Nagano Beginner Packages
Have you never skied before? Or perhaps you have and are at a more novice level and wish to improve. Could that be you? Do you want to experience some of the world-famous powder snow that Japan is renowned for and experience a rich and diverse culture?
Look no further as our fully all-inclusive packages with small and intimate groups lead by our qualified instructors will have you cruising down the slopes with confidence and style in no time at all!!
Let’s face it, learning a new sport can sometimes be a daunting process without the right knowledge and experienced people to assist. One option is to go to a totally westernised resort in Japan which will generally work on the numbers game with large size beginners classes. Another option is to come with us and experience resorts where westerners are almost non-existent, with small intimate beginner classes, and English speaking instructors that turn your learning into a lifetime passion.
Your base is located in the traditional township of
Yudanaka staying at the luxurious
Ryokan Biyunoyado.
Tour Dates 2023/24
There are no set dates for these packages; they can start any day of the week and are available as a 3, 4, 5 or 6-night package (or a package can be tailored to suit you or your group). We run our tours with a minimum of 2 people to a group and maximum of 6 and if you are a single and there is no group to join with on your elected date then the single tuition rate is an extra ¥30,000 per day. For tour dates between 26th Dec 2023 to 4th Jan 2024 please apply for tour price due to the hike in room rate at Ryokan Biyu for the Japanese holiday period.
Why Learn with Japan Powder Culture Tours?
It goes without saying that the qualified instructors are experienced and passionate about their trade; that is the minimum you would expect from a ski school. So what is our point of difference? What we have learnt over the years is that there are some very important aspects of ski tuition which are not covered in the traditional ski instructor’s manual. The following are just some of the common sense approaches we use which will generally not be found at a traditional ski school.
- Generally what happens in a rental shop is you tell the staff your foot size, height and weight and they hand you some gear, and it is left up to the client to fit the gear. We take this one step further as we know how important it is to your skiing and safety to have the correct fitting equipment. We will measure your foot, fit your boots, tighten them up to make sure there are no pressure points, mount your boots on skis and ensure they are set to a safe level.
- Once on the snow we teach you how to walk in all types of terrain and different conditions in your boots. We also teach how to correctly carry your equipment to minimise effort and increase balance.
- We know everyone learns at a different pace and know the importance of mastering a certain movement before moving on. The quicker learners get given different tasks however our goal is to bring everyone up to the group’s level, so the slower learners are given just as much attention. We do not leave any soldiers behind.
- The usual teaching model is to talk about a movement, demonstrate the movement, get the client to try the movement then the next step is to follow the instructor. Unless the instructor has eyes in the back of their head, how can they fix an incorrect form? Instead we teach from the back moving through the group one on one and reinforcing movements through repeating the information until it becomes second nature to the client; repetition being the mother of skill.
- Where traditional ski schools only give you one piece of the pie so they have some leverage to get you to come back and spend some more money with them to get the next piece of the pie, we take it to the next level and give our guests the whole pie. We believe it is essential that our guests understand the five main movements (the whole pie) in skiing and snowboarding. Once this understanding is achieved we can then isolate each movement (piece of the pie) to gain a more fluid progression from beginner to intermediate.
- Another important aspect is teaching our clients how to read the different terrain, pitch of the terrain and the condition of the snow so they have the tools to make good decisions when negotiating their way safely down the mountain.
These are just a few of the common sense approaches we use to accelerate our clients learning in a safe and enjoyable environment.
Highlights
- Ski and ride some of the nicest powder without the masses
- Learn some new skills from the instructor/guides to elevate your ability on the snow
- No need to work out the best places to ski and ride - your instructor/guide does this for you
- Enjoy small group sizes (min two and max six people) to accelerate your learning
- Rejuvenate daily in an onsen (hot spring) to sooth and relax your muscles
- Visit the world famous snow monkeys and walk through the 1300 year old Shibu Onsen town.
- Relax and be driven from location to location with our experienced mountain drivers
- Make some new friends to share those on snow stories with over a local ale or wine
Skier/Boarder Ability
Please note that if you have never been on the snow before we start all our beginners skiing and not snowboarding. The reason for this is that the potential for injuries from first timers snowboarding is a lot higher than for skiing. Accidents like broken wrists, damage to elbows and shoulders are very common with toe side crashes on snowboards and injuries like bruising your tailbone when you have a heel side crash can be very uncomfortable. Skiing on the other hand has fewer injuries as the crashes can be handled a lot more safely. This is a risk sport and for those that have not done much active sports it is a better option to start with skiing.
For those that have their heart on snowboarding then we suggest having a go at the end of the tour. Snowboarding is hard to learn and easier to master and skiing is easy to learn and harder to master. Your experience is enhanced with skiing first as there is usually rapid improvement so you can access different parts of the mountain more quickly.
Once you learn the basics of skiing it is a lot easier to transfer to snowboarding. We also cater for novice skiers and snowboarders in this tour to help them advance to the next level.
Self-Guided Cultural Excursions
Here are a number of options for those that either have a scheduled rest day or for those that have ascertained they need to rest to lower the probability of injury. We have a very rich cultural area with so many options that will give you that truly authentic Japanese ski experience that we at JPC Tours know are unique to this area and in our opinion cannot be replicated at any other ski resorts around Japan. Maps and train schedules are all provided for these cool adventures. Please Note: these are all achievable daily excursions; however you can chop and change them to suit how much time you would like to stay at each venue.
Option 1 (Snow Monkey – Shibu Onsen – Obuse Town)
8.30am leave from Biyu to snow monkey park on complimentary shuttle. Walk to park through national forest. Stop at Enza café at the start of the track after viewing monkeys for a hot drink and snack. Walk to the Sake Museum then down through Shibu Onsen town (this area is over 1300 years old and is where the Samurai used to bath to rejuvenate and where the famous Japanese movie “Spirited Away” was based) then to the worlds tallest bronze Buddhist statue. Take the 12.31pm train to Obuse that arrives at 12.53 and a short walk to Obuse Town. Visit the Hokusai Museum and explore this wonderful little town. Take the 17.11 train to arrive back at Yudanaka train station at 17.33.
Option 2 (Snow Monkey – Obuse Town – Zenkoji Temple in Nagano)
8.30 leave from Biyu to snow monkey park on complimentary shuttle. Walk to park through national forest. Stop at Enza café at the start of the track after viewing monkeys for a hot drink and snack. Pickup at 10.20 from start of monkey park to be transported to train station to take the 10.50 train to Obuse that arrives 11.12 for a short walk to Obuse Town. Visit the Hokusai Museum and explore this wonderful little town and have lunch at the many quality restaurants. Take the local 13.55 train from Obuse to arrive at Nagano 14.30. Exit the train and make way your way to ground level on the west exit of station. Take the Zenkoji bus to the temple. Nagano is the only temple city in Japan which means the temple was built first and the city afterwards. Purchase a ticket in the temple to do the underground chamber tour under the temple to find the gate to eternity and make sure you look in the large mirror when you exit to be born again. Take the walk from the Zenkoji Temple to the train station (Many cool shops and restaurants along the way) and either travel back to Yudanaka on the 18.00 express train or dine in Nagano and take the 19.40 express train.
Option 3 (Obuse Town - Zenkoji Temple and Olympic Museum in Nagano)
Take the 8.39 train from Yudanaka to arrive at Obuse at 9.14 for a short walk to Obuse Town. Visit the Hokusai Museum and explore this wonderful little town. Take the 11.12 or 11.56 express train from Obuse to arrive at Nagano either 11.36 or 12.30. Exit the Yudanaka express train and make way to ground level on the west exit of station. Time for lunch either at the Midori train complex or at the many street restaurants close to train station. Take the Zenkoji bus to the temple from the west exit. Nagano is the only temple city in Japan which means the temple was built first and the city afterwards. Purchase a ticket in the temple to do the underground chamber tour under the temple to find the gate to eternity and also the ticket for the Zenkoji Museum which is behind the Zenkoji Temple. Take the walk from the Zenkoji Temple to the train station (many cool shops and restaurants along the way). Another great place to visit is the M-Wave which is where the Olympic Museum is and the long course speed skating facility which is still in operation. An amazing building with the largest wood suspended ceiling in the world. Would need to get a taxi from train station to this venue. Option to take the 18.00 express train back to Yudanaka or stay for dinner in Nagano and get the 19.40 train from Nagano which arrives in Yudanaka at 20.29.