Snow Country Japan: Snowboard & Ski Short Films to Inspire You To Visit (Or Live Here)
I started snowboarding when I was 32. I took to it immediately and loved it from the get go. But I started much too late. I’ll never be as good as I wish to be - an acknowledgement that took time to reconcile with. I accept it yet I continue to dream, and late at night my wife walks in on me watching videos of men – the harsh light of the computer screen strobing an otherwise darkened room – other men snowboarding and caked in powder white. Men in the trees and among the mountains. Men who are much better snowboarders than I will ever be. Some who ski and a few women too - I’d happily watch women, I just can’t find the videos! I watch it all and on occasion, a film that stands out not just for the snowboarding and skiing but for the style and value of the story that is told.
Snowboarder Billy Halloran in the snow of Myoko Kogen - taken from ‘As Above, So Below’.
The following snowboard and ski short films capture elements of life in the ‘yukiguni’ (snow country) of Japan and in different ways, attest to the spirit and character that makes this place worth visiting or better yet, living in. Deep and dry, Japan’s snow avails fantastic snowboarding and skiing including its renowned backcountry. I’ll always argue that the snow country is a lot more than just skiing and snowboarding but they are without doubt a big part of the story and the gateways that allow visitors to discover this place and often, the hook that snares them on a life lived better here…
AS ABOVE, SO BELOW WITH BILLY HALLORAN
Myoko Kogen, Niigata
Created by filmmaker Gordon Duff, ‘As Above, So Below with Billy Halloran’ profiles snowboarder Billy Halloran and his love for life in and the snow of Myoko Kogen, Niigata. The resorts of Myoko Kogen sit on the flanks of Mount Myoko (2454m/8051ft), an active (but long quiet) volcano that lies within Myoko-Togakushi Renzan National Park and a short distance for the north coast. Japan’s winter weather originates in the cold north of Russia and China and blows across the Sea of Japan where it gathers moisture – a lot of moisture – before the clouds are pushed up by the mountain ranges of Japan’s north coast. When that happens, it snows. It snows plenty. The ski resorts of Myoko Kogen – including Akakura Onsen, Akakura Kanko, Suginohara, Ikenotaira and Seki Onsen – are blessed with an incredible amount of power. Often 14 metres and above each season. Those resorts offer some of the best powder skiing and snowboarding in Japan, and plenty of people will tell you, it ranks amongst the best snow in the world.
Gordon and Billy have put together a terrific short film that captures of atmosphere of life in the snow country of Myoko Kogen and the addictiveness of the powder on offer there. Powder on tap - or is it powder off tap?! - is what awaits those who head to Myoko Kogen and what I love most about this film, are Billy’s words that capture the essence of the place and why you too might just want to live there. If you’re headed to Myoko and looking for accommodation, make sure to check out Billy’s setup with Greenhouse Myoko lodge in Suginohara and curated tours through Tanoshii Corp. Make sure to check-out my interview with Billy in which he tells his story and we talk about the ski resorts of Myoko Kogen including Akakura Onsen, Akakura Kanko, Ikenotaira, Suginohara and Seki Onsen. Though not technically part of Myoko Kogen, we also discuss the resort of Lotte Arai before moving onto backcountry and more!
IKIGAI: THE SHIN BIYAJIMA STORY
Nozawa Onsen & Hakuba Valley, Nagano
Filmed with American snowboarder Travis Rice, ‘Ikigai’ profiles Japanese snowboarder Shin Biyajima and his home region of Nagano. Much like ‘As Above, So Below’, the thing I love about this film is that it both profiles a talented boarder and what motivates him while also capturing the beauty and value of the snow country of Nagano. ‘Ikigai’ is a Japanese concept that translates as a ‘reason for being’. Your purpose in life. The thing that gets you out of bed each morning. We all need one and for Shin, it lies in the snow, trees and backcountry of Nagano and beyond. The film tells the story of how Shin came to be a snowboarder as a way of life. A journey that started as a young boy in the winter mountains with his father. I especially like Shin’s discussion of our place within nature – noting that nature worship plays a hugely important role in Japan’s native religion of Shintoism – and his revelation of the spiritual aspects that underlie just why so many people seek out life in the snow and mountains.
Nagano boasts a huge number of ski resorts with Nozawa Onsen and Hakuba Valley featuring in this film. They rank among the most popular ski resorts in Japan and attract plenty of visitors from all over the world. Watching Shin and Travis pick lines through the trees and carve their way back to earth against the backdrop of Japan’s North Alps will definitely put the hook in. If it doesn’t, well then, there’s something not quite right about you.
YUKIGUNI
Minamiuonuma, Niigata
When you mention ‘yukiguni’ (snow country) to Japanese, the first place that many will think of is the Minamiuonuma area of southern Niigata and the famous hot spring town of Yuzawa Onsen*. For many Japanese this is the true snow country and the place I first lived in Japan. This beautifully shot film follows Finnish snowboarder Antti Autti into the snow country and the legendary powder of the Minamiuonuma. The film is without spoken word and largely shot in black and white – an aspect that I love as it allows the landscape of the snow country to speak for itself. As far as I am aware, Antti is not based in Japan therefore I’ll be presumptive and assume this was his first time in Minamiuonuma and it documents what was his discovery of the snow country. The film certainly captures the energy and enthusiasm of a moment of discovery and takes me back to my earliest days living here. Minamiuonuma (and nearby areas) also boasts a large number of resorts with Muikamachi Hakkaisan Ski Area – a personal favourite along with Kagura Ski Area and Maiko Snow Resort all featured in the film. Make sure to check out Antti’s YouTube Channel and catalogue of films – an incredible boarder who documents his journeys on film beautifully.
*published as a serialisation from 1935 to 1937, ‘Yukiguni’ (Snow Country) was written by Nobel Prize awarded author Kawabata Yasunari and tells the story of a love affair between a Tokyo man and provincial geisha. Said to be set in the hot spring town of Yuzawa, Niigata – which to this day remains a popular onsen destination and boasts multiple ski resorts – the novel opens with the famous lines ‘The train came out of the long tunnel into the snow country. The earth lay white under the night sky’. That opening, the title and the overall book have made this area of Niigata synonymous with snow country for many Japanese.
MORI
Nozawa Onsen, Nagano & Hokkaido
Filmed by Dylan Robinson, ‘Mori’ takes us back to Nozawa Onsen in Nagano with skier Drew Jolowicz, before heading north onto Hokkaido. Translating as ‘forest’, Mori is all about getting into the trees and experiencing the backcountry powder skiing of the snow country, interspersed with all the trimmings that make Japan such an attractive destination. As Drew states, when he heads to Japan he isn’t necessarily looking for high alpine terrain but instead, is after the powder in the trees which he describes as ‘copious’. He’s not wrong. Japan’s ski resorts typically are of lower altitude than their European or North American counterparts, with Shiga Kogen Mountain Resort offering the highest chair-lifted ski run in Japan at 2307 metres (7569ft) - despite the mountains of Central Japan going above 3000 metres (9842). Indeed both Nozawa Onsen and the highest resorts on Hokkaido max-out around 1600 metres (5250ft), which might not sound too impressive until you consider what matters most – the snow. Subject to the same weather pattern as the rest of the snow country, these resprts typically receive a huge amount of powder that many will tell you, is the best in the world. The film gives you a nice taste of the Nozawa Onsen village including its famous fire festival – held each year on January 15th – and the wilds of Hokkaido, its wildlife and of course the epic powder which makes it all so legendary.
HIDDEN MOUNTAIN
Somewhere, Hokkaido
‘Hidden Mountain’ takes us back to Hokkaido, to ice shores and up the creek to (what I believe is somewhere on or near) Mount Yotei, Niseko*. Following a team of nut jobs setting out to cut and craft their own DIY snow park in the endless snow of said ‘Hidden Mountain’, credit where it’s due, this film must have taken a bit of work to produce. But then again, there are worse ways to spend your days. Igloo-living, torch-grilled yakitori and cheap iced-chilled whiskey – what’s not to like! Snowboarders including Nick Brown, Ben Comber, Nick Hyne and Rob Mitchell carve out their own features and trick park in the unrelenting Hokkaido snowfall. This short doesn’t show the snow country culture as seen in other films included on this page, but instead, it captures the energy and spirit of Niseko – Japan’s most famous ski resort, which is think is relatively nearby to where they are. It’s all part of what’ on offer in Japan’s snow country.
*if I’m incorrect about that, please let me know.
About the Author
Peter Carnell is a freelance writer, guide and podcaster based in Nagano. Originally from Australia, Peter has long held an interest in other cultures – a lifelong interest that has led him to travel widely and study a Bachelor of Archaeology in the United Kingdom and a Master of Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies in Australia. Working as a writer and guide in Japan since 2017, Peter hopes to raise the profile of Japan’s ‘yukiguni’ (snow country) with an international audience along with people in Japan, as an invitation to learn more, visit or better yet, live here. In that spirit Peter launched the ‘Snow Country Stories Japan’ podcast in March 2023 – a podcast about life and travel in Japan’s legendary ‘yukiguni’. For more information about Peter, see the ‘My Story’ section of the website or get in touch via the ‘Contact’ page.
