Jase and his team were great. Led us to deep powder every day, and guided us to the best runs. The guides were all knowledgeable and patient. Accommodation was authentic Japanese, with a terrific onsen to soak away the skiing aches. The restaurants were good quality and inexpensive.
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Of all of the ski tours I have been on, this ranks #1 by far. The combination of the cultural tours and accommodations with awesome skiing made this trip Exceptional! Jase took care of all our needs. His guides were with us each day and knew where to take us to get the best skiing. We were doubly fortunate for a week of dumping snow, so the pow was fantastic!
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I spent a 10 day ‘grey nomads’ trip with Jase and JPCT, I then returned a week later for another 4 days which probably gives a hint that I enjoyed the experience. I am an OK snowboarder with very limited powder experience and chose the tour as was travelling as a lone snowboarder.

The hotel (Omodaka) I though was great, rooms are large and the staff there very nice. I paid the single person supplement I struggled with the futon mattresses on the floor, but the staff brought more and was fine. The onsen was great and the food exceptional, in house meals were an experience, as I don’t eat meat they prepared a more seafood focussed one, a great experience and nice way to chat to a range of others on the tour. The staff there were really helpful, and I honestly cant really think of anything there I would change. It is a little out of town but an easy walk and you get dropped in each evening.

Now onto the tour. The guides were very helpful and took us to a range of locations, found great powder everyday which is what you come for. On my 2 stays the challenge was finding manageable spots as it never stopped piling down the snow. Most days were at the local resort and one at a small resort about an hour away. Everyday was exceptional, my powder riding improved, until the last day when my legs just gave up! Guides were encouraging and supportive, and most of all had a good eye on safety. Each one had a slightly different style which was nice to experience. The resorts you go to are excellent, never had a lift queue to speak of, good access to powder from the lifts. Loads of tree runs and some nice open powered runs too, which as a boarder were unreal. It was my first time in trees like this, at times I found that quite challenging but the guides were very supportive and helpful, and I improved to some degree by the end of my stay.

It was really nice to get to know people from all over the world on the tours and the bus ride was a nice time to chat. Occasionally it was a bit cramped but manageable although my old knees were always pleased to get off.

Jase runs a really nice tour, the culture element is great, the shows superb and the restaurants he books for you are very nice. He has a wealth of snow knowledge that really helps you have a good trip. Worth listening to his tips, as they help you et the most out of the snow. Some of the other views expressed are slightly less enlightening however and to be taken with a large pinch of salt I would say! :-) Jase is friendly but clear in interactions, things are run to schedule as is needed with a large tour like this. Sometimes it can feel like you are a bit herded, but this is needed I think and never was a concern to me. You have to just go with the flow and just speak up when the need arises, that way I felt I got the most out of the tour. You pay to get guided and Jase and the team do that well and I felt happy letting them get on with the job which optimised my enjoyment.

I certainly will look to get back as soon as I can, a great way to go, especially if you are new to Japan, the area or travelling/boarding solo as I was. I decided to do the second snow section of my trip back with Jase as I felt the value of the guiding, being taken to best area for conditions and overall safety made it worth the money. That was right, as the snow was even deeper the my first stay and being on my own would have been a challenge and if off the piste risky really.

I would recommend the trip if you are pretty easy going, happy to follow the schedule of the tour and the guidance of Jase and the team and have a reasonably thick skin.

Thanks Jase, Megan, Trev, Naru, Patrick, Tom, Evan and also to Dan (I hope the rehab is going ok) for facilitating a great trip and making this old boarder’s time in Japow so much fun, hope to see you again soon.
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I was a solo participant on a late Feb early March tour and really enjoyed my experience. I'm 62, and I got my self assessment wrong in that I really should have emphasized how few hours I have had in actual deep powder (despite being a reasonably accomplished skier in other contexts). So a tip for those who are filling out the form is to make sure you consider context. You may be shmick in-bounds & front side but how much actual deep Japanese pow have you got under your belt? Anyway, I was well looked after by Jase and the crew (hats off to Evan, Meg, Patrick & Naru) & I most certainly got a lot better as the week progressed. The mountain which cannot be named is a great spot. This was my 5th Nagano trip but my first based in Yudanaka and its nearby yama. The snow quality is superb. We got some bluebird days so killer views too. Yudanaka itself is a gem. Same for Shibu Onsen. Well worth a walk up there at night time. I stayed at Hotel Omodaka and had a spacious Japanese style room to myself. 5x4 tatami. Great staff & service and the in house banquet style meals are seriously oishi. In house onsen is a huge plus. As others have said Jase himself is his own man and his humour & style won't be to everyone's taste, but it worked for me. The world is too cotton wool, imho. Having a mix of skiers and boarders of all levels all together works a treat. Great fun, jammed in on the bus each morning and heading out to dinner after a full day each night. My strava says I got around 5000m vertical each day and 20+ runs, and I'm sure the more athletic types got a lot more. The cultural aspect of the trip is well worth mentioning - Sensei Nakano is a must see, as is the same for Fred the Belgian magician and the super elegant Geisha. She also runs the karaoke bar (Y3000 bottomless beers -you have been warned!). The trip runs like clockwork and the vibe is very much 'be safe, have fun & learn a bit along the way'. This is not an intensive SLAP program - you will get some tips but the focus isn't so much on 1:1 technical skills improvement. Would I sign up for another JPCT trip - yep. But I have yet to ski the Dolomites and that might be the next itch to scratch. Thanks Jase and to all your team for a great bang for your buck ski experience.
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We joined the March 5 2025 Grey Snowmads tour which coincidentally was my 70th birthday and we're so happy we did. Jase and his team of guides provided an excellent tour of the mega area Shiga Kogen. We were fortunate to get several days of powder and several days of nice spring skiing, but that was only a part of what made this a special trip. It included cultural aspects of Japan such as the Geisha performance, Karate, Drum and Lion Dance, and magician in addition to the Snow Monkeys and shrines. Jase also provided excellent suggestions for sightseeing trips. The restaurant reservations and transportation made it an easy and fun holiday. The accommodations were nice as well. Somewhat traditional Japanese. The group that we were with were all enjoyable to be with which really enhanced an already great trip. All in all a fantastic holiday. I'd also like to thank Powderhounds for their help. A great sevice
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We were a group of three friends travelling together, but not necessarily skiing together. We were most fortunate that this February was a bumper snow year. the service provided by Jase and his guides couldn’t be faulted. The skiing was fantastic, albeit somewhat challenging at times in the trees.

It was our first trip to Japan so we had zero expectations. Having skis, avalanche equipment , transport to different ski locations, sightseeing tours, dinner bookings and cultural shows all provided meant we didn’t have to think and we would not have experienced nearly as much if it was not for Jase and his team.

Having skied in many resorts in Europe and North America we found living in a totally Japanese town, staying in an authentic Japanese hotel, and skiing where we were the only foreign tourists most refreshing. We also enjoyed the group culture, something we had not experienced before.

Note to enjoy this tour,  be familiar with and follow the instructions given, and be as fit as possible.
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Was looking for a trip as a solo skier, but I wanted to be with other like-minded people and have a guide. This trip fulfilled all requirements and was a lot of fun. As a result, I made my third trip in 2025 and it was just as good as previous times. The guides were excellent and went out of their way to ensure everyone was having a good time. The terrain and locations varied every day with the team seeking out the best possible places to ski and eat. Heavy snowfall one day meant we couldn’t ski (as lifts needed to be dug out) so Jase took us a few places around the Nagano district for a cultural tour. I hired their powder skis which were perfect for the conditions. Also, the whole thing ran to a schedule so we weren’t left waiting. Would thoroughly recommend.
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Japanese Powder Culture Tours are unique. Not just as a ski tour, but as a remarkable journey of what makes Japan such a unique country, it's environment , it's culture it's people.

Jason has spent two decades of exploration not only to find every nook and cranny of powder, our daily location chosen by terrain and weather in this district, but of magical places off the beaten track on our journeys to and from the literally dozens of ski areas in the Nagano prefecture.

I have returned for my fourth tour this year, and yet in the first two days of our return trip from a ski area this year, stopped at two previously unseen magical lookouts, a stunning waterfall, and a monastery ,hundreds of years old, yet magestic in it's architecture.
On previous trips we have stopped at a myriad of other scenic and historic landscapes.

The location of Yudanaka township (our base) is in the centre of a rural area of Japan, but not rural as western standards of agriculture are measured. Family apple orchards, their branches supported by lengths of wood to prevent their destruction under the weight of snow, sit next to rice paddies, now dormant for winter.
We travel down narrow roads flanked by Japanese homes, sometimes plain by western standards, but entrances, or miniscule gardens will be enhanced by bonsai trees and shrubs, patiently cultivated by decades, if not hundreds of years of loving care and attention.

Transport daily by bus, an adventure in itself, involves jokes, music, sometimes a running commentary from Jason.
Bring your music collection. You may get the honour of supplying the entertainment for the day.

Departure from the average is the cornerstone of Jason's tours.

His passion for sharing what he has discovered geographically, as well as his appreciation of Japanese culture are shown by the variety of dramatic presentations he has arranged.

The opportunity to experience the individuality of a ski tour like this in my humble opinion unrivaled.
As the world is discovering, Japan is the go to location for ski holidays.
Jasons Tours are getting incredibly popular, and because I have been totally privilaged to spend as much time as I have on his tours, three words. Do Not Wait.
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I have experienced many guided groups from the group of mates, to a "matched" group of unknowns and private mountain guides. Every guiding group needs a benign dictator to maximise enjoyment and efficient use of valuable ski hours whilst providing, as far as possible, a safe and secure environment. This role is admirably performed by the owner/organiser/indefatiguable driving force - ski fuehrer Jase.
This operation is well organised and flexible. I agree with some other reviews which point out that the term "grey snomads" is a movable feast, in that groups are adjusted by skill and energy levels rather than age. However this is not a negative but an inevitability if you wish to optimise compatibility. There are only so many people who "work together" in any group like this at any one time. My feeling is that Jase and his team handled this challenge well.
The group of young kiwi guides were a delight to spend the day with. They were all enthusiastic, helpful and fun. Despite their age they were willing to make important, sometimes awkward, calls. e.g on my 1st morning it was clear that I would struggle to manage with a younger, relatively inexperienced boarder, and a very good skier in the deeper snow. As a result Harry tactfully moved me to a more suitable match. This was the pattern for the week. Whilst some of these guys were relatively inexperienced they were all quite capable of fulfilling the task at hand. They have all been schooled in the teaching views (frequently repeated) by he who must be obeyed leading to a consistency in advice offered. Jase himself is an extremely experienced effective teacher who helped me a lot. I spent most of my time with Jase or Dan who needs special mention for his infectiously positive outlook on life and for whom nothing was ever too much trouble. But be clear this a guided tour with instruction not a ski school lesson and participants need to be happy to be part of a "group dynamic". I met some lovely people, mainly my age, and had a great week on skis (helped somewhat by great snow).
Contrary to some other reviewers I loved the vibe on the bus with great music (charley Pride excluded) and banter. I also appreciated the Shinkansen departure times I have a pet hate of missing snow time because people can't get their act together in the mornings - if you're not ready, sadly, YOU miss out, but no-one else does.
The ski areas visited were impressive in their extent and lack of crowds.
The hotel might be seen as a little "basic" by those wanting a 5 star resort experience. However the rooms are huge, the futons extremely comfortable, the onsen excellent, and the family owners a delight. My only negative about the Omodaka would be that I would prefer a few more western breakfast options. I love foreign food but breakfast is "comfort" time.
I found the shows in the hotel far more engaging than my natural cynicism expected. The magic show, in particular, was skilful and extremely entertaining.
Yudanaka is a quiet and traditional Japanese town with very little western influence. Its readily accessible via train from Tokyo. There is a good choice of local restaurants at very affordable prices a short walk away and a free "lift" is given into town at 6ish every evening. If you would rather stay home there are couple of included Japanese meals and the Omodaka cafe serves pretty good burgers.
Overall it would be hard to fault this product (though no-one can ever guarantee snow conditions - ours were excellent). However if it is for you then you need to be a "participant" i.e to give as well as to take. I would have no hesitation in rebooking.
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What a wonderful experience I have just had.
Love the whole set up, you are looked after all the way. Having a guide skiing with you all the time giving you tips and pointers on how to improve your skiing is very special.
The guides could not do enough for you, they were very polite, patient and helpful.
I felt very safe on the mountain with Jace and his crew.
The other guests were a wonderful diverse group of people who’s company I enjoy very much. Going out to dinner with them was so much fun.
PS so glad I went in March had the best snow
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