot of those laughs that are generated through familiar banter. This was all encouraged by our organiser Jase and the guides, who gave fabulous tips on making the most of the small town, after spending a full day on the slopes. Handmade sushi in tiny restaurants, no problem. Homemade plum wine - easy. Onsens - gorgeous. The skiing tuition was sensational. Value for money having an all-day ski guide /instructor for the entire tour, remarkable. The groups were small and run on good timing; it was all very enjoyable, and easy. I have nothing but lovely memories, and much more beauty than I had anticipated. For me, the icing was the cake and the big birthday Kareoke song organised by Jase, for my daughter's 15th birthday. It was kind and personal, and I guess, a metaphor for the whole trip. Thoroughly recommended :-)
See our video here

WOW Amazing

Brad Clarke
03/02/2019
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Age
    51-70
  • Ability
    Expert
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Country
    Canada
  • Month:
    January
  • Admin Rating
    4

WOW Amazing

Brad Clarke
03/02/2019
Jase and his team at Japan Powder Culture Tours were absolutely amazing hosts for our group of 12 advanced/expert skiers for 9 days (8 days of skiing)! We were promised powder snow and were not disappointed at all. Even after 3 - 4 days Jase, Gus, Tom, John and Tyson were able to sniff out private powder stashes for us! The last day the powder was hip deep in places and was amazing. A number of our group brought sons in the 20 year range, many who are amazing skiers and the guides were very strong skiers and showed the lads an amazing time. Jase was cautious on offering ski advise but asked for permission from the tip to give out ski tips if he had any suggestions for experiance. The cultural experiance was also unbelievable with Geisha nights and Lion dances and drumming and entertainment and Jases "hidden gems" which were surprises along the way (which I will not divulge here but were lots of fun), honestly there was not a lot of idle time and all was done very profesionally! The hotel Ryokan Biyu was very good, clean and very professional staff. The Onsens (natural hot springs) in that hotel were marvelous and most of our group enjoyed them daily after skiing, fantastic! The snow monkey park near by was also a highlight which we very much enjoyed on our only day off from skiing. Jase was on top of our every need including arranging private massages for our tired muscles and checking in every day regarding dinner preferences and then booking the restuarant for us and either joining us or walking us to the restaurant to make sure we arrived there and also to assist on ordering. Jases new ski bus was fantastic and we felt pampered with his great music and many fantastic Stories (true Story!). If you want to experiance an amazing ski trip and cultural experiance, I don't think to may companies could match what this company does. Every one of his team are professionals, amazing skiers/boarders and look after your every whim. I will recommend this company to a number of friends who are considering a ski trip to Japan next year. There were numerous couples on this trip apart from our group plus a few families and all seemed to be having a great time. The guides are all certifed instructors so if you want to improve your technique. they can help you. Will take my wife back in the next year or two to share this amazing experiance with her. Thanks Jase, Tom, Gus, John and Tyson for an unbelievably great experiance, which I know my sons will remember for a lifetime!
See our video here

Japan Powder Culture Tours

Brian Stern
03/02/2019
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Age
    51-70
  • Ability
    Advanced
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Country
    USA
  • Month:
    January
  • Admin Rating
    3

Japan Powder Culture Tours

Brian Stern
03/02/2019
I have been home a couple of weeks now and this trip is still fresh in my mind. Jason Caulton and his team of high energy and highly skilled band of skier/snowboarders blew me away. they provided an experience second to none. They not only knew the mountains, the people and the culture but provided this experience at a level of 10 on a daily basis. I went to Japan with no expectations other than enjoy the skiing and my friends and left with something more towards a life changing experience. The impact this trip had on me will leave me thinking about it the rest of my life. in addition to that Jason was able to take my skiing ability to another level. The evenings at dinner were quite eventful and who can ever forget Karaoke night with way too many Chu Hi's. Hugging it out with a great Japanese Group and singing let it be. Oh my !! if you can get the chance and book this trip, DO IT NOW !!!!
See our video here

bradventures

stewart Currie
01/02/2019
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Age
    51-70
  • Ability
    Expert
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Country
    Canada
  • Month:
    January
  • Admin Rating
    2

bradventures

stewart Currie
01/02/2019
We had a blast! The skiing was incredible. Jase led us on some great runs which we would never have found on our own. The entire trip was well organized and we had no problems. We were kept busy, skied, watched shows, ate good food, and sang Karaoke. Our last day of skiing was just like the pictures on his website. Tonnes of powder.
See our video here

Why should you book a ski trip with JAPAN POWDER CULTURE TOURS?

Julie Spencer
01/06/2018
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Age
    51-70
  • Ability
    Advanced
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Country
    Japan
  • Month:
    January
  • Admin Rating
    4

Why should you book a ski trip with JAPAN POWDER CULTURE TOURS?

Julie Spencer
01/06/2018
The number one reason is you will have a truly unique experience. I enjoyed every minute of the whole trip. The views, the powder, the food, the Onsens, the culture events, the drives, the amazing guides and the snow monkeys are all memories I will cherish from this trip, this adventure.
Nagano Ski Buffet combines a ski adventure that will leave you begging for more.
Jason Caulton has spent years perfecting the art of a seamless ski vacation in Japan. He knows the area back to front and is determined to make sure you get the best snow the area has to offer each day. He takes everyone’s skiing skills into account and assigns you to a group with an experienced guide that will gladly coach you and push you to ski harder then you have ever skied before. The guide’s personalities and fun banter is the extra plus that helps give you the complete Japanese Ski experience. The guide’s did an excellent job making everyone experience the true wonders of Japan, both on and off the mountain.
I came on this trip with very simple goals, to ski hard and fast, steep and deep. In reality I have come away with much more; good friends, local knowledge, new backcountry skills, and maybe most importantly some new perspectives on life. They really did everything possible to make this the trip of a lifetime.
See our video here

Just do it!

Terry
27/04/2018
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Age
    51-70
  • Ability
    Expert
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Country
    United States
  • Admin Rating
    3

Just do it!

Terry
27/04/2018
If you are looking for a total unique, authentic local guided ski trip then sign up here now. Everything from the hotels (rokan) Location, staff and onsen to delicious food to amazing snow and terrain, the Nagano area has it all.
Arriving from the US, this is a trip that is unlike any other. Jason has a complete knowledge of this area so you can leaving every aspect of the tour to him and just enjoy and take the whole experience in.
One surprising topic of the trip was how diverse of a group it attracted. There were young families, college students, single hard core boarders & skiers and over 50 crowd. Because everybody there has a central theme for the love of pow, the time in Nagano is unforgettable!
P.S. bring your own gear, rental shop are few but Jason has all the avie equipment
See our video here
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