Outdoor Japan TRAVELER - Issue 46 - Winter 2013 by Outdoor Japan

WINTE R ISSUE 2013 46

Snow Films in Japan

Risk & Reward in the Backcountry

バックカントリーでのリスクとその見返り

Get 'Wrecked' in Chuuk

ジープ島で“難破”する

Niseko Cats

ニセコキャットスキー

Winter Sports Guide 2012-13

ACTION

■

ADVENTURE

■

TRAVEL

■

OUTDOORS

I N S I D E O J T R AV E L E R

FEATURES

Cover photo by Yoshiro Higai

Getting ‘Wrecked’ In Micronesia

ミクロネシアで “難破” する Story & photos by Tim Rock

OUTDOOR JAPAN TRAVELER Published Seasonally

20 22 27 30

Powder! Camera! Action!

パウダー！カメラ！アクション！ By Gardner Robinson

Editor-in-Chief Gardner Robinson

Interview with Neil Hartmann

The Slum Lord

Editor William Ross

ニール・ハートマンースラム番長

Business Development Director Luke McDonald

Car Danchi 6

On Location in Kusharo

『カー団地6 』屈斜路湖にて

Art Director Yuki Masuko

Interview with Jeremy Jones

The Snow Walker

ジェレミー・ジョーンズー歩くスノーボーダー

52 6 8

Risk & Reward

Illustration Eureka!

リスクとその見返り

Translation Kumiko Kurosaki, Junco Mitsui, Tomoko Okazaki

OUTDOOR JAPAN'S

Winter Sports Guide 2012-13

ウィンター・スポーツ・ガイド 2012-13

Niseko Snowcats

By Craig Yamashita

www.twitter.com/outdoorjapan

By Mitsuharu Kume

Utopia

ヒロとジロ

理想郷

Tel: (0467) 81-3212 Fax: (0467) 81-3213

www.facebook/japantraveler

High Tide

Hiro & Jiro

〒253-0054 神奈川県茅ヶ崎市東海岸南 6-6-55

OJ Creative: creative@outdoorjapan.com

ニセコでキャットスキー

Inside Out

Contact Information: Outdoor Japan Inc. 6-6-55 Higashi Kaigan Minami, Chigasaki-shi, Kanagawa 253-0054

Editorial: editor@outdoorjapan.com Advertising: ads@outdoorjapan.com Subscriptions: subscribe@outdoorjapan.com Comments: comments@outdoorjapan.com

www.youtube.com/outdoorjapan

The Local Brew By Bryan Harrell

Preston Ale プレストンエール

Contributing Editors Wayne Graczyk, Shigeo Morishita, Eri Nishikawa Administration & Distribution Rika Yamada

SPECIAL

Publisher Outdoor Japan Inc.

From the Editor Contributors, Columnists & Cohorts

News & Notes

Winter Events

76 OJ Classifieds

Lifestyle Directory

Travel. Make deep turns. Ride your bike.Take a bath. Ride a wave.Take a walk. Climb something. Explore. WINTER

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FROM THE EDITOR

Contributors, Columnists and Cohorts

Gardner Robinson, Editor-in-Chief

raveling is infinitely rewarding because of all the elements that make each trip and experience unique. Food, culture, people and geography all play a part. Ski travel is no different. Quality skiing and snowboarding is priority number one when choosing a destination, but facilities, price and an interesting locale all are important factors. Resorts in North America and, especially, Europe usually top skiers’ “bucket list.” Savvy contrarians hit southern hemisphere locales such as South America and New Zealand to get in some “summer” turns. Yet, when you take note of what makes a great ski destination, Japan checks off every box. The food is amazing, it’s arguably the safest place in the world to travel, it is rich and diverse culturally and geographically, lift tickets are far less expensive than other areas and “Japow” has become legendary within the global sliding community. Also, the last thing you want when traveling overseas on a ski vacation is to get “skunked.” The chances of that happening from late December to March in Japan are very low. It snows a lot here. In fact, the only mark against Japan has been it does not have the ridiculously long, steep runs you find in Europe and North America. Pro snowboarder and snow film star Jeremy Jones came to Japan last winter to test the theory. He had seen

photos of some interesting terrain in the Hakuba Valley and, after a bit of recon, chose Hakuba as a destination for his most recent film, “Further.” As you can see from our cover, he didn’t go home empty-handed, and the film may shatter some stereotype or, at the very least, inspire you to “earn your turns.” Jones and the Teton Gravity Research aren’t the only ones who’ve discovered Japan’s mountains are photogenic; some of the best snow filmmakers in the biz have shared their experiences in “Powder! Camera! Action!” (Page 20). If winter sports aren’t your thing, you can relax in a hot spring while friends hit the slopes, and warmer climes are just a few hours away in Okinawa or one of the Micronesia Islands, such as Truk (or Chuuk, if you prefer), one of the best places on earth to “Get Wrecked” (Page 10). As we say goodbye to the Year of the Dragon, I’d like to say thank you to all of the companies and individuals who have supported Outdoor Japan in 2012. Although 2011 was a tough year all of us here, it has been truly inspiring to see how everyone has supported each other and bounced back, and it’s encouraging to see travelers back in force. As we slide — or slither — into the Year of the Snake, we wish everyone a fun-filled 2013 and many happy turns this winter.

旅

ンズは、去年の冬、この理論の検証のために来日した。

での経験は、そのときにしかできないことばかりで、それが旅をいつだってすばらしいものにしてくれ

白馬エリアの写真を何枚か見たことがあったジェレミー

る。食べ物や文化、その土地に住む人と風土。すべて

は、少し考えた後、この場所を最近リリースされたビデオ

がその経験を味わい豊かにしてくれる素材だ。目的地を

『 Further 』の撮影目的地に選んだ。もちろん、彼が手ぶ

選ぶときに一番重要なのが、質の高いスキーとスノーボー

らで帰ったはずはない。今号の表紙を見ればおわかりい

ドができる場所であることに違いはないが、施設や価格

ただけるかと思うが、このビデオで固定概念を覆されるこ

はもちろん、おもしろい場所があるかどうかも重要なポイン

ともあるだろうし、最低でも自分もターンを刻みたいと触発

トとなる。

されることはまちがいない。

北アメリカのリゾートや、とくにヨーロッパのリゾートは、スキーヤーたちにとってかならずウイッシュリストに入って

chuck olbery

チャック・オルバリー

Bill Ross

ビル・ロス

craig Yamashita クレイグ・山下

Neil hartmann

ニール・ハートマン

James Robb

ジェームス・ロブ

Mike harris

マイク・ハリス

Bryan harrell

ブライアン・ハレル

日本の山々がこれほどフォトジェニックだということを目の当たりにしたのは、ジョーンズとテトングラビティ・リサー

いる。なかには逆に、南米やニュージーランドといった南

チだけではない。すばらしいスノーボード・フィルムメーカー

方をめざし、夏スキーを楽しもうという小粋なスキーヤーも

も『パウダー！カメラ！アクション！（20ページ参照）』の中

いるが、そんなスキーヤーにとって、最高のスキートリップ

で、そのすばらしさを伝えてくれている。

を約束するリストがあるなら、すべての項目にチェックが

Tim Rock

ティム・ロック

「冬のスポーツはちょっと…」というあなたは、友だちが雪の上を滑っているあいだに温泉を楽しむことができる。

入るのは日本なのだ。なんといっても、まず食べ物が美味しい。そして、世界

もっと暖かい場所をお探しなら、ミクロネシア諸島や沖縄

でもっとも番安全な場所であることもまちがいないし、文

も数時間で行くことができる。トラック諸島（チューク諸

化的、地理的にもひじょうに豊かで多様性に富んでいる。

島）は『 Get Wrecked（10ページ参照）』、つまり、「壊れる」

リフトのチケットはほかのエリアと比べても格段に安いし、

には地球上でももっともお薦めの場所のひとつだ。

世界のスキーコミュニティで、僕らが「 JAPOW 」と呼ぶ日

さて、辰年に別れを告げるとともに、今年一年、私たち

本のパウダーはもはや伝説となっている。スキー旅行で

をサポートしてくれた企業と個人のみなさまに深く感謝の

もっとも避けたいことは雪不足だが、12月から3月にかけ

意を表させていただきたい。2011年は、だれにとっても大

て、日本に雪がないことなどほとんどないと思っていいだ

変な年だったが、同時に、おたがいに助け合う姿、そして

ろう。ここはひじょうに雪深い国なのだ。

復活する姿を見ることができたのはすばらしい経験だった

日本で唯一、チェックボックスにマークが入らない項目

Mitsuharu kume 久米満晴

し、日本に旅行者が戻ってきているのも心強い。くねくね

があるとしたら、それはヨーロッパや北アメリカにあるよう

とヘビ年へ歩みだした今、2013年もみなさまが最高に楽

な、信じられないほど長くて急なスロープだろう。スノーフィ

しいターンを刻めるよう、心から祈念し、あいさつに代えさ

ルムのスターで、プロスノーボーダーのジェレミー・ジョー

せていただきます。

editor@outdoorjapan.com 4

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By Craig Yamashita Illustration by Eureka! Translation by Aya Aoki

LATER THAT AFTERNOON...

IN: FELINE FALL LINE

Suit yourself! But, I have a feeling this is going to end cat-astrophically

SEE? HE'S FINE... HEH... GOOD KITTY

ま、とんでもニャいことになる気がするけど。

Nah, thanks, but I'm a Cat Skiing purist, keeping it real! like we did back in the day. GOTTA RESPECT THE TRADITION... Y'ALL don't know what real Cat-Skiing is.

PFFFFT....See you kitties at the lodge... じゃあな、子猫ちゃんたち

やー、やめとく。オレは純粋主義者だからな。自分の信念を貫く事にするよ。お前みたいな甘ちゃんは、ホントのキャットスキーを知らないんだよ。

Disclaimer: No animals were harmed during the production of this column.

Why don't you just come along with the group? It'll be fun... みんなと一緒に行かないの？楽しいのに…

WHAT ABOUT ME?

免責：本コラムの制作において動物虐待はしておりません

ザ・サーファーズ・ジャーナルのバックナンバーを今すぐGETしよう！

各巻 ¥1,995（税込）購入は

www.surfersjournal.jp のバックナンバーから

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By Bryan Harrell

Preston Ale プレストンエール Chiba and Tochigi Prefectures 千葉県・栃木県

reston Ale is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary, having been founded in December of 2002 in Chiba Prefecture. Two years later, the company built a new brewery near Utsunomiya in Tochigi Prefecture where the beer is currently brewed. Though the brewery is not open to tours, there is a pub restaurant in the same location along with a similar one at the original Chiba location known as The Preston Café. The key word at Preston seems to be simplicity, with just three very popular styles being brewed on a regular basis: Pale Ale, Brown Ale and Stout. The beers are simple and very drinkable and follow English flavor patterns, except for the Stout, which is more on the Irish side. The Stout received an award for the Be st A sia n Stout and Best Worldwide S t o u t i n t h e 2 011 World Beer Awa rds

held in the U.K. every year. In general, you will find the three Preston ales very smooth-drinking and understated. They are markedly different from the strongly hopped and intensely flavored beers popular in North America. For this reason, they are good to enjoy on long evenings or for moderate drinking and have earned a reputation as reliable “session” beers. Preston Ale regularly appears at the famous Beer Club Popeye pub in Ryogoku, Tokyo (www.70beersontap.com), which occasionally has special versions of Preston Ale such as their IPA, Late Fa ll Brown A le a nd B aba k a n, a ver y st ron g barley-wine style ale. Presently, Preston A le sells a large portion of its beers over the Internet, and on their site has infor mat ion (in Japa ne se only) about ordering the bottled brews for home delivery.

012年12月に千葉店を

とベスト・ワールドワイドスタウトを

オープンしたプレストン

受賞している。

エールは、創業10周年を迎え

いずれにしても、この3種類のプ

たビール醸造所だ。創業2年

レストンエールはひじょうにスムー

後には、あらたに栃木県宇都

スで控えめなビールだといえる。北

宮市に醸造所をオープンし、

アメリカで好んで飲まれるような

現在主力のビールを生産して

ホップが効いた、風味の強いビールとは明らかに違うので、少したしなむ

いる。この醸造所は一般に公開はされていないが、敷地内にパブレストランがあり、千葉店

だけでも、寛いだ夜長にぴったりのビールであり、信頼の

には同様のプレストンカフェもある。

おける「セッションビール」として長く親しまれてきた。

プレストンが掲げるキーワード、それはシンプルであるこ

プレストンエールは、東京の両国にある有名な

とだ。この工場で生産されているのは、人気の3種類の

ビールクラブ「ポパイ」でもお目にかかることができる

ビールのみ。ペールエール、ブラウンエール、そしてスタウ（www.70beersontap.com）。ここでは、IPA、レイトフォールトだ。プレストンエールのビールはどれもシンプルでひじょ

ブラウンエールやひじょうに強いバーレーワイン・スタイル

うに飲みやすく、イギリスの風味を再現しているが、スタウ

のエールであるババカンなどといった、プレストンエールの

トはどちらかといえばアイリッシュ風味といえるかもしれな

特別バージョンが楽しむことができる。

い。このスタウトは、イギリスで毎年開催されているワールド・ビールアワードで、2011年度ベスト・アジアンスタウト

プレストンエールでは、インターネット販売にも力を入れており、下記のウェブサイトで注文できる。

Preston Ale Brewery & Café

ブルワリー宇都宮、The Preston Cafe 宇都宮店

421-1 Oaza Nakahara, Kaminokawa-cho, Kawachi-gun Tochigi 329-0606

〒 3 2 9 - 0 6 0 6 栃木県河内郡上三川町大字磯岡字中原 421-1

Phone: (0285) 55-2259 / Open daily 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Preston Café

The Preston Cafe 千葉ニュータウン店

1921 Soufuka, Inzai-shi, Chiba Prefecture 270-1337

〒 2 70 -13 3 7 千葉県印西市草深 19 21

Phone: (0476) 40-7500 / Open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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上げ潮じゃ H I G H T I D E By Mitsuharu Kume

「理想郷」 Utopia

こに行けば、どんな夢も叶

ウミガメに連れていってもらった海

ろう。童話﹁浦島太郎﹂では、助けた

﹁そうというよ∼！﹂。

うほど、楽しいひとときを過したと

しく﹂、月日の経つのも忘れてしま

底にあり、﹁絵にもかけないほど美

う曲のイントロだ。

昔、流行ったゴダイゴというミュージシャンの﹁ガンダーラ﹂とい

ころといわれている。そして、それは

日本全国にさまざまな形で言い伝

昔からつねに﹁理想郷﹂ヒトは、を探し求めてきた。食べるものが

在している。

えられ、いくつもの竜宮城伝説が存

竜宮太鼓という名の和太先日、鼓チームの演奏を旅先で聞く機会

豊富にあり、気候も温暖で、幸せに

があった。

WINTER

笑って暮らせる理想郷。いやヒトだ

求め、探し求めて生きているのかも

guess Japan itself was seen as a utopia at the time. Japanese mythology described a utopia, found just beyond the ocean, known as “Tokoyo.” In the Ryukyu Islands, they also spoke of a land across the sea known as Niraikanai, which was also the basis of a belief system. The best-known paradise in Japanese fairy tales is Ryugujo, the Palace of the Dragon King. In the fairy tale Urashima Taro, a sea turtle rescued by the main character, leads him there. He goes to the bottom of the ocean to a place “too beautiful to commit to drawing” where the days and months flow by without noticing; a place filled with joy. Nearly everywhere in Japan there is some version of the story of Ryugujo. A few days ago during my travels, I had the chance to hear a performance by Ryugu Daiko, a taiko drum group. Since I am interested in sea turtles, I naturally asked them, “Do you have a form of the

けではない、生き物すべてがそれを

しれない。もちろん、僕だってそのひ

﹁このウミガメ好きの僕としてはあたりに竜宮城伝説があるのです

た。すると﹁ないよ﹂という素っ気な

か？﹂と、興味津々に問いかけてみ

とりだ。

世界中にはたくさんの理想郷伝説がある。﹁アルカディア﹂は、ギリ

とりがこう言った。

い返事。困った顔をしていた僕に、ひ

シャにある古代からある地域名だ

伝承された理想郷の代名詞だ。﹁エ

﹁いまから作るんや﹂。

けれど、後世に牧人の楽園として

デンの園﹂は、アダムとイヴが住ん

﹁伝説︵言い伝え︶﹂のはじま僕はりのことを初めて考えた。

る理想郷。ほかにも、童話ピーター・

今、はじめたことも、後にそうか、なれば伝説になる。

でいた旧約聖書の創世記に登場す

ないといわれる﹁ネバーランド﹂など

パンに出てくる、子どもが歳をとら

﹁上げ潮じゃ、上げ潮じゃ︵物事がいい方向に向かうことをさす、昔

﹁理想郷﹂は自分で作ってしまえばいいのだ。どんな﹁理想郷﹂にし

OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 10

がある。

ようか？そんなことを考えてい

の言葉︶﹂。

ングがある﹂と伝えたとされるこ

るだけで、頭のなかは幸せになって

f you go there, all your dreams will come true.” That was the intro to a song by Godaigo, called “Gandahara,” and popular many years ago. People have been looking for utopia throughout history. A place where there is plenty to eat, where the climate is warm and where they can live in happiness. Not just people, really, as all living things want to find a place like that in which to live. Naturally, I’m one of them, too. There are many utopian traditions around the world. The ancient Greeks had a land they called Arcadia, an earthly paradise where shepherds would raise their flocks in a perfect garden. The Old Testament of the Bible describes the Garden of Eden, the paradise in which Adam and Eve lived. Even the tale of Peter Pan tells of Neverland, the place where children will never grow old. We can’t forget, too, that in the Travels of Marco Polo, Polo talks about Japan as Zipangu, the golden land to the east. So I

マルコ・忘れてはいけないのが、ポーロの東方見聞録のなかで、中

と。日本は、かつて﹁理想郷﹂そのも

いった。

世の日本を﹁東方には黄金郷ジパ

のだった。

本﹂が、原発の放射能にいまも苦し

いき着くところは東北大でも、震災によって悲しみに包まれた﹁日

そんな日本のなかにも理さて、想郷伝説がある。日本神話に登場

する海の彼方の理想郷﹁常世︵とこ

かつて﹁ジパング﹂と言われたような

んでいる人々の暮らす﹁日本﹂が、

よ︶﹂、琉球列島に伝わる東の海の彼

方にある理想郷﹁ニライカナイ﹂は、

いだった。

﹁理想郷﹂になって欲しい、という願

いまも信仰の対象となっている。

童話として日本でもっともまた、知られている理想郷は﹁竜宮城﹂だ

“I

Ryugujo tradition around here?” “No,” was the curt response I received. However, a s t hey lo oke d up on my embarrassed face, one person added, “But we’re going to create one right now.” It wa s the fir st time I ever really considered creating our own tradition. It’s empowering to think what we make now can be a tradition that lives on for generations. Age shio ja! Age shio ja!— so goes the old saying about a rising tide bringing good fortune. Paradise, it seems, is something you create for yourself. What utopia will it be? Thinking about this puts a smile on my face. My utopia is when the people in Japan — still enveloped by the tragedy of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami and the difficulties of radioactivity—can once again live in place people will say is paradise, such as ancient Zipangu.

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Story &

photos by Tim

Rock

GETTING ‘WRECKED’ IN MICRONESIA Truk Lagoon's undersea world is a Mecca for “wreckies.”

ミクロネシアで“難破”する：ジープ島は沈船ダイビングのメッカ Micronesia has more wrecks on land alone than most places have in total. Then under the sea it gets even better. There are ships, planes, trucks and tanks covered in coral and surrounded by swirling masses of ﬁsh. Starting in Majuro Lagoon and stretching west to the Mariana Islands and Palau to the south, history is a fact of undersea life. ミクロネシアにはじつに多くの戦争の文化遺産が残っている。陸にあるだけでも、ほかの地域の陸と海とを合わせた数より多いのだが、海の底を覗くとその数に圧倒される。沈船だけでなく、飛行機や戦車、トラックといった水中の文化遺産がサンゴに覆われて、その周りを魚たちが泳ぎまわっている。マジュロ環礁からはじまり、西はマリアナ諸島、南はパラオまで、戦争の歴史は海の底にまぎれもない事実としていまも眠っている。

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Island Beat

Japan Islandsâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Micronesia

WINTER

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ruk Lagoon is the true worldwide Mecca for “wreckies.” Here, the lagoon floor is littered with coral-covered, artifact-laden shipwrecks. A guy named Kimiuo Aisek found most of these during weeks of painstaking searches years ago. Thanks to him, we get to see some amazing history. One ship, the Nippo Maru, is the Holy Grail of wrecks to me. A tank, field artillery guns and a truck sit on the deck. The holds are full of all kinds of war mementos such as gas masks, ammo and sake bottles. The bridge is full of glassy fish, and the ship's wheel is adorned in coral. The aft section gets a nice current that brings in eagle rays and gray reef sharks, and the masts and cargo booms are covered in corals around which schooling barracuda like to swim. It's a little deep, but it really doesn't get much better than this. During a week in Truk, I like to come back to this wreck two or three times. It's a classic. The Fujikawa Maru may be the most accessible artifactladen war wreck in the world. A combination of coral reef beauty and maritime WWII history, it displays both of its assets in grand fashion. I made my way down the mooring line and made a slow descent into the forward hold. Intact Japanese zero fighter plane bodies, propeller blades, aerial bombs, bullets and lots more sat tucked away in the depths of the hold.

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At 90 feet down inside a shipwreck, it's a bit dark and eerie. My flashlight searched for war remnants while I tried to keep my wits. At this depth, narcosis can become a factor, and I didn't want to be swimming around feeling silly inside an old war wreck. I then swam back to the stern. I passed cargo booms covered in glorious soft corals and sea anemones. The stern gun was also well encrusted in corals while sapphire chromis flitted about. I looked up and the barracuda school moved in to see what I was up to. The toothy fish moved by in formation and then headed off into the blue. I saw the same up front at the anchor chain as a huge school of bigeye jacks is always circling in the sand and around the coral-encrusted anchor chain. In Truk Lagoon in central Micronesia, there is a vast array of more than 50 sunken World War II ships resting in the western Pacific waters. It is considered a wreck diving Mecca due to the high number of ships both accessible and intact. The beauty of the coral adorning them makes them attractive even to those who don't especially like wreck diving. Each has varying depths, locations and historical and natural attractions. They have been submerged and transformed into "shipreefs.” WINTER

Truk's sea life is diverse with more than 500 species of hard and soft corals and every sea creature imaginable. There are more than 700 different kinds of fish in and around the lagoon. This graveyard of Japanese ships was sunk by United States Naval air attacks in February and April of 1944. The resulting coral growth on the vessels over six decades has resulted in a collection of artificial reefs that may be the most beautiful in the world. A diver does not have to be a history buff to appreciate these ships, but chances are he or she will become one after seeing the ships. They are individual war museums and also self-contained reefs. Both aspects of the wrecks can easily be appreciated.

THE OUTER ISLANDS When visiting Chuuk, most tourists stay on the main island of Weno. It has the airport, the hotels and the diving operations. Some folks go directly out to live aboard ships and do nothing but dive all week. Weno has great natural beauty with high hills covered in palms and breadfruit trees, sandy beaches and thick mangroves. People are friendly; there are plenty of nice stores and a handful of good hotels. There are a few good restaurants and lots of old war remnants everywhere. Car rentals are

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Island Beat

Japan Islands–Micronesia

そ

のなかでもチューク諸島（旧名トラック諸島）は、世

ていた。この深さになると、ナルコーシスの危険も十分にあ

をかけてサンゴを育み、いまでは世界でもっとも美しい人工

界中の “レック・ダイビング”愛好家にとってのメッカ

る。この古い戦艦の中で昏睡状態になるのはさすがに恐ろ

リーフになった。

だ。この周辺の海底には、サンゴに覆われた沈船が数多く

しすぎる。

歴史的知識がなくても、この人工リーフを十分堪能する

ある。偉大なダイバーであった故キミオ・アイセック氏によ

船尾に戻ると、輝かしいばかりのソフトサンゴとイソギン

ことはできる。しかし、一度この場所に潜ればだれもが歴史

る慎重な調査のおかげで、訪れるダイバーたちもこの歴史

チャクで覆われた荷揚げ用クレーンの横を泳いだ。すっかり

を知りたくなるはずだ。沈船は、独立したサンゴ礁というだけ

を体感することができる。数ある沈船のなかでも、僕にとっ

サンゴと一体化した短機関銃の周りをサファイア色に輝くス

ではなく、立派な戦争の歴史博物館でもある。

てお宝のような存在が、日邦丸だ。甲板には戦車や野船

ズメダイがせわしなく泳ぎまわっていて、海面を見上げると、

周辺の島々

砲が、船倉にはガスマスクや砲弾や酒瓶といった戦時を思

バラクーダの群れが僕の様子を伺っていた。牙のついた

わせる文化遺産がそのまま残っている。ブリッジにはグラス

魚が一列に並んで横を通り過ぎ、深い青の向こうに消えて

チューク諸島（旧名トラック諸島）を訪れる観光客のほと

フィッシュがところ狭しと泳ぎまわり、船の操舵輪はサンゴで

いった。前方の錨鎖のところでは、ギンガメアジの大群が

んどはメインアイランドであるウェノ島に滞在する。空港があ

びっしりと飾られている。船尾付近の潮の流れはトビエイや

鎖の周りをぐるぐると旋回していた。

り、ホテルやダイビングショップもあるので、拠点として便利

オグロメジロザメたちにとって絶好の溜まり場だ。マストや荷揚げ用クレーンもサンゴに包まれ、その周りをバラクーダの

セントラル・ミクロネシアにあるトラック環礁には、50以上

な島だ。もちろん、ホテルには泊まらずに直接船上で過ご

もの第二次世界大戦時代の沈船が沈んでいるのだという。し、ダイビングだけを満喫する人の基地としても人気だ。ウェ

群れが楽しそうに泳ぎまわっていた。水深は深めだけれど、その多くは損傷が少なくアクセスもしやすいことが、ここが

ノ島はヤシの木やパンの木に覆われた小山や、きれいな砂

この場所はこれ以上ないすばらしいスポットだ。チューク諸

レック・ダイビングのメッカと呼ばれるゆえんなのだろう。船

浜、マングローブの森といった豊かな自然にあふれている。

島で1週間ほど滞在できるのなら、3回はここに潜りにきたい

を覆いつくすような美しいサンゴの姿には、レック・ダイビン

島民はフレンドリーで、すてきな店や快適なホテルも多い。

と思うほどに最高なダイビング・スポットだ。

グ愛好家のみならず誰もが心奪われることだろう。水深、ロ

美味しいレストランもいくつかあるし、戦争の名残はそこらじゅ

富士川丸という貨物船は、世界中に数ある戦時中の沈

ケーション、歴史、海の様子。それぞれに違っているけれど、うで見ることができる。レンタカーを借りることができるし、ダ

船のなかでも、もっともアクセスしやすい沈船のひとつだろ

どの沈船もときを経てシップリーフとして海の底で眠ることに

イブショップでは車とガイドの手配をしてくれる。島には花が

う。美しいサンゴと第二次世界大戦の歴史を同時に堪能

変わりはない。

咲き乱れ、香り豊かなイランイランの花は、チャモロの伝統

できる。もやい綱をたどってゆっくりと潜っていくと、ゼロ戦や

トラック環礁の生態系はじつに豊かで、500種を越える

プロペラの羽根、爆弾、銃弾、ほかにもいろんなものがそ

ハードコーラルやソフトコーラルをはじめ、あらゆる海の生き

的な花冠“マーマー／ Mwar Mwar” に使われている。野生のランは、島の標高の高い場所にたくさん自生している。

のままの形でひっそりと眠っていた。水深90フィートの船内

物が暮らしている。魚の種類は700種を超えるというから圧

個人的にお気に入りなのがネヴォ・ケーブだ。この洞窟

は、薄暗くて少し不気味な雰囲気が漂っている。戦争の面

巻だ。日本軍の戦艦は、1944年の2月と4月にアメリカ海軍

は、病院の先の丘にある庁舎からほど近くにある。少し登る

影を懐中電灯で照らしだしながら、僕は意識して平静を保っ

の攻撃によってこの海底に沈められた。それから60年以上

と見えてくる洞窟の先からは、町とウェノ・ハーバーが一望

WINTER

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available or dive shops can help arrange for a truck and a guide. Flowers are found growing in almost every yard. The fragrant ylang-ylang is used for mwarmwars, a traditional head ornament. Wild orchids and other wild flowers grow on the high islands. I like to visit Nevo Cave. It is located near the government offices up a hill past the hospital. A short hike up a hill and a walk through a cave entrance brings the hiker through the mountain to an overlook of all of downtown and Weno Harbor. A huge gun still sits in the cave and, while I was there, two girls sat on it and giggled and watched the day go by. Out of town is the Weno lighthouse. Its care is a rather nebulous thing. Sometimes it is cleared out and easy to reach and at times it gets overgrown. It sits at the end of a winding road through lush jungle and sandy shorelines. The trail up is on the kidney-busting old Japanese road and at times provides some steep views down the side of the mountain. I hung on for dear life as we bounced up to the old structure. I hiked up the many steps and saw the walls today are still pocked with bullet holes. The beacon is gone, sitting below in the jungle. Land tours on the islands of Tonoas and Param should be part of a Truk visit. Tonoas (also called Dublon) has

OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 16

towering breadfruit trees which give it a real tropical atmosphere. This island is heavily populated and has electricity and a few cars. It is a good place to get a glimpse of Trukese island life. A three-hour pick-up truck tour for tourists is available. This can also be done on foot by the hearty. Bring lots to drink.

DOLPHINS AND TINY ISLANDS One beautiful little island with a place to stay is Jeep Island. It is a favorite of Japanese visitors. This island is part of the Blue Lagoon operation and is normally used by adventurous people who use the island as a base to snorkel, dive and have a special nature experience. There are coral gardens around this tiny island of a bit more than a dozen coconut trees. One can dive or snorkel. Blacktip sharks like the shallows here and can be seen constantly. The summer months also bring in schools of bottlenose dolphins to the waters near Jeep Island. They may come to chase food or to mate, but Jeep visitors have had some fantastic snorkeling experiences with the bottlenose pods that come around. This is a very rustic experience with a couple of small, communal bungalows or you can just sleep under the stars. A Chuukese couple prepares meals of fresh fish. No

WINTER

phones. No Internet. It is a real getaway and a beautiful isle. Another good one is Pisimwe Island and is a must stop after a dive in the North Pass. It is really just a sand spit, surrounded by big stands of staghorn coral. It has 16 coconut trees and white, sandy beaches. It is a haven for all kinds of birds including cranes, boobies, terns and Pacific white birds. Watch your step, as some lay their eggs on top of the gravelly sand on the beach. They will probably buzz you when they feel you get too close. Get a picture of yourself on this Robinson Crusoe isle. For some excitement closer to Weno, there's Shark Island. It is visited often by the Truk Stop folks. Shark Island is an amazing spot where reef sharks come in succession to clean and preen. The shipwrecks of Truk Lagoon are still amazing to see even after 68 years of submersion. Considering their time in saltwater and the elements, for the most part, the wrecks are still in incredible shape. In the same vein, get a little pioneer spirit and have a look at the islands, reefs and passes. In Truk, seven decades of man-made history and centuries of natural history await the diver. Truk is a must-see Micronesian dive destination. â&#x153;¤

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Island Beat

Japan Islands–Micronesia

たとは信じられないほど、そのほとんどが当時の姿そのまま

できる。洞窟にはまだ戦時中の巨大な銃がそのまま残され

いる、美しいサンゴに囲まれたこの小さな島で、美しい海の

ていて、僕が行ったときには、ふたりの女の子が銃の上に

世界を堪能したい。浅瀬が好きなツマグロたちの姿も、しょっ

に海底に眠っている。海底と同じように、島の大地の上

並んで座って、楽しそうに景色を眺めていた。

ちゅう見ることができる。

や浅瀬にも冒険がたくさん詰まっている。70年の近代史と

郊外にあるウェノ灯台に続くくねくね道は、手入れがされているときもあればジャングルのように生い茂ったままの日もある。日本軍が使っていたという心臓破りの坂道は、ときどき急勾配の山肌となる。必死になって登りきり古い建物にたど

時期によっては野生のハンドウイルカの群れがジープ島

何世紀もの自然が作り出す豊かな魅力が、トラック環礁で

のすぐ近くまでやってくる。シュノーケルをつけて海を覗けば、

ダイバーたちを待ちうけている。ミクロネシアのダイビングに

餌を追いかけたり愛を交わしにやってくるイルカたちと間近

とって、トラック環礁は絶対にはずせない、とっておきの場

で触れ合うことができる。

所だ。✤

小さなバンガローがいくつか建つだけのジープ島での時

り着くと、壁には銃弾であいた生々しい穴がたくさんあった。

間はとても素朴なものだ。もちろん、満天の星の下、ビーチ

無線は見当たらなかったけれど、きっといまもジャングルのど

で眠りにつくのも最高だ。チューク生まれの夫婦がとれたて

こかに埋もれているのだろう。チューク諸島を訪れるなら、トノアス島やパラム島までぜひ足を伸ばすといいだろう。そびえたつパンの木が南国情緒たっぷりなトノアス島（デュブロン島とも呼ばれる）は、人口も多く電気が通っていて、車も何台か走っている。トラッ

の新鮮な魚を使って美味しい料理を作ってくれる。電話もインターネットもない、日々の喧騒から遠くはなれたスローな島時間にどっぷりと浸かれる、夢の島だ。もうひとつのおすすめは、エムワール島（Piis-emmwar）。ノースバスでダイビングをした後にはぜひ足をのばしてほし

ク諸島に住む人々の生の暮らしを垣間見るのにぴったりの

い。16本の椰子の木と白い砂浜。島というよりは砂州のよ

島だ。ピックアップトラックで3時間、島を巡る観光ツアーも

うなこの島は、ミドリイシという立派なサンゴで囲まれている。

人気だ。もちろん自分の足で周ることもできる。ただ飲み水

ビーチの砂利のところにはよく卵が産み落とされているの

はたっぷり持っていこう。

で、足元には十分注意して歩こう。ロビンソン・クルーソー

イルカと周辺の小島：宿泊施設がある美しい小島といえば、日本人にも人気のジープ島だろう。ブルーンラグーン・リゾートの一部であるこ

のような世界が広がり、思い出の一枚が残せるだろう。チューク諸島を訪れる人たちに人気なのが、ウェノ島の近くにあるシャーク・アイランドだ。悠々と泳ぐメジロザメとすぐ近くで出会える大興奮間違いなしのスポットだ。

の島には、シュノーケルやダイビングの拠点として、冒険好

トラック環礁の沈船は、68年を経たいまもじつにすばらし

きな旅行者が大勢やってくる。10数本の椰子の木が生えて

い状態でその姿を残している。海水に長い間浸かってい

WINTER

OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 17

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Island Beat Japan Islands–Micronesia

ESSENTIAL INFO: Chuuk is one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia. The others are Kosrae, Yap and Pohnpei, the capital. Known as Truk to divers, it officially changed its name to the local language word of Chuuk when it became a state. CURRENCY: U.S. Dollar vISAS: Visas are not required for tourist visits up to 30 days. HEALTH RISKS: Typhoid ELECTRICITY: 110/120V, 60Hz CLIMATE: The Federated States of Micronesia has a tropical oceanic climate consistently warm and humid with some of the most uniform year-round temperatures in the world. GETTING THERE: United Airlines flies into Chuuk six times weekly. The main gateways into the Federated States of Micronesia are Honolulu, Manila, Guam and Tokyo (flights arrive from the U.S., Australia and Japan/Asia). TAX: There is a US$20 Departure Tax that must be paid in cash when leaving Chuuk. TOUR OPERATORS: Blue Lagoon Resort & Dive Center: www.bluelagoondiveresort.com Truk Stop Hotel: www.trukstophotel.com 現地情報：ミクロネシア連邦にはチューク、コスラエ、ヤップ、ポーンペイ（首都がある島）の４つの州がある。チューク州はダイバーの間ではトラック諸島として知られているが、独立のさいに正式に現地の呼び方、チューク州と改称した。通貨：USドルビザ：30日間以内の観光訪問であればビザは不要。健康リスク：腸チフス電圧：110/120V、60Hz 天候：海洋性熱帯気候のため、気温も湿気もつねに高め。一年の気温変動が世界でもっとも少ない地域のひとつ。アクセス：ユナイテッド航空がチューク国際空港まで週6便就航。主にホノルル、マニラ、グアムなどで乗継ぎが可能。出国税：チューク国際空港にて20米ドル（現金のみ）の出国税がかかる。ツアー旅行会社：

Blue Lagoon Resort & Dive Center: www.bluelagoondiveresort.com Truk Stop Hotel: www.trukstophotel.com

OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 18

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WINTER

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By Gardner Robinson Photos by Neil Hartmann

パウダー！カメラ！アクション！

rowing up in Portland, Oregon, my home mountain was Mt. Hood. I vividly recall waking up in the dark to get an early start for the drive up Highway 26, through what seemed like a tunnel of giant evergreens, passing through Zigzag and Government Camp on our way to Meadows or Timberline. Sometimes we’d head over the mountain where alpine forests gave way to high desert scrub and big skies on our way to Mt. Bachelor. Before each season, there were ski swaps where you could buy or sell new and used gear, debates whether or not to invest in season passes and racing kids chomping at the bit after months of dry land training. Yet an indelible sign winter was upon us happened when Warren Miller came to town with his new film. I

OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 20

remember a packed theater buzzing with anxious energy to see what he had in store for us this time. To say times were simpler then may sound nostalgic, but it is also true. There were no smartphones, no social media or HD action cams. Miller captured his athletes in action on film; his witty narrative drawing you into the stories, and that friendly, unmistakable voice making you feel as if he was talking to you personally. Yet it was a community event; it was like we were all part of the club. Warren Miller directed 55 ski films from 1950 to 2004, and it is no exaggeration to say he inspired generations of skiers and helped create a ski-film industry driving the high-profile action sports athletes we see today. A lot has changed since 1946 when he and a friend camped out in the parking lot in Sun Valley, Idaho, working as ski instructors in order to shoot on 8mm cameras in their free time.

WINTER

Times have changed, but the spirit of the ski bum remains alive and well. The camera gear may have evolved, as did the technology for slaying big mountains, but the athletes and filmmakers share the same passion to go steeper, deeper and further in order to create and capture those iconic moments. Today, a growing number of filmmakers are making the journey to Japan, an intrepid winter destination no more. Many of these films feature the pillowy, bottomless powder of Hokkaido, where Neil Hartmann has been shooting for years, directing his popular “Car Danchi” series and becoming one of Japan’s best-known snow filmmakers. Jeremy Jones, arguably the most famous big mountain snowboarder in the world, has spent time on the North Island as well, yet it was the dramatic peaks of Hakuba that lured him back to Japan to shoot part of his latest film, “Further.” I talked to both about the evolution of ski films, why Japan is a popular filming location and what makes the Japan ski experience so special.

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"Even with 1 3 locations an years of traveling the g lob d (s best snow a ometimes) epic condit e filming skiing in the m nd the best ski experien ions, Japan has shown ost amazing snow couple our c ces w dw ski destinati ith the unique cultura e could hope for. The u rews the l experience on, bar none n makes Japa believable ." Josh Berman n my favorite Director, Le vel 1 Productio ns roductions.c om

www.level1p

オ

レゴン州ポートランドで育った私のホームマウンテンはマウントフッドだった。朝一から滑るために真っ暗なう

ちに起きだし、空高く伸びる常緑樹のトンネルが続くハイウエイ26号線を走り、マウントフッド・メドーズやティンバーライン・スキー場に向かった。その道中にあるジグザグやガバメントキャンプなどの小さな町並みの景色がいまでも鮮やかに目に浮かんでくる。僕らはたまに、山岳地帯と深い森が高山の砂漠に生える薮や大きく広がる空の風景に変わっていくバチェラーマウンテンに遠出したりもした。シーズンが始まる前にはかならずスキースワップというイベントがあり、そこで新品や中古のギアを安価で売り買いできるスワップミートがオープンしていたり、シーズンパスを買うべきかどうか仲間と相談したり、何ヶ月も雪のないところでトレーニングを続けるレーサーキッズたちをからかったりしながら盛り上がっていた。でも、なにより冬の正式な幕開けを感じさせたのは、ウォーレン・ミラーの映画上映会が町に来たときだった。今度はどんなものが上映されるのか、わくわくしながら待つ観客の熱気にあふれた満席の劇場の雰囲気をよく覚えている。あの当時はいまよりなにもかもがシンプルだったと言ったら、ちょっと懐古趣味に聞こえるかもしれないが、本当にそうだったのだ。スマートフォンはなかったし、ソーシャルメディアもゴープロなどの手軽なHDアクションカメラもなかった。ウォーレン・ミラーがアスリートのすばらしいライディングを撮影し、ウイッ

いまでは多くの映画が、北海道の柔らかい新雪が重なる

トに富んだナレーションが観客をそのストー

ピローと呼ばれる地形や深いパウダースノーの映像を紹介

リーに引きつけた。そして、あの人懐っこい間

しているが、ニール・ハートマンはもうすでに何年も前からそ

違えようのない声は、彼が僕だけに語りかけている

こで撮影し、『カー団地』シリーズと呼ばれるスノーボード・

かのような錯覚に陥らせる。

ムービーを世に送りだし、日本でもっとも有名なフィルムメー

とはいえ、映画上映会がコミュニティーイベントだったら、僕

カーの一人としての地位を確立している。

らはみんな同じクラブに属したメンバーみたいなものだった。ウォーレン・ミラーは1950年から2004年までの間、55本の

一方、ジェレミー・ジョーンズは、だれもが認める世界で時代は確かに変わった。しかし、スキーバム・スピリットは

もっとも有名なビッグマウンテン・スノーボーダーだ。彼も北

スキー映画を製作した。そして大げさでなく何世代にもわたっ

いまでもしっかり生き続けている。カメラ機材は進歩し、山

海道に滞在したことはあるが、今回、最新の映画「 Further」

てたくさんのスキーヤーにインスピレーションを与えて続けて

を滑るためのギアも飛躍的に進化した。特別な瞬間をとら

のパートを撮影するために来日したのは、白馬の切り立っ

きたし、いま存在する有名なアスリートを使って映画を作ると

えるために、より急斜面へ、深い雪へ、そしてさらに限界の

たドラマチックなピークが並ぶ光景に惹きよせられたためで

いうスキーフィルムの業界を作り上げた。1946年に彼が、仲

先へと向かうアスリートとフィルムメーカーたちの情熱は昔と

あった。

間とアイダホ州のサンバレーの駐車場で寝泊まりしながらス

まったく変わっていない。

キーインストラクターの仕事をして、そのお金で仕事の合間に8ミリ映画を撮っていた頃からずいぶん時代は変わった。

昨今、日本はもはや知られざる遠い冬の目的地ではない。

WINTER

OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 21

スキーフィルムの進化や、撮影場所としてなぜ日本がブー

撮影のために来日するフィルムメーカーが増えてきている

2 0 1 3

ムになっているのか、そして日本の雪山の魅力など、彼ら二人にインタビューした。

12/12/17 22:03

An interview with Neil Hartmann

The Slum Lord WHAT WAS THE FIRST SNOW FILM YOU CAN REMEMBER IN JAPAN? In the mid-’80s when I started snowboarding here in Japan, contests were already being held at resorts such as Rusutsu. Some production companies came over and filmed the contests, including Fall Line Films. Their “Critical Condition” movie has a legendary scene in which Chris Roach and Mike Ranquet get kicked out of Japan. A lot of the movies from the early ’90s had contest footage from Japan along with shots of guys such as the legendary Craig Kelly riding among Japanese birch trees in pristine powder. A little later, a Canadian production company called Tree Top made a series called “Made in Japan.” They would come over and film foreign and Japanese riders shredding powder. I always thought those movies were cool, because they were about Japan but made from a westerner’s point of view; it was a cool mix.

WHERE DID THE INSPIRATION FOR THE “CAR DANCHI” SERIES COME FROM? I had been focusing on shooting photos for a few years before making the first “Car Danchi” movie. The crew with which I was shooting started really moving into the backcountry and, to access the good spots, we all started sleeping in our cars as we traveled around Hokkaido. We wanted to be close to the mountains and good backcountry spots without having to spend a lot of money on hotel rooms.

ニール・ハートマンースラム番長

The lifestyle element of what we were doing and the progressive backcountry riding I was witnessing made me want to grab my video camera and start filming. Still photos just couldn’t capture the whole package. You also have to remember, at the time, the snowboard scene (industry and media) was focused almost entirely on snowboard park riding, street rails and contests. The backcountry powder riding we were doing was not popular at the time. It was hard for me to sell photos of what we were doing, so video was a way to showcase the lifestyle and riding.

WHAT DOES “CAR DANCHI” MEAN? The name itself was uttered by one of our crew (Kazushi Yamauchi) as we all stood in the parking lot at night looking at our lineup of cars. A bunch of vans and campers all parked in a line with the interior lights on resembled a small apartment building. He literally just said, “Car Danchi” and we all laughed. The word “danchi” translates to “apartments,” but not the posh penthouse variety; rather the low rent government or company subsidized type, and has a lower class connotation. It stuck in my head and, when I was ready to choose a name for the first video, right away I knew it had to be “Car Danchi.”

SO, THAT KIND OF MAKES YOU THE "SLUM LORD?" Yeah, a proud slum lord. Whatever it takes to get out in the powder.

WERE THERE ANY PARTICULAR FILMS THAT INSPIRED YOU? I used to love Warren Miller. I had a video of his called “Steep and Deep,” and I watched that thing so many times. I loved the humor in his narrations, the variety of footage, so many different locations and the way he would always tie it all together. I am still trying to emulate his style in many ways today. There also was an amazing film called “The Walrus Dreams” by Ari Marcopolus. It was a huge inspiration until my VCR ate the tape. All the early TGR films and Standard Films TB Series up to No. 8 were my favorites to study as well.

WHAT WERE YOU SHOOTING WITH WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED? Well, I got into filmmaking right when everyone made the switch from film to video. All the big production companies were still using 16mm film, but I did not have a budget for that, so I bought a video camera and was shooting with that from the beginning. I always loved the look of film though, so I bought a Super 8mm camera at a second-hand shop and started shooting with that for the “Car Danchi 1” movie. In the end I think that footage really helped make the movie popular. It set it apart from other Japanese snowboard movies with the nostalgic film look and created a style people recognized and remembered. I used a lot of Super 8 in the first three movies and then graduated to a highdefinition equipment set-up from number four.

日本のスノーボード・フィルムで最初に見たのは『カー団地』を製作しようというインスピレーション『カー団地』ってどういう意味なんですか？この名前は、夜、駐車場にみんなが集まっていたとき、仲なんだったか覚えていますか？は何からきたのですか？ ’ 80年代の半ばに日本でスノーボードを始めたけど、当時、もうルスツなどのリゾートでコンテストも開催されていたし、そ

『カー団地』を作る以前、僕は何年も写真を撮ってきてい

間の一人の山内一志がそこにずらりと自分たちの車が並ん

たけど、撮影していた仲間たちがどんどんバックカントリーに

でいるのを見て、言った言葉なんだ。車内灯がついたバン

こにいくつかのフィルムメーカーも来て撮影していた。そのな

行くようになり、そしていい場所に行くためにみんな車中泊し

やキャンピングガーが並んでいる様子は小さなアパートみた

かには、フォールライン・フィルムもいたんだけど、彼らの作

ながら北海道中を旅して回るようになった。僕らはいつも山

いだったんだ。彼が文字通り「カー団地」と口にしたとき、僕

品『クリティカル・コンディション』では、クリス・ローチとマイク・

の近く、滑るのにいい場所にいたかったし、ホテルとかに大

らはあまりにも的確な言葉だったもので大笑いしたんだよ。

ランケットの行動が問題になって日本から追い出されるとい

金を使いたくなかった。

う伝説のシーンが登場しているんだ。

『団地』って言う言葉は日本語でアパートを意味するん

そういう僕らのライフスタイルや、目の前で繰り広げられて

だ。それも高級なものではなく、どちらかというと低所得者用

’ 90年代前半の多くの映画では、日本でのコンテストシー

いたバックカントリーでの進化を続けるライディングを映像に

の公営住宅とか社宅とかいったそんなイメージ。どちらかとい

ンの映像がたくさんはいっていたし、レジェンド、クレイグ・ケ

残しておきたいという強い気持ちが芽生えてきた。写真では

うと低い階層という意味合いがある。この言葉はずっと頭

リーが日本の白樺の林のなかすばらしいパウダーを滑って

その全体像が完全にはとらえきれない感じがしたんだ。

いるシーンもあった。それから少したってツリートップというカ

それに当時、スノーボードシーンは、ビジネスもメディアも

ナダのフィルムメーカーが『 Made in Japan 』というシリーズ

含めてほとんどすべてがスノーボードパークやレール、そして

物を作ったんだ。彼らは日本で海外のライダーや日本のライ

コンテスト中心だった。ぼくらがやっていたようなバックカン

ダーを使ってパウダーライディングを撮影した。あのムービー

トリーでのパウダーライディングは、そのころ認知度も高く

はクールだなっていつも思ってたんだ。だって日本のロケー

なかったから写真もあまり売れなかった。だから、ビデオのほ

ションを西洋人の感性で見た雰囲気が出ていたから。いい

うがそういうライフスタイルやライディングを見せるのにもよ

感じのミックスだったと思う。

かったんだ。

OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 22

WINTER

に残っていて、最初のビデオのタイトルを決めるときに、すぐ、「カー団地しかない！」って思ったんだ。

ということはあなたはスラムの親分みたいなものといえるのかな？そうだね、スラム番長であることは誇れるよ。パウダーのためならどんな貧乏も辞さない、という意味でね。

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12/12/17 22:03

とくに、あなたが影響を受けた映画はありますか？昔は、ウォーレン・ミラーの映画が大好きだった。『スティーブ・アンド・ディープ』っていうビデオを持っていて、すり切

最初はどんな機材で撮影していたんですか？

れるぐらい見ていたよ。ユーモアにあふれた彼のナレーショ

うん、僕が撮影しだしたのはちょうどみんながフィルムから

ンが好きだったし、バラエティーに富んだ映像もよかった。

ビデオに移行しはじめた時期だった。メジャーなフィルムメー

いろんな場所がでていて、それをいい感じにまとめる手法も

カーはみんな16ミリを使っていたけど、僕はそんなことできる

すばらしかった。いまでも、いろんな面で彼のスタイルを見

お金はなかったから、ビデオカメラを買って最初からそれで

本にしようとしている気がするよ。

撮っていたよ。

れた人の印象に残ったんだ。

もう一つアリ・マルコポラスが作った『 The walrus Dreams

でもいつもフィルムの映像が好きだったので、8ミルカメラ

最初の3作に僕はたくさんスーパー 8の映像を使った。そ

（トドの夢）』というすばらしい映画がある。このビデオもま

を中古で買って、『カー団地1 』の映画のためにそれで撮り

して、4作目からはHD（高解像度）の機材にグレードアップしたんだ。

た、テープがビデオデッキに絡まって壊れてしまうほど、すご

始めたんだ。最終的には、それで撮った映像がこの映画の

くインスピレーションを与えるものだった。それに初期のTGR

評価をあげてくれた気がするよ。ノスタルジックな雰囲気が

いままでずっと、最新の機材とかテクニックにこだわるつも

ムービーと8番目までのスタンダードフィルムのTBシリーズは

出る8ミリの映像のおかげで、独特のスタイルが生まれ、ほ

りはなかった。新しいカメラを使うべきだとか、新しいやり方

大好きな研究材料だよ。

かの日本のスノーボード・ムービーと差がついたし、見てく

に乗り遅れないようにというプレッシャーがこの業界にはすご

WINTER

OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 23

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12/12/17 22:03

a filmmaker, the r Fo n. pa Ja ke li snow place in the world deep, consistent e th , se ur "There's no other co of . The seasons shadows and, es e ag th t, im gh le li ib of ed y cr it in qual most u feel that make for the pths of winter, yo de e th combine in a way in , at th d so strong the backcountry are so profound an is deep blanket of snow. Being in is l, th in those woods, it e nc le si of enveloped by it al d un the ing to hear the so ywhere else. And an d un in Hokkaido, gett fo t n' ve ha experience I beauty rubs off on d an re tu na r fo really a spiritual on y their appreciati ay." peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;ultimatel see the mountains in a different w t to you, and you star Nick Waggoner rass Productions Director, Sweetg -productions.com www.sweetgrass

OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 24

WINTER

2 0 1 3

12/12/17 22:03

HOW HAS THE EQUIPMENT CHANGED SINCE YOU FIRST STARTED FILMING?

HOW MUCH DID YOU USE ACTION CAMS IN “CAR DANCHI 6?”

The camera gear has certainly revolutionized what can be done and the angles that can be shot. Of course, strapping a camera on your head is not something new. Greg Stumps’ films such as “Blizzard of Ahhs” had classic footage of one skier strapping a 16mm camera to his head to get the point of view (POV) shots. It has become so much simpler and cheaper with today’s hightech cameras. Everything seems to be waterproof now as well, which makes it much easier. Since the beginning, I have been a fan of small cameras. I would forsake a little quality in order to get something small, and light that would fit into my jacket pocket so I could take it anywhere. It was my way of making sure I could always be close to the riders and get more intimate and unusual angles. I have seen a lot of cameramen give up hiking a slope for a better angle because their camera is too big and heavy. Now everybody has a camera in their pocket, a GoPro or an iPhone, so it has become incredibly easy to get those “hard to capture” shots. In fact, it has gone so far, I think soon people will see the basic tripod filmed shot as something new and refreshing. Everything comes around right?

For “Car Danchi 6,” I decided to take it to the extreme and see if it would be possible to film almost the entire movie using just “helmet” cams. I used both GoPro and Contour action cams. Each rider was given a camera for the season with the instructions to “get the shot” and that they did. I was able to gather sunny powder day shots from Nagano and Niigata even though I was far away in Hokkaido shooting something else. I think the movie really puts the viewer in the “driver’s seat.”

くある。でも、僕はビデオを見る側は完璧にきれいでシャー

し、いろんなアングルで撮影することができるようになった。

の取り方を教えてられ、じっさい、いい映像を撮ってきた。そ

プな映像もいいけど、それよりも、ぐっとくるストーリーやライ

もちろん昔から頭にカメラをつけての撮影方法はあった。グ

のおかげで、北海道で別の撮影をしながら、長野や新潟の

ダーのキャラクターに惹かれるんじゃないかって思っている。

レッグ・スタンプの『 Blizzard of Ahhs 』などは、スキーヤー

爽快なパウダーシーンの映像を手に入れることができたし。

いいカメラスポンサーはつかないかもしれないけど、つね

が16ミリのカメラを頭に括り付けておもしろいPOV（ポイント・

このムービーは、見ている人を自分が映画に出ているライ

I have never been that concerned with staying on top of the latest technical advances. There is a lot of pressure out there to shoot with this new camera or use this new whatever, but I really feel people want stories and characters more than crystal clear sharp pictures. It may not help get me any camera sponsors, but that has always been my take. I like shooting with the latest full HD camera but could easily go back to the Super 8mm and make a movie as well.

HAvE THINGS CHANGED MUCH SINCE YOU STARTED SHOOTING? For me personally I don’t think much has changed at all. As for the rest of the world, I think things have changed a lot from the Warren Miller days. Snowboarding has become an industry of itself, and skiing is a different animal now too. The ski and snowboard movies tend to be made for an insider (industry) audience rather than the average skier Warren was trying to please. We lost the humor along the way too; everything is very serious and hardcore and extreme now. There is not much of a story line in snow films now, but things are starting to turn around a little. Movies such as Jeremy Jones’ “Deeper” and “Further” come with a story line, and Travis Rice is always breaking down stereotypes with his films such as “Art of Flight,” combining the best of both action and documentary styles.

WHY ARE MORE AND MORE PEOPLE COMING TO JAPAN TO FILM? You know, it’s funny. Back in the mid-to-late ’90s, at snowboarding’s peak of popularity here in Japan, I can remember touring around with the top pro riders of the day, and a lot of them would comment on how there was “nothing to film here,” or they would say, “It’s too flat.” Many of them would go home disappointed. Now everybody flocks here to ride the low-angle powder we have in abundance, and they can’t seem to get enough of it. There are a lot of reasons people come to Japan to shoot, but the first and foremost has to be the quality and consistency of the snowfall. Board and ski design has changed so much in the last 10 years, people are now able to truly enjoy the super deep, light and — yes, not

にそう感じてる。最新のフルHDカメラで撮影するのはすばら

オブ・ビュー）ショットを撮っている。でも、最近のハイテク・

ダー本人になっているような気持ちにさせてくれるんじゃない

しいけど、べつにスーパー 8に戻っても映画が作れると思っ

カメラのおかげで、そういう映像が簡単に、そしてお金をか

かと思うよ。

てるよ。

けずに撮れるようになった。それに機材がどれも防水になってるので、それが本当にありがたい。

なぜ日本で撮影しようとする人が増えてきているのでしょう？

撮影を始めた頃に比べて、いろんなことが変わりましたか？

ティーがちょっと落ちても、軽くてジャケットに入るくらいの大

おかしな話だけど、’ 90年代半ば、日本でスノーボード熱が

個人的には全然変わっていないと思う。ただ世界全般

きさで、どこにでも持っていけるカメラを選んだ。それがライ

全盛時代の頃に、僕は、当時のトップライダーを連れて山

について言えば、ウォーレン・ミラーの映画が主体だった時

ダーとできる限り近いスタンスで、親密なそしてユニークなア

を案内し滑っていたけど、彼らはここには撮影に見合うもの

代からはずいぶんと変わったよね。スノーボードは一つの産

ングルの映像を撮るための、ぼくなりの方法だったんだ。僕

がない、あるいはフラットすぎると言っていた。多くのライダー

業として確立され、スキーもあの頃からはずいぶん変化した。

は、カメラマンが機材が大きすぎたり重すぎるせいでハイク

はがっかりして帰っていったんだ。なのに、いまになってたく

スキーやスノーボードムービーもウォーレン・ミラーは一般の

するのをあきらめ、いいアングルからの撮影を断念するのを

さんの人がここに有り余るほどあるそれほど急ではないパウ

一向きに作っていたけど、いま出ているものは、よりコアで

何度も見てきている。

ダーに集まってくるし、全然飽きずに楽しんでるみたいだね。

はじめた頃から僕は小さなカメラが好きだった。クオリ

いまや、だれもがポケットにカメラやGoPro、あるいは

日本に撮影に来る理由はたくさんある。まず一番大きな

ている気がする。ユーモアもなくなってしまった気がするな。

iPhoneを持っている。だから、いままで難しかった映像を撮る

理由は、たくさん降る雪の量とそのクオリティーだね。ボード

よりシリアスでハードコアでエクストリームなものばかりが出

ことがほんとに簡単になった。じっさい、ものすごいことになっ

やスキーのデザインがこの10年でずいぶん変わり、軽くて深

回ってる。ストーリー性があまりない。

てるよね。そのうち3脚を使って撮る映像が珍しくなって、反

いパウダースノー、それもそれほど急斜面ではない中でもス

対に新鮮に見えてくるかもね。なんでも、時間とともに繰り

タックすることなく楽しめるようになった。

熱心にスキーやスノーボードをしてる人たちのために作られ

でも、またちょっと流れが変わってきた気もする。ジェレミー・ジョーンズの『Deeper 』や『 Further 』はストーリーがある。

もう一つは島国だからだいたいの山が海に近く、雪が軽く

返されるだろうから、そうだろ？

それから、トラビス・ライスの映画、『 Art of flight 』などはアクションとドキュメンタリータッチ両方のいいところを取り入れ、これまでのスノーボードムービーの枠組みをつねに壊して進化させようとしているよ。

てドライにもかかわらずマリタイム・スノーといって急斜面に

『カー団地6 』では、どれくらいアクションカメラを使いましたか？

もつきやすく安定していることがあげられる。コロラドのよう

『カー団地6 』では極限に挑戦しようという気持ちで、ほ

い雪のすぐしたに鋭い岩が隠れているようなところよりずっ

とんどすべての映像はヘルメットカメラで撮ってみたんだ。

にパウダーに覆われているように見えてもドライ過ぎて、軽と安全なんだ。

撮影を始めた頃と比べて機材も変わりましたか？

GoProとContour両方のアクションカメラを使い、ライダーは

それにおいしい食べ物やサービス、温泉、酒、そしてパウ

カメラ機材は確実に進化し、いろんなことが可能になった

一人一人、シーズン中一台のカメラを与えられ、いい映像

ダーとともに経験できるいろんなすばらしいことにも夢中にな

WINTER

OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 25

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12/12/17 22:03

so steep — terrain we have here. The other thing is being an island country with generally coastal mountains, the snow, although light and dry, amazingly sticks to everything. So it is a lot safer than a rocky place such as Colorado, where it can look like powder but there may be sharp rocks covered by a centimeter of white. I think people have also become addicted to the food, the service, the hot springs, the sake and all that good stuff that comes with the powder in Japan. Plus, we have to give a big thank-you to the Australian Powder Corp. that has set up an English-speaking infrastructure at many of the top snow spots. Now it is easy to get picked up at the airport, check in and even order from an English menu. All you really need to know these days is ”kampai” and “arigato.”

WHAT AREAS DO YOU USUALLY SHOOT FOR YOUR SNOW FILMS? I am based in Sapporo, so Hokkaido is my main “goto zone.” People tend to see Hokkaido as one region, but it’s a huge island with many different areas and weather patterns, so there is a lot from which to choose.

Niseko is a regular spot, and the Furano-Tokachi area has so many big lines and backcountry zones, it will take a lifetime to work through that. During the last few years, I have been spending quite a bit of time exploring the mountains right around my house here in Jozankei, near Sapporo. The Sapporo backcountry boasts some great terrain and quality snow; plus it is my backyard. I try to make sure we get to at least one new area of Japan each year. “Car Danchi 1” was 100 percent Hokkaido. “CD2” was half Hokkaido and half Honshu. I really like the Tohoku area and have always tried to cover it with trips to Hakkoda (Aomori) and Tazawako (Akita), plus Nagano and Niigata are regulars. It is always tough to find a balance between going to places you know you will get good stuff and adventuring off to new areas.

HOW DO YOU CHOOSE NEW DESTINATIONS FOR “CAR DANCHI?”

always tips and rumors on which to go. Then it is just a matter of looking at maps and checking the weather until something finally clicks. Then we all put the key in the ignition. For “Car Danchi” shooting and exploration here in Hokkaido, I use my trusty Mapple (a popular Japanese road map) more than anything else. We are famous now for accessing roadside backcountry and that has always been thanks to my trusty Mapple. There are so many great roads that go up and over mountains or deep into mountain valleys. Some of them don’t pan out, but every now and then we hit a gold mine. So I spend a lot of time looking at my Mapple and planning trips. The key is to make sure we always head down some roads we haven’t traveled before. This year the caravan ran into a great new area – Kusharo-ko. ✤

The snow community is pretty tight here, and people are always talking about a new spot or location that has amazing snow or jumps or whatever. So, there are て選べるんだ。ニセコはいつも行くスポットだね。そして富良野、十勝エリアはバックカントリーに大きなラインがたくさんあるのが魅力。あそこを制覇するのは、一生かけてのプロジェクトにな

t for "Filming in Japan is grea us various reasons. The obvio g snow ones are the often-amazin e great conditions and some of th ich you and remote terrain to wh u're more can hike. You feel as if yo areas left on your own, without ski ski areas and right, and even most the U.S. aren't as busy or big as in Besides So it's less hectic, I feel. to find any that, we've always tried pan to good excuse to come to Ja like being film, because we simply perience there a lot; the cultural ex is a big factor, too." David Benedek Paper Studio Creative Director, Blank m .co www.blankpaperstudio

るだろう。ここ数年、札幌に近い定山渓にある自宅周辺を開拓しつつある。札幌のバックカントリーもすばらしい場所やいい雪がたくさんあるんだ。それに自分の裏庭だしね。毎年映画を作るたびに、少なくとも一カ所は新しい場所を入れるようにしているんだ。『カー団地1 』は100％北海道で撮影された。『 CD2 』は北海道半分本州半分、僕は、東北地方が大好きで、いつも青森の八甲田と秋田の田沢湖には行くようにしている。それから長野と新潟もまたいつも行くエリアだ。いいコンディションが約束されているいつもの場所へ行くのと、新しいエリアを探索しに行くというバランスを見つけるのはどんなときにも難しいよ。

『カー団地』の撮影場所として新しいスポットに向かうとき、どうやって決めるのですか？雪のコミュニティーは結構固いし、みんな繋がってる。だれもが新しいスポットのことを話題にするし、いい雪やいいジャンプなんかがあるという情報はたくさん入ってくる。だから、いつでもどこにいくべきかのヒントや噂はあるんだ。あとは、地図と天気図を見比べてここだという場所がでてきたら、車のイグニションにキーを差し込んでスタートするだけだよ。るんだと思う。

北海道での『カー団地』の撮影やロケハンでは、僕は、

僕らは、オーストラリア・パウダーコーポレーションにも感

なによりも絶大の信頼を置くマップル（日本国内で一般的な

謝すべきだよね。彼らは世界の素晴しいスノースポットに英

ロードマップブック）を使っている。僕らは、いまや道からア

語しか話せなくても困らずに訪れることができるセットアップを

クセスできるバックカントリーを開拓することで知られている

した。だから外国人がエアーポートについたらそのまま迎えて

けど、それはこのマップルのおかげだよ。

もらえ、ホテルにチェックインし、英語のメニューから食事をオーダーしたりできるようになった。ただ『乾杯』と『ありがとう』さえ知っていれば、快適に旅が楽しめるようになったんだ。

北海道の山々をくぐったり越えたりする道路がたくさんある。そして、谷の奥深くまで続いている道もある。いつもいい結果に終わるわけではないけど、たまに金鉱を掘り当てることもある。だから時間をかけてマップルとにらめっこしなが

ムービーの撮影にはだいたいどのエリアを使うのですか？札幌に住んでいるので、北海道がメインになる。北海道と一概にいってもものすごく広い島でいろんな場所があり、天気も気候も全然違う。だからいろんなバラエティーがあっ

OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 26

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ら、旅の計画を立てるんだ。行ったことのない道にいってみることが重要かな。今年、僕ら一行はすばらしいニューエリアに巡りあったよ、屈斜路湖周辺で。✤

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Car Danchi 6

On Location in Kusharo 『カー団地 6』屈斜路湖にて

By Neil Hartmann

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he “Car Danchi” filming style has always combined searching for new locations and the unwritten rule we must have fun wherever we go. Over the last seven or eight years we have made some great "discoveries,” opening up new areas for backcountry riding. The search generally starts over dinner in someone’s car. We look at maps and check weather reports. Wind speeds, rumors and second hand speculation play into the mix as well. By the time we crawl into our respective sleeping bags, we usually have a short list and the excitement starts to build. Hokkaido is a big island and it starts to feel even bigger in the winter when the roads are covered in ice and snow, easily causing drive times to double. Living near Sapporo, for me the far eastern Douto area has always felt very far away. The central Tokachi Mountain Range is one of our regular hangouts, but we seldom make it past there.

OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 28

The Douto area is known for being very cold and not having much snowfall; not great selling points for the “Car Danchi” crew. This past year, however, was a turning point. Mid-March winter decided to take a break, and the Sapporo area found itself in a thaw. We rolled the dice on a short three-day trip to an area called Teshikaga-cho. It is famous for the two crater lakes, Kusharo-ko and Mashu-ko found here, as well as the more than 70 individual natural hot springs. In the summer, it can be a tourist magnet with great camping, canoeing and other outdoor activities, but in the winter it is desolate. Although it is the same island, there is something very different in the air this far east. The Ainu (Hokkaido's indigenous people) presence can be felt everywhere, the development has been very minimal and the landscapes and views have a primal, wild feel everywhere you look. To say the area is picturesque would certainly be an

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understatement. Although our trip was short, we came back with more than we had hoped for. There were free hot springs next to our danchi and golden sunrises over a misty frozen Lake Kusharo. Perfect powder runs from the top of Mt. Mokoto and views of the Okhotsk Sea filled with ice flows, wild deer grazing on the hillsides, natural steam geysers spewing sulfur gases into the air and much more. Every turn in the road brought a fresh view, and the photo ops made frequent stops a must. Driving home, our crew shared the feeling we had only touched the tip of the iceberg and we needed to return. The Douto area, it would seem, will become a regular destination on our winter filming mission. Wild, unexplored, undeveloped and under populated — our next frontier. ✤

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『カ

ー団地』シリーズがその撮影において柱としてい

ポイントになった年だった。3月中旬、冬がひと段落すると、

草を食み、自然の蒸気間欠泉が硫黄ガスを空中に吹き出

るのは、つねに新たなロケーションを求め続けるこ

札幌エリアの雪は溶けはじめていた。そこで僕らは、弟子屈

していた。角を曲がるごとに見たことのない景色が広がるの

とと、場所に関係なく楽しむということだ。ここ7∼8年にわた

町というエリアへイチかバチか3日間のショートトリップへ出か

で、そのたびに車を止めて写真を撮らなければならなかった。

るすばらしい発見の数々は、バックカントリーにとってさまざま

けることにした。このエリアは、屈斜路湖と摩周湖という二

帰路についた僕らのだれもが感じていたことは、僕らが見

な新しいスポットとの出会いとなったはずだ。さて、そのスポッ

つの火口湖で知られると同時に、70以上におよぶ自然温

たのはまだ氷山の一角でしかないのに、もう帰らなければな

ト調査は、たいていだれかの車の中で晩飯を食べていると

泉でも知られている。夏にはキャンプやカヌーをはじめとした

らないということだった。道東エリアは、僕らの撮影ミッショ

きにはじまる。まず、地図と天気予報をチェックし、風速と

アウトドアで多くの観光客が訪れるが、冬の間は閑散とした

ンに欠かせないエリアとなりそうだ。ワイルドで、まだだれも

人の噂や、人づてに聞いた話も重要な要素となる。自分の

エリアだ。

寝袋にもぐり込むころには、だいたい短いリストができ上がっていて、ワクワクしながら眠りにつく。

足を踏み入れていない未開の地。新たなフロンティアが見

ここまで東に来ると、同じ大陸にあってもその空気感はかなり違ったものとなる。北海道土着の民族アイヌの存在を

北海道が広大であることは熟知しているが、冬に道が氷

どこにいても感じるし、開発も最小限でその景色は原始的

と雪で覆われて運転に時間が倍かかるようになると、その

でワイルドだ。この景色を「絵になる」なんていう一言で説

広大さはさらに増したように感じてしまう。札幌近郊に住ん

明することはできない。

でいる僕にとって、東の端にある道東はいつも遥か彼方の

短い旅だったが、収穫は相当大きかった。僕らのカー団

街だった。僕らがよく行くのは中央十勝連峰だが、そこを越

地のすぐ隣には無料の温泉があり、霧深い凍った屈斜路

えることはほとんどない。

湖から登る太陽は黄金色だった。藻琴山の頂上からパー

『カー団地』のクルーにとって、寒さと雪の少なさで知られ

フェクトなパウダーを滑り下りることができ、オホーツク海が

る道東は魅力的なエリアではなかったが、去年はターニング

氷に覆われた景色も圧巻だった。丘の上では野生の鹿が

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OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 29

つかった。✤

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An interview with Jeremy Jones

The Snow Walker ジェレミー・ジョーンズー歩くスノーボーダー By Gardner Robinson

ver the last decade, Jeremy Jones has been perhaps the biggest name in big mountain snowboarding. He has appeared in numerous extreme ski films with Teton Gravity Research and other productions. The jaw-dropping action in these films features Jones and his buddies choosing ridiculous lines down nearly vertical terrain, dodging or outrunning avalanches along the way. These sequences are usually preceded by a helicopter hovering just long enough above a sliver of a peak to drop off a rider before peeling off down the valley. Yet a few years back Jeremy did a curious thing. He took a hike. He walked away from a sure thing and chose a different path. He began hiking up snow-covered mountains on his splitboard. He decided to trade in the convenience and efficiency of the twin-propelled taxis for the steady progress of his own two feet. Having access to a helicopter is something of which most of us dream, and it sounds a bit crazy to give it up. Yet there is a method to his madness. He finds the human-powered adventures more rewarding; the connection with the mountains more profound. You’d think this would slow him down, but it hasn’t. His first human-powered film, “Deeper,” was a big success. Shooting for his next film, “Further,” brought Jeremy and fellow Jones Snowboards rider Forrest Shearer to Nagano’s Hakuba Valley.

こ

こ十年以上のあいだ、ビッグマウンテン・スノーボードにおいてジェレミー・ジョーンズほど有名なライダーはいないだろう。『テトン・グラビティー・リサーチ』を筆頭に数えきれないほどのエキストリームムービーで、彼

Photo by

igai

Yoshiro H

と彼の仲間たちは、見る者を驚愕させるような、雪崩をやり過ごしたり、アウトランしながらほとんど直角にみえる壁に描くとんでもないライン取りのライディングを見せてきた。こういったシークエンスは、従来ライダーが山のピークからドロップして谷へと滑っていくのを上空からヘリコプターでホバーリングしながら撮影されていた。しかし数年前から、ジェレミーはひじょうに興味深いアプローチをはじめた。滑るための斜面をすべてハイクで登るようになったのだ。つまり、確実にものにできる方法をやめて、違う道に挑戦しだした。彼は、雪に覆われた山々をスプリットボードを使って登り、プロペラがついたタクシー（ヘリコプター）の便利さや効率のよさと引換えにゆっくりと、しかし着実な自分の足を使うことにした。ヘリコプターを自由に使うことは、私たちみんなが夢見ることだ。それをみずから投げ出してしまうなんてちょっとクレージーに思えるが、彼の不可解にもみえる行動の裏にはしっかりした考えがある。彼は、エンジンに頼らない冒険がより大きな達成感を与えてくれること、そして山との繋がりも強まることを知っている。この方法をとることで、彼の動きがスローダウンするんじゃないかと思うだろうが、そんなことはまったくなさそうだ。彼がハイクのみで山を登って撮影した第１作目の映画『DEEPER 』は大きな評価を受け大成功だった。次の映画『 FURTHER 』の撮影のために、ジェレミーとその仲間のフォレスタ・シアラーは長野の白馬にやって来た。

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Jeremy Jones and Ryland Bell skin up a mountain in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska, while ﬁlming for Teton Gravity Research's newest movie, "Further ." Photo by Jeff Hawe.

HOW MUCH HISTORY DO YOU HAvE WITH JAPAN? I’ve been coming to Japan on and off for about 20 years. I remember the first time I came here; a snowboard shop brought over a buddy and me. I was at the airport with Aki (Akira Matsumoto), and I showed him my wallet. I open it up and say, “Aki, should I be getting on this plane?” I’m like, “No money. No, no money!” He just said, “Yeah, OK.” We won a bunch of money and it basically got me out of debt. Without that I don’t know if I would have been able to keep snowboarding, because I was really broke. I was young and kind of stressed on being in debt. We were doing some contests in Nagano, near Shiga Kogen, and some other places. Then we went to the north island a bunch, mostly racing around Niseko and Rusutsu, but the contests became kind of irrelevant

日本にはもう何回も来てるんですか？

because the powder we found was like nothing we’d ever seen before. We were all blown away, and I just fell in love with the snow, the people and the culture. We found some killer steeps, but the snow was so good, I wanted to find more featured, and even steeper, stuff.

in a helicopter, but to take us to places to which we couldn’t get with a lift. But there are so few people who can take a helicopter; you know, they are so expensive, and they can be quite disruptive. I learned a lot filming “Deeper” and making these movies on foot. I went to mountain ranges I knew really well; they were almost second homes to me, except I was going to areas to which you could only get by hiking or camping. With “Further” I went to four places around the world I didn’t know too much about; a little more off the beaten path. It’s the evolution of “Deeper.”

WHAT BROUGHT YOU BACK? Well, it had been a while, and I started seeing pictures from the Northern Alps—Japanese snow with spines—real legit lines and a coastal snowpack which is traditionally the type of snowpack I like to ride, because it’s safer. So I made it a point to get here. It was kind of why I started the next film (“Further”), because I wanted to come to Japan.

WHY DID YOU "GROUND YOURSELF" AND START HIKING? Hiking is a more intimate experience; it’s where I get my highest highs in the mountains. Being out there for long periods of time away from society. The heli was brought into the picture, not because it was cool to ride

WHAT ARE YOU RIDING THESE DAYS? Splitboarding is about 70 percent of my snowboarding these days. Actually, I started Jones Snowboards because I wasn’t getting the boards I wanted, and I couldn't convince a company to make them. I was sure there were some other riders out there not getting what they wanted too, so I decided I needed to start my own company to make them. That was the inspiration for Jones Snowboards. We have a wide range of snowboards, but splitboards were initially the main reason I started the company, because none of these other companies wanted to make them. And I didn’t just want to make any splitboard, I wanted to make a kick-ass splitboard.

かのコンテストに出て、その後、北海道に何度も行った。た

僕が一番理想としている雪質だ。だから、今回は撮影しに

20年くらいのあいだに何回か来ている。初めて日本に来

いがいニセコやルスツでのレースだった。でも、レースはその

来ようと決めていた。ある意味、日本に来たいから新しい

たときのことは鮮明に覚えているよ。あるスノーボードショッ

うちそれほど重要でなくなってしまった。なにしろその辺りに

映画（FURTHER）のプロジェクトをスタートさせたともいえるく

プが、僕ともう一人の友人を招待してくれたんだ。僕はアキ

あったパウダーはほかのどこでも見たことないほどの量だっ

らいだよ。

（松本あきら氏）に迎えられ、そこで僕は自分のお財布の

たからね。僕らはびっくりしてしまったよ、その雪、この国の

中身を見せた。中を開いて、「アキ、こんなんだけど、この飛行機に乗って引き返したほうがいいかな」って聞いたんだ。「ノーマネー、ノーマネー」と一生懸命説明して。彼はただ

人たち、そして文化にほんとに惚れ込んでいったんだ。かなりよさげな急斜面も見つけはしたけど雪があまりによかったから、もっと複雑なラインや急斜面を見つけたかった。

「yeah、OK」と言った。結果的には、僕らはその後大会でかなりの賞金を勝ち取

なぜヘリコプターを使わずに、ハイクすることにしたのですか？ハイキングは、絶対的に山と親密になれる経験なんだ。山にいるとき、一番の高揚感を得られるのがそこなんだ。

今回はなぜ日本に戻って来たのですか？

り、おかげで僕は借金をすべて返すことができた。あのとき

うん、まあ、前回来てからしばらく来ていなかったこともあ

現代社会からすっかり離れて、長い時間を人里離れた山で過すこと。ヘリがスノーボードのライディングに使われるようになったのは、それに乗るのがクールだったからではなく、

賞金を稼いでいなかったら、スノーボードを続けていられたか

るし、そのあいだに何度か北アルプスの写真を見ることが

どうかわからなかったよ。とにかくお金がなかったし、まだ若

あった。あのすばらしい雪がこのスパインの地形についてる

僕らがリフトで行けないところに連れていってくれるからだっ

かったから、借金がストレスになってたんだ。

のかって惹きつけられた。すごくよさそうなラインにマリタイム

た。でも、それができる特権はほんとに限られた人だけのも

の雪質、これはより安定したスノーパックなので安全だから、

のだった。ものすごくお金がかかるし、環境にダメージを与

長野の志賀高原の近くや、そのほかのスキー場でいくつ

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OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 31

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Photo by Yoshiro Higai

place ince. The s r e v e k c he g ba been goin wder, the people, t e. e v a h d n f po 99 a ienc apan in 19 e infinite amounts o uch a unique exper J d e it is v re s s to "We first verything from th rall vibe a undant and it stick here. e v o E e . h l t a d y ab nyw is magic ture, the food an is typicall d, playful terrain a simply w l o u n c s l e a h . It is ature eal. T mystic ng is surr ome of the most fe without the skiing ii k s e e r t ven rs The making fo ould go to Japan e , g in h t y r e ev .Iw in a frenzy nce." is y d o b o N rie of an expe that cool es Steve Jon n Gravity Research to r, e Found Te vity.com gra n to e .t w ww

OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 32

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HOW DID SHOOTING FOR "FURTHER" GO IN JAPAN? Japan was a tough trip; we weren’t prepared for it at all. The weather was really hard on us, the wind was relentless, the terrain was more serious than we thought, the hiking was more serious…The mountains are so unique to Japan, the woods some of the best in the world. But getting up to some of the high alpine stuff added a whole new layer to it. I thought it was going to be a bit more “fun lovin’ powder.” Instead I found myself on belay trying to line up cornice entries. It was a thrash. One of the heaviest moments in the film was in Japan. We were in Hakuba about three weeks and in the mountains almost daily. I think we camped five nights in a row during a so-called break in the weather. We

needed every bit of three weeks to get our three good lines. That’s common anywhere, especially when you are hiking. It seems like we go on these trips for three or four weeks and, when it’s all said and done, on a good trip we ride two-to-four top tier lines. Japan was a good example of how we have a mix of some really serious moments and also have some feel-good powder in there. That’s kind of how a trip is. The film showcases the highs and lows of going out and spending a long time in the mountains — in these uncontrolled environments — snowboarding. One thing I love about Japan is the lift service; it's got the best lift-accessed powder in the world — and some of the nicest people. The smiles say it all. But what surprised me the most was how many people were in the backcountry splitboarding. I was shocked; the (riding) level is legit.

えることにもなりうる。

HOW MUCH DO YOU RELY ON LOCAL KNOWLEDGE? I may bring one of my guys, but I always make an effort to connect with locals. In a lot of places there are no locals, but in a place like Japan we relied on local knowledge. It’s a complex snowpack here in the sense that it's a very safe snowpack but, with the amount of wind and snow, we found ourselves digging snow pits with six-to-nine feet of new snow — the pit would look great, but there’s six feet of new snow…and then the odds of getting three sunny days in a row in Japan are pretty slim. It took me about three trips to Japan before I saw the sun. From a production standpoint, to come to Japan and ride these high alpine faces in sun, well, it’s a really tricky place to do that. If you want to come here and shoot in the trees and powder, you can do that all day long. You get those conditions all the time. In Utah, where Forrest is from, they deal with a much different snowpack than here; a very complex snowpack, but where I live in Tahoe, we get a ton of snow, but it’s followed by big high pressures. You give it a day, and it generally settles, but here you give it a day, and it’s tough. Odds are there’s snow the next day.

僕は、『 Deeper 』の撮影のときに自分の足でハイクしながら映画を作ることで多くを学んだ。『 Deeper 』のときは、自分がよく知っている山、それこそ第二のふるさとに近いような場所を選んで撮影した。ただし、それまでのようにヘリを使うことはなく、ハイクやキャンプのみで滑るエリアに行かなくてはならなかったけれど。『 FURTHER 』ではあまりよく知らないエリア４カ所に行った。そこが『 DEEPER 』からのステップアップといえるかな。

かなりハイクで登ってると思うのですが、だいたいはスプリットボードを使ってますか？最近、僕のスノーボードは70％がスプリットボードだね。僕がジョーンズ・スノーボードを始めたのは、自分がこれだと思える板がなく、メーカーも作ってくれなかったからなんだ。僕以外で、自分にぴったりくる板がないと思っているライダーがいるに違いないと確信していた。だから、自分が納得で

アスだった。山々は日本独特のもので、世界有数のツリー

きるボードを作ってやろうじゃないかって決めたんだ。それが

ランが楽しめた。ただ高い山のピークに登ることはかなり大

ジョーンズ・スノーボードのはじまりだよ。

変だった。

ジョーンズ・スノーボードのラインナップには幅広いタイプ

じつは「雪庇の脇からエントリーするためにビレーしたりす

日本はヘビーでシリアスなライディングの瞬間と気持ちよ

のボードがある。でもスプリットボードは会社をはじめるきっか

る」ようなライディングより、「もうちょっと気楽に楽しめるパ

く楽しめるパウダーランの両方が入っているいい例だね。旅

けになったボードだね。ほかのどのブランドもスプリットボード

ウダースノー」をイメージしていたんだ。すごく緊張した。映

自体もそうだった。この映画は、旅に出かけ山で自分でコン

を作りたがらなかったんだ。僕も、作るからにはただ適当な

画の中でもっともヘビーだったのが日本だよ。

トロールできない状況で、長い時間を過ごしながらスノーボー

スプリットボードを作るのではなく、最高にいいスプリットボードを作りたかったし。

日本での撮影はいかがでしたか？日本は撮影的には難しかった。どういう準備が必要なの

白馬におよそ3週間滞在して、ほとんど毎日山に入った。ドすることのいいところとそんなによくないところ両方をうまく天気がどちらかといえば小康状態のとき5晩連続山でのテン

見せていると思う。

ト泊した。3本のいいラインを滑るためにその3週間は絶対

日本で好きなところはリフトだね。リフトですばらしいパ

必要な日数だった。だいたいどこに行ってもそれくらいの時

ウダーにありつける点では世界一だよ。そして、本当に親

間はかかる。とくに、僕らは歩いて動くのだから。だいたいこ

切な人たちばかり。みんなの笑顔が国民性を示しているよ。

かよくわかってなかったので、準備不足だった。天候は協力

ういう旅に3∼4週間くらいかけ、最終的に2本から4本くらい、

今回、なによりびっくりしたのは、スプリットボードを履いて

的でなかったし、強烈な風が休みなく吹いて、山の斜面は

トップからの大きなラインを滑る映像を撮ることができるとい

バッッカントリーを楽しんでいる人が多かったこと。じつは、そ

思っていたよりずっとシビアだった。ハイキングはさらにシリ

う感じだね。

のレベルの高さに衝撃を受けたほどだよ。

Jeremy Jones throws up a monster slash in Alaska while ﬁlming "Further ." Photo by Jeff Hawe.

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Jeremy Jones takes in the view before dropping into a steep line in Alaska, while ﬁlming "Further ." Photo by Chris Figenshau.

WHAT’S GOING ON IN YOUR MIND WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING DOWN THE BARREL OF A BIG CHUTE OR STEEP LINE? For a lot of the stuff — because we are hiking it — it’s more like looking up at the barrel. I’m thinking, “Should I be here for the next couple hours?” or “Is the slope going to hold?” So, once we are finally strapped in, we have a lot of confidence in what we are riding. That’s one of the perks of doing it on foot; when you do finally get on your board you are ready…if it wasn’t safe, you wouldn’t hike it; you wouldn’t get to that point. Backcountry psychology is extremely important. Being in the right mindset is key in the mountains, and it’s something I try make sure I do every day I’m out there.

HOW MUCH RECON DO YOU DO BEFORE YOU BEGIN SHOOTING? The main thing I do is go into a season with a handful of spots in which I’m interested. I watch the snow there, make sure they are getting snow and no major red flags in the snow pack. In some locations we can’t get any snow info, but we did for Japan.

ローカルたちの知識やアドバイスにどれくらい頼りますか？撮影にいくとき、だいたい一人くらいライダーを連れてい

That’s about it for recon. Because things fill in so differently, you just really have to get out there and see what you see. That’s why we were here for three weeks. The first five days we were just going to different spots checking out terrain, making a hit list and then targeting our efforts for those spots. We do a lot of freeriding when we get to a spot and not just shooting right away. We were really fortunate. I thought out of the four locations we might have gotten skunked, but there are different levels, you know. I’m not a picky snowboarder, so it’s tough for me to say. We do trips that don’t make it into the film for sure, but we still leave those trips and say, “That was a great experience.” Post-production is one of the hardest parts of the whole process. We do really story-based films. “Further” is a really story-based documentary which takes a lot more time than a traditional action-based film. We had a team of editors and a long editing window, and the amount of work is ridiculous with that stuff.

たんじゃないかな。映画を作る立場において、日本に来てこの北アルプスのような切り立った山の太陽が当たってる斜面を滑ることは、

くけれど、ほとんどいつもローカルたちと繋がり、知り合うよ

まあ、かなり難しいことではある。ツリーランやパウダーを撮

うにしているよ。僕らが旅する場所の多くは、ローカルライ

るなら、そういうコンディションはいつでもあるから、毎日でも

ダーがいないところもある。でも、日本のような場所ではロー

撮影できるけどね。

カルたちの知識をどんどんもらうよ。このエリアのスノーパッ

フォレストはユタ出身なんだけれど、あそこではこことはまっ

クは比較的安全だとはいえ、ものすごい風と雪の量なの

たく違うスノーパックなんだ。もっと複雑で難しい。僕の住

で、なかなか安全性を理解するのは難しい、ピットを掘って

んでいるタホは、かなり雪も降るけどその後すぐ晴れるんだ。

みたら6∼9フィートもの新雪があったときもあった。ピット自

だから、一日待っていれば結構落ち着く。でも、ここでは一

体は安全に見えるけれど、6フィートも新雪があったらどんな

日待っているのは危険なんだ、なにしろ、また雪が降ってき

ことでも起こりうる。そのうえ、3日間晴れ続けることなんて

ちゃうからね。

滅多にない。日本で太陽を見るまでに3回くらい日本に通っ

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e o really se ed t g in t c e p s surpris ere not ex “I came h e backcountry. I wa e in the th er anyone in ow many people w nate h io y by not onl , but also how pass ulture of -c try backcoun just this whole sub s really a — they were nate freeriders. It w t in the U.S. ou io core, pass see. All we hear ab d quite a bit e to refreshing boarding has declin t is there is w ha is that sno t the off-chute of t ople who u pe b in Japan, assionate group of back and ,p me this small and it is neat to co e, Shearer love to rid it.” —Forrest f be a part o

"Japan's ubiquit ous overhead pow an running joke am ong North Americ d avy barriers have almost becom an ea skier about their audiences but, w 'dre hen you ask any serious The lifestyle, the am trip,' Niseko always seems to culture, the peop le, the snow—an rank in their top three. an amazing reas y one of which w on to take a ski ould trip to Japan—b things together, u t w hen you put all of be you have a place unlike anywhere those Michael Hans else on the plan et." Director of Oper ations, M

www.skimovie.c

SP Films

Jeremy Jones, smoking through the mountains of Norway, while ﬁlming "Further ." Photo by Dan Milner.

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WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT TODAY’S ACTION CAMS?

ARE THERE MORE FILMMAKERS COMING TO JAPAN OR JUST MORE FILMS?

Well the first POV (point of view) stuff I did was about 10 years ago. It was pretty much rocket science, your success ratio was maybe 10 percent and it added a lot of weight to your pack. Back then we would use a camcorder, and we’d have wires going off of that to a lens, and that lens also had wires going to a battery pack. Then you had a wire going to a microphone…Yeah, it’s been a really nice perk to have these new action cams.

There is definitely more people making films, but I think people are also realizing the quality of riding and snow in Japan is world class. I think that’s what drives people to Japan. There is just so much incredible riding here. Just yesterday driving from Hakuba to Kamakura, for about three hours of the drive I was drooling. Forrest and I were glued to the window looking at the peaks. ✤

大きなシュートや急斜面の上に立ってさあ滑ろうとしているとき、そんなことを考えているのですか？

を取りつけ、それにまたバッテリーが繋がっているようなシステムを使っていた。マイクをつなげるワイアーもあった。そう、

璧なコンディションじゃないと楽しめないわけではない。だか

いろんなことが頭の中を廻るよ。なぜなら、ただピークに

だからいまどきのアクションカメラはほんとにラクで使いやす

ら、この旅はだめだったと思うことはほとんどない。ただ、映

立っている時間だけでなく、そこにたどり着くまでに長い距

いよ。

画に使える映像が撮れなかった旅もあるのは確かだよ。でもそういう旅でも、仲間と「すっげえ、いい経験だったな！」って

離を時間かけてハイクしているからね。だから、それはただげ続けているって感じだろうね。「上にたどり着くまでにあと2

撮影を始める前にどれくらい下準備をするのですか？

時間以上かかるかなあ」とか、「この斜面なだれたりしないだ

おもな準備は、シーズン前にいくつかの自分が興味をもっ

チューブの中を覗き込んでいるというより、チューブを見上

なコンディションでも結構楽しめるスノーボーダーだから、完

言いながら帰ってくるんだ。映画作りのなかで一番大変な仕事は、撮影した映像を映画にするまでの編集作業なんだ。『 FURTHER 』はひじょう

ろうか」とかね。だから、いざ滑ろうと頂上でボードをつけると

ている場所をピックしておくこと。そして、その場所の雪の状

にストーリー性を重視したドキュメンタリーなので、従来のア

きには、これから滑ろうとしている斜面についてかなり多くの

態をチェックし、そこにちゃんと雪があり、雪の状態や層にと

クション中心の映画より編集にずっと時間がかかる。僕ら

ことを知ってるし、自信を持っている。ハイクして滑るいい点

くに危険信号が出ていないことを調べておくんだ。まったく

は、編集スタッフのチームを作り編集に当てる時間もものす

の一つだね。ボードをつけるところまでいき着けたなら、もう

雪についての情報が入らないところもあるけれど、日本につ

ごくかけた。映像の編集には本当にとんでもないくらいの労

十分心の準備ができているんだ。もしも安全でなかったら、

いては情報が入ってきていた。

力をかけたよ。

そこをハイクして来れなかったし、そこまでいき着かなかったはずだから。バックカントリーでは精神面がひじょうに重要になる。正しい冷静な精神状態が山では成功の鍵だ。僕は、山にいるときは毎日いい精神状態を保つことを心がけているよ。

準備にかんしてはその程度だよ。いくら準備してもいろんな状況が変わっていくし、そのときによって違うから、とにかくそこに行ってみないとわからないこともたくさんあるから行って自分の目で見るしかない。だから、僕らは日本に何週間も滞在したんだ。最初の5日間、僕らはただただいろんなところに行ってロケハンをし、滑

Ｑ：最近出回っているアクションカメラはあなたの撮影に仕方に影響を与えていますか？最初にやったPOV (point of view)カメラでの撮影は多分

10年前くらいだったと思う。当時は、ほんとにわけわからない

日本に来るフィルムメーカーは増えてきましたか？あるいは、日本で撮影されるフィルム自体が増えましたか？確かに前よりずっと多くの人が映画を作っている。でも、それは多くの人が、日本でのライディングのクオリティーと雪

りたい場所のヒットリストを作った。それから、それらのスポッ

質のよさは世界でのトップクラスだということを知りはじめて

トで滑れるよういろいろ検討し努力した。それに撮影場所

いるということなんだと思う。だから日本にみんな来るように

に行ってもすぐに撮影に入るわけではなく、フリーライディン

なったんだ。

グもたくさんするんだ。

ここにはすごくよさそうな山がたくさんあるよ。ちょうど昨日

状態で、撮影したものが使える確率は10パーセントくらいの

僕らは本当にラッキーだった。4カ所選んだけど、もしかし

も、白馬から鎌倉まで来る道3時間のドライブの間中、外の

ものだったし、かなりの重量があって荷物になった。当時の

たらいいコンディションに当たらないかもしれないと覚悟はし

景色を見ながらよだれが出そうだった。フォレストと僕は、車

システムはキャムコーダーを使い、ワイヤーで繋がったレンズ

ていた。でも、成功にもいろんなレベルがあって、僕はどん

窓を通り過ぎていく山々の景色に釘づけだったよ。✤

it’s they’ll see t u b , m l fi e, he to watch t weather all the tim ents e l p o e p e om eat “I’d lik ing and gr know…there are m rain… id r t c e f r e u not p balls yo d the ter n m a u g m d e n h t a got lollipops , and we deal with for sure. I pit s e im n t e e p p m got s le so that ha s in troub a big slough and I ybe they t e g y d o b as ma every lough; it w affect people a lot; ot right s a in t h g cau st n can bottom. It out and ride; at lea n the horse.” e h t t a t u o o ck d get back —Forrest Shearer e to get ba aren’t abl u have to get up an yo away. But

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"In some way sJ cold, light an apan was the easiest place d dry powder snow made fi we've ever shot. The daily air and dance lmin res d after the sk ier traced the g skiing a pleasure. It hun et of forests. Each ir g path in th day the most valu we would finish with a dif through the beautiful hard e able experien ferent onsen. wood ce I This end to a tiring day on the mo had in Japan - a deliberate daily ritual was ly un experience is more of a duti tain. It seemed for the Jap slow and relaxing ful obligation a decadent exp to one's body nese, the onsen erience." a n d mind, not sim Jordan Manle y ply a Director

, A Skier's www.askiersjo Journey: Japan urney.com

Base camp illuminates an Alaskan night-scape while ďŹ lming "Further." Photo by Canyon Florey.

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RISK & REWARD

リスクとその見返り

Training and preparation are paramount to playing safe in the backcountry, and recently guides and instructors are putting more emphasis on group dynamics and decision-making for when things don't go according to plan. It's always a good idea to seek knowledgeable locals willing to share information on the trouble areas and, if you're lucky, the sweet spots, so you can maximize your safety and fun in the backcountry. 安全なバックカントリーを楽しむために、トレーニングと準備は欠かせない。近年、ガイドやインストラクターたちが重要視しているのは、予定通りに進まなかった場合、グループとしてどういった決断をくだすかということだ。山を安全に、かつ最大限楽しむために、危険な場所はもちろん、コンディションがよければよりよい場所をアドバイスしてくれる地元の熟練者と知りあうことも大切だ。

“ If the Niseko gates were a traffic signal, an open gate should be

PoWdeR ceNTRaL

considered a ﬂashing yellow (not green). Proceed with caution, respect the mountains and always consider changing conditions.”– Andrew Spragg

パウダーセントラル

Blanketed by light, dry“pow”every winter, Niseko's incredibly consistent conditions are world renowned, attracting visitors from around the globe looking to get their shot at bottomless powder. The resort's liberal out-of-bounds policy and easily accessible backcountry terrain serve up unforgettable lines that continue to blow the minds of every type of snow lover from the average punter to world class big mountain pros.

Niseko, Hokkaido / 北海道ニセコ

｢ニセコゲートを信号機とたとえるならば、ゲートが開いているときは黄色が点滅しているシグナルだろう（けっして青ではない！）｣。つまり、注意して進まなければならないということだ。山へのリスペクトを忘れず、状況の変化をつねに感じることが大切だ｣ ̶ アンドリュー・スプラグ毎年冬になると、軽くドライなパウダーに覆われるニセコの信じられないほど安定したコンディションは世界有数で、このボトムレスパウダーに挑戦しようと世界中から観光客が訪れる。このリゾートは立ち入り禁止区域にかんしてはかなり寛大で、アクセスも簡単なこのエリアは、一般からワールドクラスのビッグマウンテンプロまで、すべての愛好家たちを虜にしてしまう、忘れがたいラインを約束してくれる。

THE RISK While the accessibility and incredible payoff help make these runs common targets, the hazard is often under-estimated. On a busy day throngs of unsuspecting powder junkies will make the climb to the peak with little concept of the risk they are unwittingly assuming. Aside from the obvious navigational concerns involved with blindly following others into unknown terrain, the slopes are entirely uncontrolled, unsigned and littered with unmarked natural hazards, including sometimes-giant glide cracks. These are almost always hidden just behind blind convex rolls waiting for another unsuspecting victim to come flying over the aforementioned roll straight into the guts of the crack. As comical as this sounds, it presents a real risk of serious injury and even complete burial in an area where rescue is not readily available.

アクセスもよく、すばらしい体験が待っているということで、多くの人がこの場所を訪れるが、その危険性への認識はうすい。最盛期には無防備なパウダージャンキーたちが押し寄せ、危険と隣り合わせであることなど知る由もなく、頂上へと登っていく。不案内なエリアへ、ただやみくもに前にいる人についていくという危険はさておき、このゲレンデは基本的に管理区域外なので、注意書きもなければ、たとえば巨大な割れ目などの危険な自然の障害物がいたるところに潜んでいる。それらはコンベックスロール（凸面のスロープ）の裏に隠れていることが多く、なにも知らない犠牲者がロールの上を飛んで割れ目へとまっすぐに落ちてくるのを待ち受けている。深刻な怪我のリスクはもちろん、救助がすぐに来ることができないようなエリアでは遭難の可能性もある。

THE REWARD Climb the peak of Mt. Annupuri, and you will be offered a selection of top-to-bottom runs typically coated with some of the planet's finest champagne powder. You may need to brave fierce 100-kph winds and white-out conditions, but drop in and you will find yourself balls (sometimes tits) deep with 1,000 vertical meters of untouched“pow”in front of you... and at the end of it, you can slide all the way back to a waiting chairlift and much needed rest before heading back up for another phenomenal lap. Niseko's consistently low but not extreme temperatures, minimal exposure to solar radiation and deep snowpack all help to promote a strong stable base. Despite this, any time you combine snow and mountains, there is an inherent risk of avalanche, and it is important to avoid complacency. Slides occur here every winter, even on days where ski patrol deems conditions to be safe enough to open the gates, allowing access to Niseko's side-country. It is important to remain cautious in all unmanaged terrain, evaluate conditions and ride within the limitations of your skills and knowledge.

ニセコアンヌプリの頂上からは、地球上で最上級との呼び声が高いシャンパンパウダーで覆われた完璧なコースが待っている。時速100キロの風とホワイトアウトに立ち向かう勇気は必要だが、滑り出せばバージンパウダーで覆われた1000メートルの垂直ドロップにアドレナリンは全開になるはず。滑り終えてもリフトまでそのまま滑って行くことができ、もう一度あの最高の気分を味わう前に少し休むこともできる。ニセコの気温は低いが極度に寒いというほどでもなく、最低限の太陽放射と深い雪が安定した基礎を作り上げているが、山に雪があればそれはつねに雪崩の危険性があるので過信は禁物だ。ここニセコでは、パトロールが安全と判断してゲートを開け、サイドカントリー（※1）へのアクセスができるような状況の日でも雪崩は毎冬起きている。管理外のエリアではつねに状況を判断する注意力が求められると同時に、自分の技術に合ったエリアで楽しむことが重要だ。

（※1）パトロールは巡回しないが、スキーリゾートからすぐにアクセスできるエリアのこと。

Andrew Spragg has been living and riding in Hokkaido for eight years. Together with Clayton Kernaghan he operates Black Diamond Tours which specializes in delivering the highest quality off-piste and backcountry powder adventures across Hokkaido. 北海道全域における質の高いゲレンデ外ツアーやバックカントリー・パウダーツアーをお探しなら、北海道在住8年のアンドリュー・スプラグとクレイトン・カーナガンが共同運営しているブラックダイヤモンドツアーズがお薦め。

www.blackdiamondtours.com

WINTER

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The PoWdeR BeLT パウダーベルト

Central Hokkaido / 北海道中央エリア

aSahidake / 朝日岳

THE RISK

Although Asahidake may be called a resort, there is no ski patrol and, despite the initial benign look of the terrain, there are areas of avalanche risk. A topographic map of the area at the ticket counter highlights these zones. On clear days, a hike to the peak can be a few hours, but be aware the weather can change rapidly and there are few features to help you navigate back to the tram.

リゾートとして知られる旭岳にスキーパトロールはいない。易しそうな雰囲気のエリアではあるが、雪崩の危険性をふくむ場所もあり、雪崩の危険エリアはチケットカウンターにある地形図で確認することができる。天気のいい日には頂上まで数時間で登ることができるが、天候は変わりやすく、そうなるとロープウェイまで戻るための手段は多くない。

THE REWARD The first thing visitors notice at the tram base is the hordes of locals with an array of massive fat skis and surfboard-looking snowboards . A good day here can be very deep, so leave the skinny skis and park boards at home. Asahidake is a mini La Grave or a Silverton; a tram services 500 vertical meters of terrain in what can be best described as backcountry on the front side. Asahidake's base station is at 1,100 meters, an elevation where most Hokkaido ski resorts finish, so the powder season extends right until the end of March and even early April.

ロープウェイの乗り口でまず気づくのは、分厚いスキーやサーフボードのようなスノーボードを持ったローカルたちの存在だろう。コンデションのいい日は、雪はかなり深い可能性があるので、細いスキーやボードはやめたほうが賢明だ。旭岳は、フランスのラ・グラーブやコロラドのシルバートンのミニバージョン。500メートルを垂直に上がるロープウェイは、バックカントリーの「 On the Front Side 」という表現がぴったりだ。旭岳の始発駅の標高は 1,100メートル。北海道にあるスキーリゾートの標高はここまでの高さしかないところが多い。というわけで、旭岳ではパウダーシーズンを3月終わりから4月まで楽しむことができる。

Chuck Olbery is the owner and lead guide of Hokkaido Powder Guides. Chuck has spent years guiding in Canada and New Zealand but has chosen Hokkaido to settle down because he believes it has the best snow he has skied. www.hokkaidopowderguides.com （※2）積雪が強風で飛ばされ、通常の降雪よりも細かく高密度で体積した状態。積雪層の表面で硬く一枚の板状になっていること。（※3）気象条件や地形を考慮して、自分でルートを判断すること。

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Photos by Takahiro Nakanishi

“ Before you begin your journey, make sure you go well prepared. It's essential to have a route plan which suits your own backcountry experience, and something which is achievable with the weather forecast and avalanche hazard of the day. Also consider a contingency plan in case the avalanche hazard is higher than you expected, of worsening weather or injury. It's all good, until it isn't good.”̶ Chuck Olbery Daisetsuzan National Park contains Hokkaido's highest mountains and volcanoes. It is also known as Hokkaido's Powder Belt, an area which produces what would be, without doubt, some of the lightest snow on the planet due to the cold temperatures and low humidity levels. In the southern part of the park is the Tokachidake area, named after the live volcano. If you want some turns here, you have to earn them. There used to be a ski area below the volcano, but in recent years the volcano has erupted every 30 or 40 years and, after the most recent eruption caused damage to the lifts, the resort was closed. So this area is purely backcountry, with three separate mountains you can access via skins, split or snowshoes. If you are not inclined to hike, there is the fabled mountain of Asahidake in the northern part of the park. Asahidake is a live volcano but, as far as we know, it has not erupted for thousands of years.

「旅の前に十分な準備を。自分のバックカントリーの経験に見合ったルートを選ぶこと、そして天気予報とその日の雪崩の危険性についての情報も。考えていたよりも雪崩の危険性が高かった場合や天候の急変、怪我など不測の事態に備えたプランも必要だ。なにも起こらなければ最高の体験が待っている」 ̶ チャック・オルベリー北海道の最高峰と火山がある大雪山国立公園は北海道のパウダーベルトとしても知られている。寒さと湿度の低さが作り出す、世界でもっとも軽い雪のあるエリアだ。この公園の南部にある活火山十勝岳で滑るのは簡単ではない。火山の下にはスキー場があったのだが、30∼40年周期で火山が噴火し、一番最近の噴火でリフトが故障してしまったためリゾートは閉鎖された。というわけで、ここは純粋なバックカントリー・エリアで、クライミングスキン、スプリットボード、スノーシューで行ける3つの山がある。ここをハイクする気分でないならば、北側には伝説の旭岳もある。活火山ではあるが、ここ数千年にわたり噴火していないと言われている。

Tokachidake / 十勝岳

THE RISK

The wind plays a big part in the general distribution of the snow in the alpine and often distributes it unevenly. There will be areas of wind slab and also areas of shallow snowpack to avoid, so exercise conservatism. Be careful with your route-finding on the way up and consider skiing terrain with a good run-out on the down, staying well clear of anything with a terrain trap below it. In the colder months of January and February, it can be frostbite-inducing cold, especially if the wind is blowing from the north, so be prepared to cover up with a balaclava. I have seen many white and waxy noses. The volcano here is not just live; it is very active, so much so there are web cameras and lava trip wires to warn of any eruptions. If you start to feel the earth tremor, it might not be an earthquake.

十勝岳における雪の分布は風次第なことが多く、またその分布は均一ではない。ウィンドスラブ（※2）ができているエリアもあるし、雪塊エリアも避けたいのでここでは保守的にトラッいくのが名案だ。登りはルートファインディング（※3）に注意、そして下りはテライン・プ（地形の罠）に十分注意しながらgood run-outなスキーで下るのがいいだろう。1月、2 月、とくに北風が吹いているときには凍傷になるほどの寒さになるので、目だし帽も必要だろう。この火山はたんなる活火山ではなく、監視カメラと噴火したときのために溶岩用のトリップワイヤーが設置されているほどの活動的な要注意火山である。地面が動いているように感じたら、それは地震ではないかもしれない。

THE REWARD There is big terrain here and, if your trip coincides with favorable weather, you can be standing on the roof of Hokkaido getting ready for some long descents. There is everything from alpine bowls, steep chutes and skiing among old growth primeval forest. All routes finish at hot springs where you can soak while gazing up at your own ski lines.

天候さえ味方をしてくれれば、この広大な地形はきっと北海道の頂上に立って、長い下りの準備をしている気分を味わわせてくれるはずだ。アルペンボールから急な傾斜、そして太古の林を抜けていくスキーコースなどが揃っている。すべてのルートのゴールには温泉が待っていて、自分が滑ってきたラインを見ながら暖かいお湯につかることができる。

チャック・オルバリーは北海道パウダーガイドのオーナーであり、ベテランガイドだ。カナダやニュージーランドで何年もガイドの経験を積み、それでも北海道を選んだのは、ここに最高の雪があるからだと言う。

www.hokkaidopowderguides.com

WINTER

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The NoRTheRN aLPS 北アルプス

Hakuba, Nagano / 長野県白馬 “ With such an expansive terrain literally out our

back door, there is mellow tree skiing and big alpine mountains that come with their share of appeal and natural hazards.”- James Robb Japan's Hida Alps, also known as the Northern Alps, are aptly named after their European counterparts. These mountains are characterized by their steep V-shaped valleys and prominent rocky ridgelines and peaks. In the Hakuba region of these mountains, the ski resorts, for the most part, are dotted along the east facing slopes that lead to higher ridges. It is really above the resorts where things get interesting, and it is what makes Hakuba a unique backcountry location.

「外へ出ればすぐに広がる広大な土地が広がり、ゆっくり楽しめるツリースキーやアルペン用の山まで、魅力と危険が待っている」 ̶ ジェームス・ロブ飛騨山脈は北アルプスとしても知られており、それはヨーロッパにある、あの山の名前が由来だ。特徴的なのは深いV字型の渓谷この山の白馬地区には、やひときわ目立つ岩だらけの尾根と山頂。より高い尾根へと続く東向きのゲレンデに沿ってスキーリゾートが点在しているが、白馬でユニークなバックカントリーを体験したいなら、このリゾートより上のエリアに行くべきだろう。

Photo by Bill Glude

THE RISK Like many sports, the higher the level, the higher the chance is of getting thoroughly worked over. The mountains in Hakuba have plenty of features that, given the right conditions, can be tasty or terribly nasty. One needs only look at the ridgelines on a very windy day to see the wind/snow transport going on. If you're caught on the ridge, the weather will fiercely hammer you. Wind-loaded slopes and big cornices are commonplace here in winter and, with the gully-like nature of so many of Hakuba's higher backcountry terrain, the slide paths can travel down these valleys a formidable distance. Both Happo-One and Goryu/Hakuba 47 have steep, gnarly terrain right off the lifts that ends in funnel-like valleys, so knowing when to go and when to stay in-bounds is critical. Another hazard I have noticed becoming more of a risk while touring is that created by groups out there. Make sure you aren't standing or skiing below another group that might be oblivious to where you are, and vice-versa.

どのスポーツでもそうであるように、レベルが上がれば上がるほど事故のときのダメージは大きくなる。コンディションにもよるが、ここ白馬の山々は最高にも最悪にもなり得る特性がたくさんある。風で雪がどのように運ばれるかを知るには、風の強い日に尾根のラインを見ればいい。尾根でつかまれば酷い天候にやられるだろう。風が吹き荒れるゲレンデと雪庇（※4）はここでは普通の風景だ。より高い場所にある白馬の小渓谷のような特徴をもつバックカントリー・エリアでは、かなりの距離を滑り下りることとなる。八方尾根も五竜白馬47のどちらも、リフトを降りるとじょうご状になった渓谷が待ち受けており、そこからかなり危険度の高い急斜面のエリアが広がる。行くべきときを見極めることがひじょうに重要となる。ツアー中に、どちらかと言えばリスクとなり得るもう一つの危険はほかのグループの存在だ。あなたがいることに気づいていない別のグループの下に立ったりスキーをしないよう心掛けたい。

THE REWARD Rewards are relative. The simple pleasure of being on mountains moving through the snowy forests can be perfect. That said, there are times when you want to achieve more, challenge a new descent and push yourself a little harder. If it is those more intense ups and downs you are going for, the mountains in the Hakuba area are always going to be here for you. Spectacular views, check! Steep-ass chutes, check! Technical mountaineering ascents/ descents, check! Open powderfields, check! The reward list continues and is only limited by your stamina, the snow-terrain-group conditions and how many hours are left in the day.

ここでは相対的な見返りを期待できるだろう。山にいるという純粋な喜びと、雪降る林を抜ける経験は最高なものだ。とは言うものの、もっと限界に挑戦したいと思ったり、新たなコースを下りたいと思うこともあるだろう。より激しいアップダウンを求めているならば白馬はうってつけの場所だ。最高の眺望。急こう配。技術を要する登山。開放的なパウダーフィールド。見返りのリストを上げればきりがないが、自分のスタミナと、雪、エリア、グループなどのコンディション、そして残り時間の許すかぎり楽しみたい。

James Robb is a professional guide and general manager of the Evergreen Outdoor Center in Hakuba. ジェームス・ロブは中央白馬のエバーグリーンアウトドアのガイド兼支配人だ。

www.evergreen-hakuba.com （※4）実際の尾根より、風により雪が運ばれ風下側にせり出した庇状の積雪。

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TeNJiN 天神

Tenjindaira Tanigawadake, Minakami Gunma / 群馬県みなかみ郡谷川岳天神平 “When in doubt, think about the terrain options, including returning to inbound terrain.”̶ Mike Harris

Tenjindaira ski area has long been one of Japan ’ s best-kept secrets. The resort consistently ranks top 10 in annual snowfall, is just two hours from Tokyo and has a large variety of terrain, from mellow tree runs to big alpine. The on-piste area is relatively small but has some nice features and the lifts are sometimes slow to open after big dumps, but it is worth the wait. 「判断が難しい場合はゲレンデ内にもどることをふくめて、ほかのオプションを考えたほうがよい」̶ マイク・ハリス天神平スキー場は、長い間穴場とされていた。降雪量ではつねに10位以内を誇り、東ゆったり走れるツリーランからビッグアルペンまでバラエ京からのアクセスはほんの2時間、ティ豊かで広大なスキー場が広がる。ゲレンデは比較的小さいが、さまざまな表情をもち、オープンが遅いこともあるが待つに値する。リフトはBig dumpの後、

THE RISK The main BC area, Nishi Kurosawa, is also known as Avalanche Alley and for good reason. The valley is situated directly below the south faces of Nishikuro Ridge and acts as the runout zone for most alpine avalanche action. Every year a number of size 2-3 avalanches drop and typically one size 3.5-4 avalanche will fill the entire valley with debris. The less time spent in the bottom of the valley the better. The alpine area is synonymous with rapidly changing weather, with visibility going from bluebird to whiteout within an hour. Strong winds and poor visibility have caused many alpine accidents which have led to the nickname“The Devil's Peak,”(also because of the shape). Make sure you know the mountain forecast and keep an eye out for changes. When in doubt, go out with a local guide. 中心となるバックカントリー・エリアは西黒沢。雪崩の巣としてもよく知られているエリアだ。この渓谷は、西黒尾根南側のすぐ下に位置しており、雪崩のランアウト・ゾーン（流出地域）となっている。サイズ2から3の雪崩は年間いくつも起きており、サイズ3.5から4クラスのものが年に一度起きては、この渓谷を広範囲にわたって瓦礫で埋め尽くす。つまり、渓谷の底にいる時間は短いほうが賢明ということだ。アルペン・エリアは急激に変化する天候と背中合わせで、視界は一時間でクリアからホワイトアウトにもなり得る。強風と視界の悪さによって引き起こしたアルペンの事故は多く、この場所には別名魔の山という呼び名がついてしまった（山頂の形もこの名前の由来となってはいるが）。山情報をしっかりチェックして、急な変化にはつねに注意するように。判断しかねる場合は地元のガイドと行くのが賢明だ。

deeP NiiGaTa ディープ新潟 Myoko Kogen, Niigata / 新潟県妙高高原

“Any time you’ re in the backcountry, the risk factor goes up, but the rewards are also much higher for those willing to put in the effort ̶ both in climbing

and in increasing their own knowledge. If you have some basics in navigation, avalanche awareness and First Aid, you can relax and enjoy the journey and set aside the competitiveness. Go with people who are fun and smart enough to say no when the snow or weather look bad ̶ and cool-headed enough to help you if something goes wrong.”̶ Bill Ross Myoko is a great big, still slightly steaming (yet very low risk level) volcano at the center of the frontline mountains just to the northeast of the Northern Alps. Its size, location and the mountains around it all conspire to make it one of the snowiest places on the globe which, of course, makes it very interesting for people who like to head into the backcountry to pursue the deep.

「バックカントリーに危険はつきものだが、登山の技術と同時に知識を得ることを惜しまない者への見返りは大きい。ナビゲーションの基礎知識、雪崩への認識と応急処置があれば、リラックスした最高の旅となるだろう。競争などということは忘れたほうがいい。一緒に楽しめて、雪や天気の状況が悪ければノーと言うことができ、なにか間違いが起きても冷静に対処できる、そんな仲間と行くことをお薦めする」 ̶ ビル・ロス妙高はいまだ多少湯気を上げている大きな火山で（噴火の危険はさほどないが）、北アルプスの北東部に位置する前線の山々の中心にある。山の大きさと位置、そして周りを取り囲む山によって、地球上でもっとも雪の多い場所となっている。深さを求めるバックカントリー好きにはたまらない場所だ。

THE RISK With continuous, steady snowfall at largely the same temperature all the time̶ factors that tend to increase the risk of weak layers, and therefore dangerous avalanches ̶ it's easy to get complacent in Myoko. The snow is what you're out there for, but it's also the source of some of the biggest dangers around. Several boarders have ended up inverted in snow-filled tree wells and were not able to escape; a soft snow avalanche that buried several cars in nearby Tsubame Onsen also swept a solo skier away. Heavy snow and poor visibility makes it easy to miss a landmark, get into a valley and end up in a very wrong place. Also, those trees are beautiful and nicely spaced but also hard; it's easy for a powder turn to become a head-first tumble, and that's not good when there's a tree in the path. たえまなく降り続く雪とほぼ変化のない気温は、弱い雪の層を形成し雪崩の危険性が増す要因ではあるが、ここ妙高で悦に入るのはたやすいことだ。もちろん雪を求めて来ているのだが、ここは大きな危険が待ち受ける場所でもある。木の周りの雪が溶けた部分で転倒し脱出できなくなったボーダーや、近隣の坪根温泉に駐車していた車を飲み込んだ柔らかい雪崩にスキーヤーが飲み込まれたり、といった事故もある。深い雪と視界の悪さでランドマークを見失い、渓谷に迷い込み、足を踏み入れるべきではない場所へ行ってしまうこともある。間隔を保って生えている美しい木々は硬く、パウダーターンで頭から転倒することがありとても危険だ。

THE REWARD Tenjin's main attraction for backcountry enthusiasts is the ease of access into steep terrain. The main BC area, Nishi Kurosawa, can be accessed by a short 100-meter hike from the backcountry gate. It provides a number of steep north-facing ridges and valleys with perfectly spaced beech trees, laden with copious amounts of“Japow.” The run is a good thigh-burner, starting at around 1,450m and ending at the ropeway at 750m, with about 600 meters vertical of this being in powder. On a good day you can get in eight-plus loops. For those who want to venture above the tree line, a 90-minute-plus hike gets you to the near-2,000-meter peak of Mt. Tanigawa where a plethora of alpine routes present themselves; not to mention breathtaking views. 天神平でのバックカントリーはバラエティ豊かな急こう配の斜面へのアクセスが簡単なことも人気の理由だ。メインのバックカントリー・エリアは西黒沢で、バックカントリー・ゲートから歩いてほんの100mほどだ。北向きの急な尾根と渓谷があり、等間隔で並んだブナの木と豊かなパウダースノーが待ち受けている。太ももにはいいエクササイズとなるランは、1,450メートル付近から始まり、約600メートルの垂直パウダーとともにロープウェイがある750メートルあたりで終わる。コンディションがよければ、8周以上も可能だ。樹木限界線より上に挑戦するならば、90分ほどのハイキングで谷川岳の頂上2000 メートル付近へ行くこともできる。ありあまるほどのアルペンルートと息をのむようなパノラマの景色もすばらしい。

Mike Harris is the owner of Canyons, a four-season outdoor adventure company in Minakami. He has been riding in the area for more than 18 years and guides BC at many of the local mountains.

THE REWARD This is a maritime region, so the snow may not often get as champagne dry as our friends up on that northern island above Honshu̶but tree skiing here is great (and most everything good here is in the trees). As a local famous guy says,“Anyone can ski light powder; Myoko snow is for serious skiers.” There isn't a lot of off-the-lift sidecountry, so the best runs require a few hours’hike from the main areas around the base of Mt. Myoko to one of the peaks, but it is worth it, in overhead powder if you're lucky, or just out sliding through the amazing stands of dakekamba (Erman's birch) and beech trees, even if the snow is crusty and grabby. That happens, and it keeps you focused on your skiing and not on the mini-video camera mounted on your pole so you can shoot your grinning face coming down (which brings us back to those risks…). 海に近い場所なので、本州の上にある北の大地にあるようなシャンパンドライな雪とまではいかないが、ここでのツリースキーは最高だ（ここでのよさのほとんどは木にある）。地元で有名なスキーヤーはこう言う。「軽いパウダーでスキーができるやつはいくらでもいるが、妙高の雪は本気のスキーヤーにしか滑れない」。リフトで行けるようなサイドカントリーは多くないので、すばらしい滑走を体験するには、妙高山の麓にある中心地から頂上へと、数時間かかるハイキングが要求される。だが、それも見返りの一つだ。ラッキーなら、オーバーヘッドのパウダーか、雪は固くてもすばらしいダケカンバとブナ林の中を滑りぬけることができる。ここは、滑り降りながらニヤニヤしている自分の顔を映すようストックに設置したミニカメラではなく、スキーに集中できるような場所である（カメラに集中するのはリスクが大きい）。

Bill Ross is the owner of and lead guide at Dancing Snow. He has been guiding in Myoko for 15 years, both in winter and summer.

マイク・ハリスは水上にある四季折々のアウトドアツアーを提供するキャニオンズのオーナー。マイクはこのエリアで18年以上の経験があり、地元の山々でのバックカントリー・ガイドもやっている。

ビル・ロスはダンシングスノーのオーナーでリードガイドだ。夏も冬も、妙高を15年に渡ってガイドしている。

www.canyons.jp

www.dancingsnow.com

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2012-13

Photo: Yasuyuki Shimanuki Rider: Aaron Jamieson

Park

ICON LEGEND

Park

Halfpipe

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Night Skiing

Ski School

Ropeway

Gondola

Quad Lift

Gear Rental

Kids Facilities

Triple Lift

Double Lift

Single Lift

Snow Carpet Resort opening and closing times and lift schedules may vary from day to day and season opening and closing dates may change depending on conditions. Please check with the resort directly before you go.

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HokkaiDo

he general rule with skiing is, the farther north you go, the better the snow. Well, you can’t go any farther north in Japan than Hokkaido, and the area

rightfully creates the biggest buzz for people in search of deep powder. The reason for this is simple; Hokkaido consistently gets the best snow conditions, and Niseko in particular is recognized as a world-class ski resort, rivaling the long-established ski areas in Europe and North America. However, anyone thinking Hokkaido is a one-trick pony will be pleasantly surprised to ﬁnd there are some great ski areas all over Japan’s north island. Kamui Ski Links Furano Kiroro Snow World

Sahoro

Niseko Grand Hirafu Niseko Village Niseko Annupuri Rusutsu Tomamu

More information online at www.outdoorjapan.com/snow WINTER

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NISEKO NISEKO GRAND HIRAFU, NISEKO ANNUPURI, NISEKO VILLAGE RESORT

Akazora Apartments Niseko Opening year SPECIAL! We’re oﬀering 10% oﬀ any booking in Akazora to any Outdoor Japan reader, at any time. Simply mention OJ to save on your Niseko holiday.*

Park

Longest Course: 4,550m Top Elevation: 1,030m Base Elevation: 308m

Park

Niseko Annupuri

Longest Course: 4,000m Top Elevation: 1,156m Base Elevation: 400m Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

Niseko HANAZONO Resort

Niseko Grand Hirafu

Advanced

Longest Course: 5,600m Top Elevation: 1,170m Niseko Village Base Elevation: 280m Longest Course: 5,000m Top Elevation: 1,175m Base Elevation: 280m

Niseko gets a lot of attention, and rightfully so. It is the most international ski resort in Japan and consistently gets some of the heaviest snowfall in the world. The mountain, Mt. Annupuri (which, in Ainu, means White Mountain), is home to three ski resorts: Niseko Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village (formerly Niseko Higashiyama) and Niseko Annupuri. Collectively they form Niseko United and share a common lift pass. The Hanazono area of Niseko Grand Hirafu is independently managed, and one of the more progressive areas on the mountain, featuring three terrain parks and the only FIS Half Pipe in Japan, which is well maintained throughout the season, and a bag jump, where you can safely practice your freestyle tricks. Niseko Village (which is actually about a 10-minute drive from the main Hirafu

Village area) also has nice facilities, a lot of activities and the Hilton Niseko hotel. Niseko Annupuri keeps the lowest profile of the three, but has some nice areas that can be less crowded. Other nearby resorts are Niseko Moiwa and Niseko Weiss, the lifts are no longer running at Weiss, but cat tours service the area. While a few other resorts may challenge Niseko’s claim to the best powder in Japan, there is no doubt Niseko has the best, and widest, selection of restaurants and accommodation in Japan. The infrastructure is well organized, with efficient bus service to/from Sapporo and New Chitose Airport and a shuttle bus that takes visitors to the various resorts. And on one of those rare mid-season clear days, the view of Mt. Yotei from the slopes is the quintessential image of skiing in Japan.

Stylish new apartments in the heart of Hirafu Village. A stones throw from the slopes and steps away from some of the most popular bars and restaurants Niseko has to oﬀer. www.akazora.com *cannot be used with any other oﬀer

email : bookings@akazora.com tel : +81(0)136 55 5122

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For more Hokkaido information visit OJ Online (www.outdoorjapan.com) WINTER

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ZONO

e: 4,550m 1,030m : 308m

rafu

,600m 70m 80m

Kutchan-cho, Hokkaido Niseko United: www.niseko.ne.jp

Niseko Grand Hirafu 37% 5 1

40% 1 8

23% 1

Niseko Village Resort 36% 1

32% 4

32% 2

courses

Niseko Annupuri 40% 1

30% 1

Niseko HANAZONO Resort 30% 4

25% 3

63%

12%

courses

NISEKO ANNUPURI (0136) 58-2080 www.cks.chuo-bus.co.jp/annupuri Nov. 23 - May 6 8:30 - 16:30 (16:30 - 21:00) 1 DAY Adults ¥4,800 TICKET Kids ¥2,800

Park

By Train: 120 minutes from Sapporo Stn. to Niseko Stn. acceSS By Car: 120 minutes from Sapporo City and New Chitose Airport.

NISEKO GRAND HIRAFU (0136) 22-0109 www.grand-hirafu.jp Nov. 21 - May 5 8:30 - 21:00 (16:30 - 21:00) 1 DAY Adults ¥4,800 TICKET Kids ¥2,600

Park

By Train: 120 minutes from Sapporo Stn. to acceSS Niseko Stn. By Car: 120 minutes from Sapporo City and New Chitose Airport.

NISEKO vILLAGE (0136) 44-2211 Dec. 1 - May 5

www.niseko-village.com 8:30 - 16:30 (16:30 - 21:00)

1 DAY Adults ¥4,500 TICKET Kids ¥2,800

Park

By Train: 120 minutes from Sapporo Stn. to acceSS Niseko Stn. By Car: 120 minutes from Sapporo City and New Chitose Airport.

NISEKO HANAZONO RESORT (0136) 22-01 03 Dec. 8 - Apr. 7

www.hanazononiseko.com 8:30 - 16:00

1 DAY Adults ¥4,800 TICKET Kids ¥2,600

Park

By Train: 100 minutes from Sapporo Stn. to acceSS Kutchan Stn. By Car: 120 minutes from Sapporo City and New Chitose Airport. More information online at www.outdoorjapan.com/snow WINTER

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RUSUTSU RESORT

Rusutsu, Hokkaido

(0136) 46-3331 http://en.rusutsu.co.jp Nov. 21 - Apr. 4 9:00 - 21:00 (16:00 - 21:00)

1 DAY Adults ¥5,100 TICKET Kids ¥2,550

Park

Rusutsu is more than a good day trip from Niseko. It’s an excellent all-round mountain with 37 courses over three mountains: Mt. Isola, East Mountain and West Mountain. Powder lovers will love the big valleys full of deep tree runs funneling down to the modern, efficient lifts and everyone will enjoy the views of the back side of Mt. Yotei and the quieter alternative to bustling Niseko. The ski-in/ski-out Rusutsu Resort Hotel is the most convenient place to stay with hot springs, day care, fireworks during Christmas and New Year and a variety of great activities.

30% 4

40% 7

30% 8

Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

40% 7

30% 4

Advanced

Longest Course: 3,500m Top Elevation: 994m courses Base Elevation: 400m

30% 8

Park

Beginner Stn. acceSS By Train: 100 minutes from Sapporo Stn. to KutchanLifts By Car: 90 minutes from New Chitose Airport

Intermediate Gondola

Advanced

Longest Course: 3,500m Top Elevation: 994m Base Elevation: 400m

courses

TOMAMU ALPHA RESORT

Shimukappu, Hokkaido

(0167) 58-1111 www.snowtomamu.jp Dec. 1 - Apr. 17 9:00 - 19:00 (16:00 - 19:00)

1 DAY Adults ¥4,800 TICKET Kids ¥3,600

Park

Tomamu has excellent facilities and a beautiful location. Many courses are suited for beginners, yet a challenging double black diamond course and heli-skiing and cat-ski tours will challenge advanced riders. You can even rent your own course for the day. Tomamu is a destination in itself with a plethora of ways to entertain the whole family. There’s a good selection of restaurants, an indoor wave pool, kids park, ice village, dog sledding, nighttime air-balloon rides, and a variety of spa and relaxation options.

Beginner Stn. Intermediate acceSS By Train: 58 minutes from New Chitose Airport to Tomamu Lifts Gondola By Car: 120 minutes from New Chitose Airport.

25% 1 2 Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

Advanced

Longest Course: 4,500m Top Elevation: 1,210m Base Elevation: 699m

30% 5

Furano, Hokkaido 1 DAY Adults ¥4,500 TICKET Kids FREE

Park

Furano, in central Hokkaido, is known for blue skies yet manages nearly nine meters of snow each year. There are two sides to the mountain, serviced by a 101-person cable car (Japan’s fastest). The nearby Tokachi Range is a popular backcountry playground. The ski-in/ski-out New Furano Prince Hotel has a new hot springs facility. Join the Host Program and get a tour from a local or a bus tour from January to March to Lake Shikarebetsu’s ice village and bathe in ice bathhouses or enjoy a drink at the ice bar built on the frozen lake. Park

acceSS Bus or car access is recommended: 60 minutes from Asahikawa Airport to Furano Stn.

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

Advanced

KAMUI SKI LINKS

40% 25% 1 52

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Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

40% 1 1

40% 1 5

courses

Advanced

40% 45% 12 1

Longest Course: 4,000m 4,500m Top Elevation: 1,209m 1,210m courses Base Elevation: 964m 699m

15 23

20% 2

Longest Course: 4,000m Top Elevation: 1,209m Base Elevation: 964m

1 DAY Adults ¥3,000 TICKET Kids ¥1,500

Kamui Ski Links is a resort run “by skiers, for skiers.” Those who enjoy powder and tree skiing will understand why this little resort 20 kilometers outside of Asahikawa has so many admirers. Management has no restrictions on tree skiing and have even left several courses in which to play ungroomed. On top of that, the snow quality is excellent. You may find yourself in some short lines for the lifts on weekends, but on weekdays it is nothing but fresh lines down the hill. Be sure to warm up by the fireplace at Café 751 at the top of the gondola.

Park

20% 1

40% 7

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

20% 1

10 Beginner from Intermediate downtownAdvanced courses acceSS Bus or car access is recommended: About 25 minutes Lifts Gondola Asahikawa on Route 12.

40% 7

Advanced

courses

Longest Course: 4,000m Top Elevation: 750m Base Elevation: 600m

40%

Longest Course: 4,000m Top Elevation: 750m Base Elevation: 600m

For more Hokkaido information visit OJ Online (www.outdoorjapan.com)

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40%

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20% 30% 52

Asahikawa, Hokkaido

(0166) 72-2311 www.kamui-skilinks.com Dec. 5 - Mar. 28 9:00 - 17:00

jp.hotels.com/en

courses

30% 5

Longest Course: 4,500m Top Elevation: 1,210m Base Elevation: 699m

courses

FURANO RESORT (0167) 22-1111 www.princehotels.co.jp/newfurano Nov. 17 - May 6 8:30 - 17:00 (17:00 - 20:00)

Great getaways for the whole family

45% 2

25% 1 2

Advanced

45% 2

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SAHORO SKI RESORT

there’s Something for everyone at

Shintoku, Hokkaido

(0156) 64-4121 www.sahoro.co.jp Nov. 27 - Apr. 3 9:00 - 18:00 (15:00 - 18:00)

1 DAY Adults ¥4,830 TICKET Kids ¥3,780

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Sahoro is a well-run resort that caters to families. There are 17 nicely-groomed courses, some “semi-backcountry,” a cross-country course and a terrain park. Like Tomamu, it’s a place where you can have fun whether you are a skier or not and it's not for the budget traveler. Two all-inclusive hotels service Sahoro Resort: The Sahoro Resort Hotel, an attractive luxury hotel, and the Club Med Sahoro. Club Med is arguably the most “foreigner-friendly” resort hotel in Japan. English ski lessons are available and lots of organized fun for the whole family.

Beginner Stn. Intermediate acceSS By Train: 94 minutes from New Chitose Airport to Shintoku Gondola By car: 200 min. from Sapporo to Shimukappu IC Lifts

Advanced

30% 1 3 Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

40% 2 1

30% 1 3

courses

KIRORO SNOW WORLD

Advanced

furano 40% 2 1

30% 1

Longest Course: 3,000m Top Elevation: 1,030m courses Base Elevation: 420m

30% 1

Longest Course: 3,000m Top Elevation: 1,030m Base Elevation: 420m

Akaigawa, Hokkaido

(0135) 34-7111 www.kiroro.co.jp/english/ Nov. 20 - May 8 9:00 - 20:00 (16:30-19:30)

1 DAY Adults ¥5,000 TICKET Kids ¥2,500

Park

Kiroro is a relatively new (opened in 1992) ski resort just 30 kilometers west of Sapporo. The resort has great facilities, some amazing views of the Japan Sea and the natural surroundings and gets a lot of snow from mid-December until early May. If Kiroro had one major drawback, it would be a lack of challenging terrain. However, there are a few powder pockets and plenty of gentle slopes for beginners and children. New " Powder Zone" open middle of January to middle of March. Kiroro also has one of the best base lodges in Japan, complete with a hot spring to soak away the day’s bumps and bruises and an adjacent hotel with good restaurants.

33% 1

29% 4

38% 4

Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

29% 4

33% 1

Advanced

Furano Tourism Association

Longest Course: 4,050m Furano-shi, Hokkaido Tel: 22-5777 Top (0167) Elevation: 1,180m courses Base Elevation: 570m

Visit us online at www.furanotourism.com www.skifurano.com

38% 4

Park

Longest Course: 4,050m Top Elevation: 1,180m Base Elevation: 570m

21 Beginner Intermediate Advanced by car from Otaru courses acceSS Bus or car access is recommended: About 30 minutes Lifts Gondola or 80 minutes by car from downtown Sapporo.

SAPPORO KOKUSAI

Sapporo, Hokkaido

(0115) 98-4511 www.sapporo-kokusai.jp Nov. 19 - May 6 9:00 - 18:00

1 DAY Adults ¥4,000 TICKET Kids ¥1,000

Park

If you ski or snowboard, Sapporo is hard to beat. Residents can get a few quick runs just 15 minutes from downtown at Sapporo Bankei. However, many families make the one-hour drive out to “Kokusai,” which offers more choices for beginners and intermediate skiers and has a nice park. Although this is a day-trip resort, it does attract a spattering of international guests who find it hard to stay in the city when snow is falling. Most will be pleasantly surprised as this coastal resort gets its fair share of powder days and offers some varied, albeit fairly short, runs and a small, but decent park. Night skiing is not available.

30% 2 Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate

Advanced

60% 1

30% 2

Park

Beginner

acceSS By car: One hour from Sapporo city center depending c. Lifts on traffi Gondola

Intermediate Gondola

Longest Course: 3,600m Top Elevation: 1,100m courses Base Elevation: 670m

10% 2

Longest Course: 3,600m Top Elevation: 1,100m Base Elevation: 670m

courses

SAPPORO TEINE

Advanced

60% 10% www.hokkaidopowderguides.com 1 2

Sapporo, Hokkaido

(0116) 82-6000 www.sapporo-teine.com Nov. 19 - May 6 9:00 - 21:00 (16:00-21:00)

1 DAY Adults ¥4,800 TICKET Kids ¥2,300

BLACK DIAMOND LODGE

Park NISEKO

If someone mentions the Winter Olympics in Japan, you’ll undoubtedly think of the 1998 Nagano Olympics. Yet 26 years earlier, Sapporo hosted its own Winter Games at a resort just 30 minutes from downtown Sapporo. Yet, what might be most surprising is this resort, Sapporo Teine, offers some steep and deep powder fun for intermediate and advanced riders. The off piste terrain is up in the Teine Highland area, accessible without having to duck ropes or elude the patrol. The Teine Olympia is a kinder, gentler area, which has a lively park scene. Night skiing available until 9 p.m. Beginner

Intermediate

acceSS By Car: 30 minutes from Sapporo city center depending c. Lifts on traffi Gondola

Advanced

40% 1

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

40% 1

courses

30% 1

Advanced

courses

30% 1

BDLODGE.COM

JAPAN

30%

Longest Course: 6,000m Top Elevation: 1,023m Base Elevation: 680m

30%

Longest Course: 6,000m Top Elevation: 1,023m Base Elevation: 680m

More information online at www.outdoorjapan.com/snow WINTER

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Niseko sNowcats Photos by Niseko Photography

Niseko snowcats are found deep in the snowy mountains of the north island; they detest crowds, preferring to travel in small groups, away from busy ski resorts in search of bottomless powder and steep, forested terrain. Follow their tracks, and you’re in for an unforgettable adventure.

kay, so the Niseko Snowcat is not a real animal. However there is nothing fictitious about the volume of snow that falls in Niseko annually; the amount of liftaccessed powder you get at the resort is simply incredible. While it’s indisputable Niseko gets more than its fair share of light, fluffy snow, it’s for this same reason the area has attracted an increasing number of snow enthusiasts. Although there’s plenty of powder to go around, those searching for untouched perfection must venture further afield. Luckily, much of the steepest and deepest terrain is out of reach unless you really like hiking in the snow or you get yourself a snowcat. A couple of long-time Niseko locals chose the latter. Nick Gutry and Aaron Jamison have combined their passion for diesel-powered engines and machines with their penchant for skiing fresh tracks in the backcountry. Nick has been exploring and guiding in the mountains in and around Niseko for more than a decade, and his experience with snowcats spans 21 years.

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Aaron, a professional photographer based in Hirafu Village for the last seven years, was drawn to the area by a love of snow and the outdoors. He is the founder of Niseko Photography and is an oft-published ski/snowboard photographer. His passion for photography is second only to that of skiing untracked powder, and he’s found the perfect way to do both. The two joined forces to create a professional and proficient cat skiing operation that takes small groups into the Yamanashi Range, an inaccessible powder paradise unless you have a snowcat. Their tours traverse frozen rice fields, navigate through forests and climb some steep faces to get to the good stuff. As the snowcat rumbles to the top of a ridge line, panoramic views reveal terrain from Mt. Shiribetsu to Mt. Youtei and all the way across to Mt. Annupuri—without a ski track in sight! The remoteness of this place becomes apparent when the cat rumbles away, leaving you standing in silent awe if

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not for the occasional crackle of the guide’s radio. As you watch your guide ski off into the unknown, your stomach twitches with excitement and a nervous anxiety of what lies below. The radio call comes through and you’re all clear…“Three, two, one…dropping!” The ridge rolls away to gentle north facing slopes, speckled with mushrooms and trees, then juts back around to steep southern facing slopes of technical tree skiing. It’s a wonderland for experienced powder skiers. If you join a tour, it’s just you, your personal guide and photographer, and a professional cat driver. The tours are steep and deep, for advanced skiers/boarders and limited to five persons. All safety equipment is provided, and every customer is fitted with a beacon, with guides carrying avalanche safety equipment. This tour is not for

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the faint-hearted; it is true backcountry skiing. No cozy day lodges, no popping in for a hot wine (some good hot coffee, though), no getting your boots fixed between runs…and no lift lines either! The day draws as the light fades and Youtei turns pink. Loading into the cat and leaving so much untouched powder behind may seem like a crime, but you can take consolation knowing you’ll soon be sharing stories in the bar about getting neck deep in Niseko. You’ll also have some great photos (or video) by professional photographers. If you’ve visited Niseko before and think you’ve skied it all, this is for you. If you’ve never been to Niseko, you don’t know what you are in for. Powder so deep you might want to bring a snorkel.

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NISEKO SNOWCAT TOURS AREA: Yamanashi Range GUIDE RATIO: 1 to 5 persons per guide LEvEL: Advanced TEL: (0136) 22-5764 WEB: www.nisekophotography.com * Contact Niseko Photography for bookings and inquiries.

OTHER SNOWCAT TOURS IN NISEKO For those who want to try cat skiing or snowboarding but aren’t quite ready to go too extreme, the Niseko Adventure Centre (NAC) has started a new service for the 201213 season that may be the answer. Join a tour and have an entire (closed) ski resort in which to play. NAC is a pioneer in outdoor tours in Niseko, and they’ve acquired the whole of Niseko Weiss Mountain for guests’ cat skiing pleasure. Weiss is the last mountain of the Niseko mountain range. The snow falls here from all directions, making for many deep days. Weiss has a lot of open treeless bowls; great for intermediate and some steeper tree runs for the more adventurous.

NAC SNOWCAT TOURS AREA: Niseko Weiss Horn LEvEL: Intermediate and advanced level (13 years old and over) GUIDE RATIO: 1 to 12 persons per guide TEL: (0136) 23-2093 WEB: www.nac-web.com

A photographer is on hand to document all your fun (photos and video), and lunch is served in the comforts of the Niseko Weiss Hotel. The hotel was recently redesigned for the 2012-13 season by photographer Neil Hartmann and features all the comforts a snow lover could want.

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toHokU SNOWBOARD WITH THE LOCALS Nagano ◊ Niseko Alaska ◊ USA ◊ Canada

Photo courtesy of JapowTours.com

www.cloudlinetours.com

he Tohoku Region represents about 35 percent of the area of Japan’s main island, Honshu. Running north-south through the center of Tohoku are the Ou Mountains,

ranging between 1,500-2,000 meters. When the famous poet, Matsuo Basho, wrote The Narrow Road to the Deep North (Oku no Hosomichi) these were the mountains toward

Northern Hokkaido's best-kept secret

FINE, DRY AND AMAZING POW! JAPANESE: www.kamui-skilinks.com ENGLISH: www.ashikawa-tourism.com

which he walked. Today they are full of some of Japan’s least crowded ski resorts. Tohoku may seem far away, but it’s only two-to-four hours by bullet train or you can jump on a domestic ﬂight. Regardless, it’s never too far to go to ﬁnd good snow.

Hakkoda Ropeway

Tazawako

Hachimantai Resort

Appi Kogen

Miyagi Eboshi Alts Bandai Yamagata Zao

More information online at www.outdoorjapan.com/snow WINTER

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HAKKODA ROPEWAY

Hakkoda, Aomori

(017) 738-0343 www.hakkoda-ropeway.jp Early Dec. - Mid-May 9:00 - 15:20

1 DAY Adults 5 Times (on Ropeway) ¥4,900 TICKET Kids ¥2,200

The eight peaks of Hakkoda attract Japan's most devoted powder lovers. It is basically backcountry with a 100-person gondola that takes 10 minutes to the top with four trips every hour. Once you get off you can choose from "Direct" or "Forest" trails. You won't get many blue bird days here and visibility can be difficult during snow storms (which is often). So if you are a Hakkoda newbie and want to explore the terrain it's best to grab a local guide. Hakkoda Sansou, across the parking lot from the gondola, is the closest accommodation. Up the road, Sukayu Onsen is a mixed hot spring with a 300-year history and a 1,000-person bath. Beginner Intermediate acceSS By Train: 40 minutes to Aomori Stn. from Aomori Airport. Gondola By Car: 5 minutes from Owani Hirosaki I.C., Tohoku Lifts Expressway.

Advanced

Park

Tour Route Area

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

60% 1

20% 1

Advanced

courses

60% 1

Longest Course: 5,000m Top Elevation: 1,324m Base Elevation: 660m

20%

Hachimantai, Iwate

(0195) 73-6401 www.appi.co.jp/foreign_country/english/ Dec. 8 - May 6 8:00 - 20:00 (16:00 - 20:00)

1 DAY Adults ¥5,200 TICKET Kids ¥3,000

Appi is a giant resort (41K of trails) with a long season (thanks to the many north-facing slopes) plus some great facilities (thanks to bubble era spending). Unlike many resorts in Japan, that have relatively short runs, the average course length at Appi is 2,100m, the longest 5,500m. It’s possible to do Appi as a long day-trip from Tokyo but with two ski-in/ski-out hotels and an annex hotel, which collectively sleep 4,100 guests, why not stay and soak away sore muscles at one of the two natural hot springs after a day on the mountain. Families will appreciate the Kids Park.

Park

Beginner Intermediate acceSS By Train and Bus: 50 minutes from Morioka St. to APPI. By Car: 15 minutes from Matsuo-Hachimantai I.C. orLiftsAshiro Gondola I.C.

Advanced

Beginner Lifts

Night Skiing: please check website

Intermediate Gondola

40% 3

30% 2 1

courses

HACHIMANTAI RESORT (0195) 78-4111 www.hachimantai.co.jp Dec. 15 - Apr. 7 8:30 - 16:30 (12/15�21, 3/25�4/7 9:00 - 16:00)�

30% 2 1

Park

Advanced

courses

40% 3

Park

Beginner By Train and Bus: Shinkansen from Tokyo to Morioka Stn. (2Intermediate hours, 26 Advanced Lifts Resort. Gondola minutes), then about 90 minutes by bus to Hachimantai

Longest Course: 5,500m Top Elevation: 1,328m Base Elevation: 500m

30% 11

Longest Course: 5,500m Top Elevation: 1,328m Base Elevation: 828m

Park

40% 1

PANORAMA

30% 1

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

50% 3

40% 1

courses

Advanced

Longest Course: 2,700m Top Elevation: 1,130m courses Base Elevation: 540m

10%

Longest Course: 2,700m Top Elevation: 1,000m Base Elevation: 540m

Tazawako, Akita

(0187) 46-2011 www.tazawako-ski.com 1 DAY Adults ¥3,800 Dec. 14 - Apr. 21 Weekdays 9:00 - 16:00, Weekends 9:00 - 16:00 TICKET Kids ¥1,000

When it snows in Tazawako, and it usually does, there is deep powder and a good variety of courses to enjoy. When it is not snowing, you are treated to one of the great views of any ski resort in Japan, with Lake Tazawa below providing a stunning backdrop. For this reason, Tazawako is a popular ski resort for people in Tohoku, but the lines are still relatively short when compared to resorts in other areas of Japan. The lifts run directly from the Tazawako Onsen hotel area. The selection of runs should keep everyone happy; on one side is a beginner and intermediate area and on the other is a more challenging advanced course.

Park

30% 2 Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

30% 2

Park

13 Beginner Advanced Stn. Intermediate (3 hours), then courses acceSS By Train and Bus: Shinkansen from Tokyo to Tazawako Lifts Gondola 30 minutes by bus to the ski resort.

30% 4

Advanced

courses

30% 4

40%

Longest Course: 3,000m Top Elevation: 1,186m Base Elevation: 578m

40%

Longest Course: 3,000m Top Elevation: 1,186m Base Elevation: 578m

For more Tohoku information visit OJ Online (www.outdoorjapan.com)

OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 58

20% 5

SHIMOKURA Park

TAZAWAKO SKI RESORT

WINTER

30% 11

Hachimantai, Iwate 1 DAY Adults ¥3,700 TICKET Kids ¥2,500

It’s easy to get confused because there are two Iwate Hachimantai resorts and another in Akita. The smaller Hachimantai in Iwate is a three-lift powder resort known for free riding. Iwate’s Hachimantai Resort, on the other hand, is larger and is a great family ski destination. Hachimantai Resort covers two main areas, Panorama ski area and the Shomokura ski area. Both are well sheltered from the weather, and Panorama features a huge night skiing area. There are high speed lifts servicing mostly beginner or intermediate courses that are wide open, so plenty of breathing room for beginners or kids wanting to bomb down the hill.

20%

Longest Course: 5,000m Top Elevation: 1,324m Base Elevation: 660m

courses

APPI KOGEN

acceSS

20% 1

Tour Route Area

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MIYAGI ZAO EBOSHI SKI RESORT

Zao-machi, Miyagi

(0224) 34-4001 www.eboshi.co.jp Dec. 1 - Apr. 3 9:00 - 22:00 (17:30 - 22:00)

1 DAY Adults ¥4,300 TICKET Kids ¥2,700

Park

Miyagi's Zao Eboshi Ski Resort is on the other side of the mountain from the more famous Yamagata Zao Onsen Ski Resort. It's much quieter, and the lift lines are shorter on this side of the track and the views are fantastic. Although it's a decent sized resort with well laid-out courses and a variety of ways to descend the mountain, it is more geared for beginners or advanced riders, as there is not a lot of challenging terrain. Powder hounds will be salivating on some of the areas outside the lines.

Park

Beginner Lifts

30% 1

YAMAGATA ZAO SKI RESORT

Advanced

30% 1

20% 6

Longest Course: 4,300m Top Elevation: 1,350m courses Base Elevation: 650m

20% 6

Longest Course: 4,300m Top Elevation: 1,350m Base Elevation: 650m

10 Beginner Station Intermediate(1 hour, Advanced courses acceSS By Train and Bus: Shinkansen from Tokyo to Shoroishi-Zao Gondola 54 minutes) then about an hour to the ski resort. Lifts

Yamagata-shi, Yamagata

www.zao-spa.or.jp/english/index.html 8:30 - 21:00 (17:00 - 21:00)

1 DAY Adults ¥4,800 TICKET Kids ¥2,500

Park

Ski resorts each have their own personalities; it is one of the joys of exploring new resort areas. Zao Onsen has a big bubbling personality. The town is literally bubbling with hot springs, and the ski resort offers a unique ski experience - skiing among the famous Zao Snow Monsters (juhyo). The resort is big with four gondolas, 35 lifts and a 10K downhill course. Skiers will enjoy the layout more than snowboarders (too much traversing), but the highlight, undoubtedly, is riding among these huge creatures formed of ice and wind. The peak season is February and the juhyo illumination is spectacular. Beginner Intermediate to Yamagata acceSS By Train and Bus: 2 1/2 hours by bullet train from Tokyo Lifts Gondola Station, then 40 minutes by bus to Zao Onsen.

Advanced

40% 3 3

Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

40% 1 27

40% 3 3

Park

Advanced

courses

40% 1 27

20% 5 2

Longest Course: 8,000m Top Elevation: 1,660m Base Elevation: 780m

20% 5 2

Longest Course: 8,000m Top Elevation: 1,660m Base Elevation: 780m

courses

ALTS BANDAI

Bandai, Fukushima

(0242) 74-5000 www.alts.co.jp Dec. 22 - Mar. 17 8:00 - 17:00 (17:00 - 21:00)

1 DAY Adults ¥4,700 TICKET Kids ¥3,700

Park

With 30K of rideable terrain, 29 courses and five free-style parks, it’s no surprise ALTS is a favorite of many of the top park riders in Japan and formerly home to the Asia Open. ALTS is one of the most progressive resorts around. They have a cheap backpacker hotel, shuttle buses from Narita and 24-hour English-speaking staff on duty. After crankin’ big air in the pipe, slide into the Riders’ Café for a drink or demo some new gear. After beating yourself up in the park or pike, relax in the hotel's great hot springs. ALTS has some nice terrain for free riding as well, but powder lovers will want to head next door to Nekoma. There are plans to link the resorts this season.

35% 1 1 Park

Beginner Lifts

Beginner By Train: 82 minutes from Tokyo Stn. to Koriyama Stn. Lifts By Car: 60 minutes from Fukushima International Airport.

Intermediate Gondola

Advanced

courses

GRAN DECO SNOW RESORT (0241) 32-2530 www.grandeco.com Nov. 27 - May. 5 8:30 - 16:45 (8:00 - 17:00)

Intermediate Gondola

40% 3

35% 1 1

Park

acceSS

Intermediate Gondola

50% 1 1

Park

(023) 694-9328 Dec. 5 - May

50% 1 1

Advanced

Longest Course: 3,300m Top Elevation: 1,280m courses Base Elevation: 700m

25% 7

Longest Course: 3,300m Top Elevation: 1,280m Base Elevation: 700m

A modern resort hotel with timeless designs.

Park

Gran Deco Snow Resort is a medium-sized resort with first-rate facilities, which include a gondola and express chairlifts and artificial snow making capabilities to guarantee early and late-season riding. There is also a luxury hotel and SIA certified Snow Academy. Although the resort is best suited for beginners and intermediate riders, there are tree runs for advanced riders and a wellmaintained park. Gran Deco is one of the highest resorts in the area, which means good quality snow. The nearby Hotel Gran Deco has western-style rooms, an indoor and outdoor swimming pool (open in winter!), Jacuzzis, saunas, hot spring baths, restaurants and bars. Beginner shuttleIntermediate bus. acceSS By train: 30 minutes from Inawashiro Station via free Lifts Gondola By car: 90 minutes by car from JR Fukushima Station.

Advanced

7 40% 1

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

40% 1

25% 7

Inawashiro, Fukushima 1 DAY Adults ¥4,500 TICKET Kids ¥3,400

40% 3

45% 4

Advanced

15%

45% 4

15%

Web: www.appi.co.jp Longest Course: 4,000m English Service Centre: Tel: +81(195)73-6401 E-mail: appi_english@ihr.co.jp Top Elevation: 1,590m

courses BaseChoose Elevation:from 1,010ma variety of comfortable rooms with all the amenities.

Longest Course: 4,000m Top Elevation: 1,590m

courses Base Elevation: 1,010m

More information online at www.outdoorjapan.com/snow WINTER

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Enjoy ...

A warm luxury winter experience in Hakuba and Tokyo awaits you!

Chalets & Apartments Tokyo | Hakuba

Phoenix Wing Chalets and Apartments are nestled right at the base of Hakuba Goryu Ski Resort. Our spacious double storied chalets are minutes away from some of Japan’s best skiing conditions and the perfect location for an unforgettable winter holiday. Looking to stay in Tokyo? Why not stay at our serviced apartments in

Restaurant Wing

Nihonbashi, conveniently located near Ginza and Tokyo Station, great location for exploring one of the world’s great cities.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Short and long-stay accommodation. One of few 5-Star resorts in Hakuba. Double storied fully self-contained chalets. Hakuba’s only resort featuring in-room fireplaces! Walking distance to Hakuba Goryu Ski Resort.

Chalet Room and Fireplace

Open-air hot spring spa for private booking. Western and Japanese cuisine served at our popular restaurant. Restaurant and bar with views of the Hakuba Alps.

Phoenix Wing Chalets Hakuba

22305 Kamishiro Hakubamura Kitaazumigun, Nagano, Japan 399-9211 Tel: +81(0)261-75-2988 Fax: +81(0)261-75-7028 Website: www.hpwing.jp Email: info@hpwing.jp WINTER 2 0 1 3

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NaGaNo N

agano is the traditional center of the Japan snow scene, and at the heart of it is the Japan Alps. The prefecture is home to some of the ďŹ nest, steepest and biggest

resorts in Japan, and boasts arguably the most breathtaking scenery. Within Nagano, the sheer volume of ski areas is due to the jagged spine of rugged natural beauty known as the Japan Alps slashing through the prefecture. This area is as much a Mecca for photographers as it is for skiers, with its many onsen, snow-swept valleys and bristling peaks. Backcountry fun here is limited only to your preparedness and daring. Hakuba, Shiga Kogen, Nozawa and the Iiyama areas are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

Togakushi

Nozawa Onsen Madarao

Hakuba Cortina

Okushiga Yakebitaiyama Shiga Kogen Area

Tsugaike Hakuba Iwatake Hakuba Happo

Hoppobundaira Higashitateyama Nishitateyama

Hakuba 47 Hakuba Goryu Norikura Kogen

More information online at www.outdoorjapan.com/snow WINTER

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HAKUBA GORYU

Hakuba, Nagano

(0261) 75-2101 www.hakubagoryu.com/e/index.html Late Nov - May 7 8:00 - 21:30 (18:00 - 21:30)

1 DAY Adults ¥4,800 TICKET Kids ¥2,500

Hakuba Goryu is not the largest ski resort in Hakuba, but it could be the most pleasant. The scenery, with the Alps soaring behind you, and the Escal Plaza, one of the best base lodges in Japan, make it a great place to introduce people to skiing in Japan. There is a ski/snowboard rental shop, three restaurants (including a Subway) and even an ofuro (bath) open until 9 p.m. daily. If you’re on a tight budget, there is a “resting room” where you can wait for the lifts to open (¥1,000; open 11:30 p.m. to 8 a.m.). It’s a common space that fits up to 100 people (no reservations; first come, first rest). Challenge yourself on the Champions expert run. Goryu also shares a common lift pass with Hakuba 47.

Park

35% 1 Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

HAKUBA 47 (0261) 75-3533 www.hakuba47.co.jp Dec. 10 - May 5 8:15 -16:30

1 DAY Adults ¥4,800 TICKET Kids ¥2,500

Hakuba 47 is a relatively new resort (opened in 1990) that has been under new ownership the last few seasons. They’ve been trying to take some progressive steps to making a better resort experience, and it is starting to pay off. There are loads of activities, events, an extensive snow park with lots of jibs, kickers and things to launch off, and a great half pipe. The resort also has some excellent intermediate courses, a challenging mogul course and a shared ticket with Goryu, so no shortage of courses from which to choose. Early birds will want to take advantage of the “First Tracks” tour. If you were wondering about the name, the goal of the resort is to offer a great mountain experience “4” seasons and “7” days a week.

Come and enjoy our acclaimed world-class terrain, breathtaking views and quality snow.

30% 1 Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

40% 1

30% 1

Advanced

courses

40% 1

HAKUBA HAPPO

Longest Course: 6,800m Top Elevation: 1,614m Base Elevation: 820m

30% 4

Hakuba, Nagano

(0261) 72-3066 www.hakuba-happo.or.jp Dec. 8 - May 6 8:00 - 17:00

1 DAY Adults ¥4,600 TICKET Kids ¥2,300

Happo is a huge resort that is heaven for skiers who enjoy wellgroomed, long courses. There are many runs, good challenging terrain, and "parksters" will enjoy the acclaimed High Cascade Snowboard Park. Happo hosted the downhill races during the 1998 Olympics and, if you want to test your meddle, head to the top of the men’s downhill course. While advanced riders will love Happo, beginners may get frustrated with the many narrow paths leading down the mountain. If you need a break, the Usagidaira 109 restaurant on the top of the gondola or the High Cascade Café are great places to stop. Note the resort’s popularity means it can get crowded, especially on long weekends.

Park

30% 1 14

Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

50% 5

30% 1 14

Park

Advanced

50% 5

20% 2

Longest Course: 8,000m Top Elevation: 1,831m courses Base Elevation: 760m

20% 2

Longest Course: 8,000m Top Elevation: 1,831m Base Elevation: 760m

13 Beginner NaganoIntermediate Station (1 Advanced courses acceSS By Train and Bus: Shinkansen from Tokyo Station toLifts Gondola hour, 45 minutes), then an Alpico Bus to Hakuba (60 minutes).

HAKUBA IWATAKE

Hakuba, Nagano

(0261) 72-2474 www.tokyu-hakuba.co.jp/english/winter/iwatake/ Dec. 18 - Apr. 3 8:00 - 17:00

1 DAY Adults ¥3,900 TICKET Kids ¥2,200

If the crowds at Happo are too much for you, head over to nearby Iwatake. The base of the resort looks up at Hakuba’s highest peaks for a spectacular view while you enjoy the slopes. The resort itself is surprisingly big, making it a great place to go to get away from the crowds and explore the 24 courses. It’s mostly beginner and intermediate runs, but there is a nearly four-kilometer cruiser and a small terrain park. Lift lines are relatively short by Hakuba standards, and you can often find some pockets of powder here after it has been tracked out at other resorts nearby. Park

South Side

North Side

Park

30% 1 12

Park

South Side

Beginner Lifts

North Side

Intermediate Gondola

30% 1 12

15 Beginner NaganoIntermediate Station (1 Advanced courses acceSS By Train: and Bus Shinkansen from Tokyo Station toLifts Gondola hour, 45 minutes), then an Alpico Bus to Hakuba (60 minutes).

50% 1 1

Advanced

courses

50% 1 1

20% 1

Longest Course: 3,800m Top Elevation: 1,289m Base Elevation: 539m

20% 1

Longest Course: 3,800m Top Elevation: 1,289m Base Elevation: 539m

For more Nagano information visit OJ Online (www.outdoorjapan.com) WINTER

30% 4

Longest Course: 6,800m Top Elevation: 1,614m Base Elevation: 820m

Park

OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 62

25% 9

Park

8 Beginner NaganoIntermediate Station (1 Advanced courses acceSS By Train and Bus: Shinkansen from Tokyo Station toLifts Gondola hour, 45 minutes), then an Alpico Bus to Hakuba (60 minutes).

Longest Course: 5,000m Top Elevation: 1,624m courses Base Elevation: 950m

Hakuba, Nagano

Two of Hakuba's Best Ski Resorts

• Hakuba's largest resort with 23 courses • Long season open from end of November 2012 to early May 2013 • Breathtaking 360° panorama view • World-class terrain and powder snow • Japan’s largest snow park • Enjoy night skiing • Great variety of restaurants • Activity centre and childcare service • Ski and snowboard school lessons in English available • Children under 5 ski free everyday!

25% 9

Longest Course: 5,000m Top Elevation: 1,624m Base Elevation: 950m

Park

16 Beginner and theIntermediate direct busAdvanced to courses acceSS By Train and Shuttle: Shinkansen to Nagano StationLifts Hakuba. A shuttle service runs between Goryu and Hakuba Gondola 47.

Goryu & Hakuba 47 Winter Sports Park

40% 3

35% 1

Advanced

40% 3

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HAKUBA CORTINA

Hakuba, Nagano

(0261) 82-2236 www.hakubacortina.jp Dec. 11 - Apr. 3 8:30 - 20:00 (17:00 - 20:00)

1 DAY Adults ¥3,300 TICKET Kids ¥1,700

If you are looking for a place to spend a quiet, romantic ski weekend in the Hakuba area, head over to Cortina. The massive Green Plaza Hotel with northern European architecture will be impressive. If your partner is just starting out; the course right outside the door of the hotel is a gentle slope and great for beginners. In fact, most of the runs at the resort are in the beginner to intermediate range, although powder pockets are there, if you know where to look. The Hakuba Cortina Resort offers a shuttle from Nagano Station for ¥500 (reservation required).

Park

40% 2

Beginner Lifts

30% 5

30%

Longest Course: 3,500m Top Elevation: 1,402m courses Base Elevation: 872m

Longest Course: 3,500m Top Elevation: 1,402m Base Elevation: 872m

HAKUBA TSUGAIKE KOGEN

Otari, Nagano 1 DAY Adults ¥4,500 TICKET Kids ¥2,500

Tsugaike is actually located in Otari Village, just up the road from Hakuba. The resort could be considered one of the most underrated, considering it has some huge bowls, a big gondola, terrain park, cross-country course, good night skiing and some interesting runs. There are even heli-skiing tours in spring and good places to hike to get fresh turns. The Children’s Square is great for kids just starting out on the slopes. Most of Tsugaike’s runs are in the intermediate range, but there are a few expert areas as well. To finish off a great day, head over to Tsuga no Yu hot springs, just 100 meters from the gondola.

Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

Advanced

30% 1 9

50% 1 1

15 Beginner NaganoIntermediate Station (1 Advanced courses acceSS By Train: and Bus Shinkansen from Tokyo Station toLifts Gondola hour, 45 minutes), then an Alpico Bus to Hakuba (60 minutes).

NORIKURA KOGEN ONSEN

50% 1 1

Park

(0263) 93-2645 www.norikura.co.jp Dec. 4 - Apr. 3 8:30 - 16:20

Advanced

40% 2

16 Beginner NaganoIntermediate Station (1 Advanced courses acceSS By Train: and Bus Shinkansen from Tokyo Station toLifts Gondola hour, 45 minutes), then a shuttle to Hakuba Cortina (80 minutes). (0261) 83-2515 www.tsugaike-kogen.com Dec. 20 - May 5 8:00 - 20:50 (18:00 - 20:50)

Intermediate Gondola

30% 5

courses

30% 1 9

20% 10 2

Longest Course: 4,630m Top Elevation: 1,704m Base Elevation: 800m

20% 10 2

Longest Course: 4,630m Top Elevation: 1,704m Base Elevation: 800m

Norikura Kogen Onsen, Nagano 1 DAY Adults ¥4,000 TICKET Kids ¥3,000

The base of Norikura Kogen Onsen Ski Resort (not to be confused with the smaller Hakuba Norikura) starts at 1,500 meters, meaning the snow quality is excellent, and you’ll spend more time riding than in lift lines. It is a relatively small, local resort, yet the dedicated locals have created a progressive and challenging terrain park and good facilities for beginners to learn to ride. There is no ATM, so bring cash and make sure to pack chains or have a 4WD, since Norikura is nestled deep in the Northern Alps. And after a day on the mountain, don’t miss the great rotenburo at Yukemurikan.

Park

45% 20% 35% Hakuba Goryu Contact : 1 6 1

Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

35% 1

Advanced

45% 1

20% 6

Park

0261-75-2101（Escal Plaza Slope） 0261-75-2636（Iimori Slope） Longest Course: 5,000m 20 TopHakuba Elevation: 2,000m 47 Contact: 0261-75-3533 courses Base Elevation: 1,500m

Please visit our Web sites for further details:

Hakuba Goryu: www.hakubagoryu/com/e/ Hakuba 47: www.hakuba47.co.jp/e/

Longest Course: 5,000m 20 Top Elevation: 2,000m Beginner Intermediate Advanced (2 hours, 37 courses acceSS By Train: Super Azusa Express train from Shinjuku to Matsumoto Lifts Gondola Base Elevation: 1,500m minutes. Transfer at Matsumoto, then on to Shin Shimashima (30 minutes).

ACTIVITY SPOTLIGHT SNOWSHOEING Japan is one big snowshoeing playground in winter. Hakuba Village, which sits at the foot of Japan's Northern Alps, in particular has endless terrain for this fun winter activity. Tsugaike Kogen is popular year-round and has a huge forested area with scenic views south toward Hakuba. On the eastern side of the valley, the Minegata area overlooks the village and the awesome mountains hovering above.

Winter Sports Guide Coupon Offer!

Purchase a one-day lift pass and receive a meal voucher worth ¥1,000

Adults ¥4,900 (valued at ¥5,800) Junior ¥2,900 (valued at ¥3,500) Valid until March 17th, 2012 (Except December 29th, 2012 - January 3rd, 2013) This offer also includes vouchers for local service stations and hot springs in Hakuba.

More information online at www.outdoorjapan.com/snow WINTER

OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 63

Please cut out this coupon and bring to the resort.

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SHIGA KOGEN

Okushiga Kogen

Yakebitaiyama Yama no Kami

Terakoya

Ichinose Family Tanne no Mori

Hoppobunadaira, Higashidateyama, Nishidateyama

Giant

Diamond

Hasuike

SunV Maruike

If you include all 19 interlinked ski resorts, Shiga Kogen, in Northern Nagano, is Japan’s largest ski resort area. Surrounded by 2,000-meter mountains, Shiga has good elevation and is a great place to get some early or late season runs in as the season stretches from late November to early May. Shiga Kogen hosted the women’s downhill, slalom, the super giant slalom and both snowboarding events for the 1998 Nagano Olympic Winter Games. One common lift pass allows you to ride about 52 lifts, gondolas and ropeways as well as access to the free shuttle bus so you can get around. If you plan to try all the ski areas, you’ll need to give yourself at least a few days to explore the various terrain. Okushiga Kogen and Kumanoyu remain skiers-only resorts.

With more than 80 accommodations scattered around the area, there is no shortage of places to stay, although it has retained an “old school” feel with most restaurants found inside hotels, some serving Shiga Kogen Brewery’s excellent microbrew. There are many onsen in the area to soak after a day on the mountain, yet the most famous one is within Jigokudani Yaen Koen, where resident snow monkeys lounge in their own hot springs, while visitors snap away with their cameras. Note that the area only has one ATM facility at the Shiga Kogen Post Office in the Hasuike area (Open Mon. – Fri. 09:0017:30 and Sat. 09:00-12:30). We don’t have space to include all 19 resorts in the Shiga Kogen area, so here are a few highlights.

For more Nagano information visit OJ Online (www.outdoorjapan.com)

OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 64

WINTER

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Shiga Kogen, Nagano www.shigakogen.gr.jp/english/

Shibutouge Yokoteyama Kumanoyu

Giant Hasuike

Kidoike SunValley

Maruike

HOPPOBUNADAIRA - HIGASHITATEYAMA - NISHITATEYAMA (0269) 34-2301 www.shigakogen.in Nov. 21 - Mid Mar. 8:30 - 16:30 1 DAY Adults ¥4,800 TICKET Kids ¥2,400

50% 1

Park

acceSS By Train: 110 minutes from Tokyo Stn. to Nagano Stn. By Car: 300 minutes from Tokyo.

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

Advanced

40% 4

10% 1

Longest course: 3,500m Top Elevation: 2,030m

courses Base Elevation: 1,325m

YAKEBITAIYAMA (0269) 34-3111 Dec. 1 - May 6

www.princehotels.com/en/ski/shiga_kougen.html 8:00 - 16:30 (18:30 - 20:30)

1 DAY Adults ¥4,800 TICKET Kids ¥2,400

35% 2

Park

35% 3

30% 3

Park

acceSS By Train: 110 minutes from Tokyo Stn. to Nagano Stn. By Car: 300 minutes from Tokyo.

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

Advanced

Longest Course: 2,500m Top Elevation: 2,000m courses Base Elevation: 1,550m

At Nozawa Onsen Snow Resort Below Hikage Area Mos Burger

www.shirakaba8.com/rental

OKUSHIGA KOGEN SKI FIELD (0269) 34-2225 www.okushiga.jp/information/ Dec. 15 - May 6 8:30 - 16:30 1 DAY Adults ¥4,800 TICKET Kids ¥2,400

45% 1

Park

acceSS By Train: 110 minutes from Tokyo Stn. to Nagano Stn. By Car: 300 minutes from Tokyo.

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

Advanced

35% 5

20%

Longest Course: 2,200m Top Elevation: 2,000m courses Base Elevation: 1,460m

Explore japan this winter! Snow-Search Japan, the award-winning English guide to skiing & snowboarding in Japan is now available at the Burton Flagship Store in Tokyo.

ACTIVITY SPOTLIGHT SNOWMOBILING A growing number of resorts are offering snowmobile tours in Japan as people discover the thrills of this exciting winter activity. Shiga Kogen, Naeba and Niseko are especially popular. Beginners can practice in special snowmobile parks until they are comfortable taking it out in natural terrain. Advanced riders can charge through powder and even enter one of the growing number of snow mobile competitions such as the Japan Championship Series.

More information online at www.outdoorjapan.com/snow WINTER

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SKI JAPAN

Season runs from December 3rd to May 6th

MADARAO KOGEN SKI RESORT

Iiyama, Nagano

(0269) 64-3214 www.madarao.jp/ski/english Dec. 17 - Apr. 3 8:30 - 21:00 (17:00 - 21:00)

(With Mother Natures Blessing)

1 DAY Adults ¥4,200 TICKET Kids <12 FREE

Located in northeastern Nagano, just above Iiyama Town, Madarao Kogen features 16 lifts and 22 courses across a bowl-shaped terrain on Mt. Madarao (1,382 meters). The resort has a nice variety of courses, groomers, a tree run area, free ride park, wave courses and kids park, and the resort is free to kids under 12. They claim 60 percent of the course is ungroomed so, if you like riding powder, there should be plenty in which to play. There is also a joint ticket available for Tangram Ski Circus, a small, pretty resort. This year the resort has a “Zipline Adventure” course, and backcountry tours can be arranged through the resort.

Come in December, March or April and beat the crowds and save some money!

tel. 050 5532 6026 www.nozawaholidays.com

Park

acceSS

Beginner By Train and Bus: Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagano City (1 Intermediate hour, 28 Gondola minutes) then by bus to Madarao Kogen Ski Resort.Lifts

Advanced

Park

30% 2 1 Park

Beginner Lifts

40% 3

30% 2 1

Advanced

Longest Course: 2,500m Top Elevation: 1,350m courses Base Elevation: 440m

30% 5

Madarao, Nagano

(0262) 58-3511 www.tangram.jp/foreign/english.html Dec. 21 - Apr. 7 8:30 - 17:30 (17:00 - 20:00)

1 DAY Adults ¥4,200 TICKET Kids ¥3,200

Tangram Ski Circus sounds like a great place for kids — and it is. The ski-in/out Hotel Tangram sits right at the bottom of this family-friendly resort. Facilities include hot spring baths and a heated indoor swimming pool. The resort features 14 courses on the northwest side of Mt. Madarao, with well-groomed runs, great for mom and dad to get in some leg burners with the kids. The trees look tempting, but beware the ski patrol is vigilant here. However the resort is connected to Madarao Kogen, giving you 30 courses to explore if you get bored with the runs right outside your door.

Beginner City (1 Intermediate hour, 28 acceSS By Train and Bus: Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagano Gondola minutes) then by bus to Madarao Kogen Ski Resort.Lifts

Advanced

Park

30% 2 1 Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

40% 3

30% 2

Advanced

courses

40% 3

Longest Course: 2,500m Top Elevation: 1,350m Base Elevation: 440m

30%

Togakushi, Nagano 1 DAY Adults ¥4,000 TICKET Kids ¥2,500

Togakushi is an interesting, medium-sized resort. The name “Togakushi” means “hidden door,” and the resort is owned by Nagano City and newly managed by Tokyu Resorts, yet it is still relatively unknown to people outside the area. The best way to describe Togakushi is pleasant. The conditions always seem to be pretty good, and there are often great powder days. Best of all, it never seems to get as busy as the more popular Nagano resorts, and it has retained a very local feel. Togakushi Village is in itself an interesting place. It is famous for soba, and there are some beautiful shrines, temples and onsen nearby to finish off a great day on the mountain. Park

By Train and Bus: Shinkansen from Tokyo Station toBeginner NaganoIntermediate Station (1 Advanced Liftsby bus.Gondola hour, 45 minutes), then less than 1 hour to Togakushi

NOZAWA ONSEN

Park

30% 2 Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

40% 5

30% 2

Advanced

40% 5

1 DAY Adults ¥4,600 TICKET Kids ¥2,100

If you’re looking for the quintessential Japanese ski experience, Nozawa Onsen is the place. This traditional hot spring village sits at the base of a great mountain (Mt. Kenashi, 1,650m). The resort is one of the oldest ski grounds in Japan, getting consistent snowfall. Water and Fire. Water is everywhere in Nozawa, from the snow melting in the streets, to water flowing beside cobblestone roads, to the 30 hot springs scattered around the village (including 13 free baths in town). Fire takes center stage at the Dosojin Matsuri (Fire Festival on Jan. 15). Park

Park

Beginner Nozawa Intermediate Onsen acceSS By Train: 60 minutes from Nagano Station to Togari Lifts Gondola Stn. then taxi or shuttle bus. By Car: 75 minutes from Nagano.

Longest Course: 3,000m Top Elevation: 1,750m courses Base Elevation: 1,200m

30%

Longest Course: 3,000m Top Elevation: 1,750m

courses Base Elevation: 1,200m

Advanced

Park

40% 2 10

Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

40% 2 10

courses

30% 5 1

Advanced

courses

30% 5 1

30% 3

Longest Course: 10,000m Top Elevation: 1,650m Base Elevation: 565m

30% 3

Longest Course: 10,000m Top Elevation: 1,650m Base Elevation: 565m

For more Nagano information visit OJ Online (www.outdoorjapan.com)

OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 66

30%

Nozawa Onsen, Nagano

(0269) 85-3166 www.nozawaski.com Nov. 20 - May 8 8:30 - 20:00 (17:00 - 20:00)

WINTER

30% 5

Longest Course: 2,500m Top Elevation: 1,320m Base Elevation: 800m

courses

TOGAKUSHI SNOW WORLD (0262) 54-2106 www.togakusi.com/skimenou Dec. 18 - Apr. 3 8:30 - 16:30

30% 5

Longest Course: 2,500m Top Elevation: 1,350m Base Elevation: 440m

courses

TANGRAM SKI CIRCUS

acceSS

Intermediate Gondola

40% 3

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NiiGata 360p Virtual tour!

ne day in 1986, the good people of Joetsu, a coastal city in Niigata, were deluged by 232 centimeters of snow—in one day. That’s roughly enough to bury a one-story

building. Although this sort of thing doesn’t happen every day, Niigata gets some of the heaviest snowfalls in Japan. The town of Yuzawa was where Yasunari Kawabata penned his award winning novel Snow Country (Yukiguni). It is also Niigata’s most popular of winter sports areas, due to the easy access from Tokyo (77 minutes) and the variety of ski resorts a snowball’s throw from the station. Just over the border from Nagano Prefecture, in the southeastern part of Niigata, the Myoko Kogen area is one of Japan’s best-kept secrets. This scenic, mountainous area stretches all the way to the Sea of Japan coast and features some great resorts in its own right.

YOUR SKI-IN SKI-OUT GETAWAY • En-suite apartments by Nagasaka Gondola, Nozawa Onsen

Brought to you by:

• Full kitchen, Wi-Fi, iPod dock, flat screen TV ` • Spectacular views from all apartments • Special rates for long

www.nozawahospitality.com

NOZAWA

Ski goods,Ski Rental

Joetsu Kokusai NASPA Ski Garden GALA Yuzawa

Iwappara

Charmant Hiuchi

OPEN 8:00~10:00/15:00~20:00 TEL 0269-67-0224 www.compasshouse.jp

Seki Onsen Akakura Myoko Suginohara Kagura Tashiro Mitsumata Naeba

• Guaranteed ﬁrst tracks in Nozawa • 4 Bedroom Swiss style chalet • Professional kitchen, wood burning stove, Wi-Fi, flat screen TV, home cinema • Live-in staff, snowcat shuttle

More information online at www.outdoorjapan.com/snow WINTER

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GALA YUZAWA SNOW RESORT YUZAWA KOGEN Mt. NAEBA KAGURA • MITSUMATA

GALA YUZAWA STATION

NUNOBA NUNOBA FAMILY IPPONSUGI SKI RESORT

Mt. NAEBA KAGURA • TASHIRO

ECHIGO YUZAWA STATION

NASPA SKI GARDEN

IWA-PPARA WINTER RESORT

KANDATSU KOGEN LUDENS YUZAWA SKI

YUZAWA PARK SKI YUZAWA NAKAZATO KAYAMA CAPTAIN COAST NAKAZATO SNOW WOOD Mt. NAEBA

Mt. NAEBA • SHIRAKABA Mt. NAEBA • ASAGAI

GONDOLA ROPEWAY

Nozawa Onsen

野沢温泉

Craft Beer & Creative Space • Free WiFi, Internet & Video editing stations • Daily Happy hour specials • 55-inch TV with sports • Live acoustic (see web for schedule) • Located across from the Nagasaka Gondola 地ビールとクリエイティブ空間

• WiFi, インターネット • ビデオ編集ワークステーション・アコスティックライブ • 野沢温泉：長坂ゴンドラの向かい側

NAEBA SKI RESORT Introducing our original CraftRoom Beers. Drop in and enjoy.

Yuzawa, Niigata

(0257) 89-2211 www.princehotels.co.jp/ski/naeba Dec. 4 - Apr. 10 8:00 - 21:00 (16:00 - 21:00)

1 DAY Adults ¥5,000 TICKET Kids ¥2,500

Naeba calls itself "The St. Moritz of the East" and is a popular choice for Kanto trendsetters wishing to get away for a day trip or a quick ski weekend. The crescent-shaped Prince Hotel cuts an imposing figure at the base of this classic ski-in / ski-out resort and features all the trappings you would expect from a Prince-managed resort hotel. Off the mountain, there are children’s services, hot springs and other amenities and, on the mountain, a terrain park, kids park, family snow park and more. Naeba Resort is connected to the Tashiro, Kagura and Mitsumata ski areas by the "Dragondola" which travels 5.5 kilometers in just 15 minutes.

www.craftroom.jp

Park

To Naeba

Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

KAGURA -TASHIRO - MITSUMATA

• Huge living room space • Separate dining space • Fireplace and cinema room • Double kitchen great for families and groups • 22 beds for luxury comfort • Underﬂoor heating for a warm, cozy stay • Less than a minute walk to lifts, Nagasaka Gondola and The Craft Room

www.ﬁrsttracksnozawa.com 68

OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 68

Advanced

40% 7

Longest Course: 4,000m Top Elevation: 1,789m courses Base Elevation: 900m

30% 15

Yuzawa, Niigata 1 DAY Adults ¥4,200 TICKET Kids ¥2,100

These three connecting ski areas form one big resort. If you count Naeba, the total rideable area is 368 hectares. From Naeba you’ll be lifted above Lake Tashiro to wider and less crowded slopes and better snow quality, but the area closes at 4 p.m. and the lift line back to Naeba can be long. A better option is to access the Tashiro Ropeway on Route 17. You can then traverse across Tashiro in about 40 minutes to Kagura, known Kagurafor good backcountry options (enter at your ownArea risk) and a long season. The Mitsumata area has a small boarder's park, a few jumps andTashiro twoAreagood slopes for learning. Accessible by the Mitsumata Ropeway on Route 17. Park

Park

45% 3 1

Kagura Area Park

Tashiro Area To Naeba

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

45% 3 1

23 Beginner Intermediate Yuzawa StationAdvanced (77 courses acceSS By Train and Shuttle Bus: Joetsu Shinkansen to Echigo minutes) then shuttle bus to one of the resort’s car Lifts parks onGondola Route 17.

35% 5

Advanced

courses

35% 5

20% 14

Longest Course: 6,000m Top Elevation: 1,845m Base Elevation: 620m

20% 14

Longest Course: 6,000m Top Elevation: 1,845m Base Elevation: 620m

For more Niigata information visit OJ Online (www.outdoorjapan.com) WINTER

30% 15

Longest Course: 4,000m Top Elevation: 1,789m Base Elevation: 900m

Park

First Tracks Nozawa is Nozawa’s luxury ski-in/skiout family lodge. Enjoy great views of the Nagasaka slopes and down the Nozawa Valley. The best place on the mountain for getting morning powder.

40% 7

30% 3

27 Beginner Intermediate Yuzawa StationAdvanced (77 courses acceSS By Train and Free Shuttle: Joetsu Shinkansen to Echigo Lifts Gondola minutes) then free shuttle bus to Naeba Resort (50 minutes). (0257) 88-9221 www.princehotels.co.jp/ski/kagura Nov. 20 - May 22 (Tashiro May 8) 8:00 - 17:00

30% 3

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GALA YUZAWA SNOW RESORT

Yuzawa, Niigata

(0257) 85-6543 www.galaresort.jp/winter/english Dec. 22 - May 6 8:00 - 17:00

1 DAY Adults ¥4,500 TICKET Kids ¥2,200

Park

If you want a quick, convenient day-trip from Tokyo, you can’t get any easier than Gala Yuzawa. The ski resort has its very own train station that doubles as the ski lodge. The amazing efficiency has its drawbacks, however. It means you will most definitely not be alone on the hill. You can, however, get up to the mountain, get in a few runs with friends and be back in time to buy your favorite designer goods in Harajuku. The resort is not for serious skiers but, if you just want to have fun in the snow for a day with friends, you can’t beat the convenience.

Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Advanced Descent Course Gondola

45% 1 3

35% 1 2

Park

Beginner Stn. acceSS By Train: 77 minutes from Tokyo Stn. to GALA Yuzawa Lifts By Car: 5 minutes from Yuzawa I.C. (Kanetsu Highway)

35% 1 2

courses

45% 1 3

20% 4

Longest Course: 2,350m Top Elevation: 1,181m courses Base Elevation: 358m

20% 4

Longest Course: 2,350m Top Elevation: 1,181m Base Elevation: 358m

IWAPPARA

Yuzawa, Niigata

(0257) 87-3211 www.iwa-ppara.com/english.html Dec. 8 - Apr. 7 8:00 - 21:00 (17:00 - 21:00)

1 DAY Adults ¥4,000 TICKET Kids ¥2,500

Park

Although Iwappara looks like a relic of Japan’s bubble era with big pink apartments along the course, it is still one of the more popular resorts in the Yuzawa area. It’s super convenient from the station (five minutes) so it is quite possible to do a day trip from Tokyo, and the main course is so wide open, beginners can practice their turns without fear of being run over by a speedy skier (or vice versa). The views from the top are nice, and the village area around the ski area has a nice selection of restaurants.

40% 2

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

40% 6

40% 2

11 Beginner Intermediate to Echigo YuzawaAdvanced courses acceSS By Train and Shuttle Bus: 77 minutes from Tokyo Stn. Gondola Stn. then shuttle bus from Echigo Yuzawa Station inLifts less than 10 minutes.

Advanced

courses

40% 6

20%

Longest Course: 4,000m Top Elevation: 985m Base Elevation: 400m

20%

Longest Course: 4,000m Top Elevation: 985m Base Elevation: 400m

NASPA SKI GARDEN

Yuzawa, Niigata

(025) 780-6222 www. naspa.co.jp/english Dec. 18 - Apr. 3 8:30 - 17:00 (17:00 - 19:00)

1 DAY Adults ¥4,000 TICKET Kids ¥3,000

Park

NASPA is a relatively new ski resort (opening in 1992) holding on to the past by being one of the only skiers-only resorts left in Japan. The ski hill is behind the deluxe New Otani Hotel and the resort which definitely caters toward families who ski and want to stay in luxury. In fact, you can enjoy yourself even if you are not a skier, as there are public and private hot springs, Jacuzzis, a swimming pool, fitness center and a selection of restaurants. Its location near the station makes for a quick, convenient ski weekend from Tokyo, if you want to get in a few turns (on skis) with the family.

Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

37% 1

38% 2

Park

JOETSU KOKUSAI SKI RESORT

Advanced

37% 1

25% 2

Longest Course: 2.2km Top Elevation: 690m courses Base Elevation: 430m

25% 2

Longest Course: 2.2km Top Elevation: 690m Base Elevation: 430m

8 BeginnerYuzawa Intermediate StationAdvanced (77 courses acceSS By Train and Free Shuttle Bus: Joetsu Shinkansen to Echigo minutes) then free shuttle bus to NASPA Ski Garden (5Lifts minutes).Gondola (025) 782-1028 www.jkokusai.co.jp Dec. 8 - Apr. 7 8:00 - 21:00 (17:00 - 21:00)

38% 2

Minamiuonuma, Niigata 1 DAY Adults ¥4,000 TICKET Kids ¥2,500

Park

To the north of Yuzawa town is a 634-room, European-style hotel that anchors the Joetsu Kokusai Ski Resort. The runs are relatively short here, but there is a long 6K trail and a 38-degree “Daibetto Slope” that will challenge anyone’s courage. The resort also has an extensive terrain park and two half-pipes; one used in the 2004 World Cup, and regularly hosts events such as the 2009 Nippon Freeskiing Competition. Parents wanting to keep the little ones entertained will like the “Kids Paradise” area outside on the snow as well as an indoor “day nursery.”

30% 3 Park

Beginner Lifts

30% 3

Park

Beginner Intermediate Echigo Yuzawa acceSS By Train and Bus: Joetsu Shinkansen from Tokyo toLifts Gondola Station (77 minutes) then train to Joetsu Kokusai (15 minutes).

Advanced

Intermediate Gondola

courses

50% 4

Advanced

courses

50% 4

20% 18

Longest Course: 6,000m Top Elevation: 1,017m Base Elevation: 200m

20% 18

Longest Course: 6,000m Top Elevation: 1,017m Base Elevation: 200m

More information online at www.outdoorjapan.com/snow WINTER

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MYOKO SUGINOHARA (0255) 86-6211 http://ski.princehotels.co.jp/myoko/ Dec. 18 - Mar. 27 8:30 - 16:30

GET OUT IN THE MYOKO BACKCOUNTRY

Myoko, Niigata 1 DAY Adults ¥4,000 TICKET Kids ¥3,000

Myoko Kogen is simply one of the naturally prettiest ski resorts in Japan. Suginohara is another of the Prince resorts, and the facilities are well-maintained. The runs above the gondola are where advanced skiers and powder hounds will have the most fun, but there is a lot to choose from here and some great on-hill restaurants at which to stop and take a break. And you may need to, as Suginohara boasts arguably Japan’s longest top-to-bottom, an 8.5-kilometer thigh burner that will test anyone’s meddle if left for the last run of the day. The stunning view of Lake Nojiri below from the gondola makes it worth the trip alone.

Park

40% 1

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

40% 2

40% 1

Advanced

courses

Longest Course: 8,500m Top Elevation: 1,855m Base Elevation: 731m

20% 1

Park

Beginner Stn. acceSS By Train: 120 minutes from Tokyo Stn. to Myoko Kogen Lifts By Car: 160 minutes from Tokyo.

Intermediate Gondola

Advanced

AKAKURA ONSEN

courses

1 DAY Adults ¥3,900 TICKET Kids ¥2,700

Myoko Akakura Kanko Ski Resort was one of the first European-style ski resorts in Japan. After merging with Akakura Champion Ski Resort, it has been renamed Akakan, although locals still call it “Shin Akakura.” The unmistakable symbol of Akakan is the Akakura Resort & Spa which sits majestically on the slopes. It’s a great place to stay if you want ski in / ski out luxury. The area averages about 13 meters of snow annually, so there is plenty of fluffy stuff in which to play. Akakan has a nice variety of courses, but the most challenging runs are on the old “Champions” side of the mountain.

Park

50% 2 Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

30% 4

50% 2

SEKI ONSEN

Dancing Snow is all about enjoying the fun of Myoko’s

Longest Course: 8,500m Top Elevation: 1,855m Base Elevation: 731m

Akakura Onsen, Niigata

(0255) 87-2125 www.akakura-ski.com Dec. 11 - Apr. 3 8:30 - 21:00 (17:00 - 21:00)

Park

anyone can take part in, to day tours to local peaks

20% 1

Park

16 Beginner Intermediate Advanced hr., 45 min.), then take courses acceSS By Train: Shinkansen from Tokyo Stn. to Nagano Stn. (1Lifts Gondola the JR Shinetsu Honsen Line to Myoko Kogen Stn., then 10 minutes by bus.

beautiful backcountry. From snow excursions that

40% 2

Advanced

courses

30% 4

20% 9

Longest Course: 3,000m Top Elevation: 1,200m Base Elevation: 650m

20% 9

Longest Course: 3,000m Top Elevation: 1,200m Base Elevation: 650m

Seki Onsen, Niigata

(0255) 82-2316 www.sekionsen.com Dec. 21 - May 8 9:00 - 17:00

1 DAY Adults ¥3,500 TICKET Kids ¥2,800

Park

Seki is the highest ski area in the Myoko Kogen area and, even though there are just two lifts, there is access to many powder runs. This is a local mountain, and they check the weather reports and know when the storms will hit, sometimes dropping one or two meters of new snow overnight. It pays to get up early if you want first tracks. Don’t expect groomers; this is natural terrain and free riding at its finest: tree runs, natural pipes and some good hits. There’s no ATM, so make sure to bring cash.

and a range of specialty tours, we have something for every traveler interested in experiencing something beyond the groomed runs at the base of this beautiful mountain. We keep the groups small for safety and more fun; we’ll work with you to choose the course that’s ideal for what you want—and what the weather and snow is telling us. Introductory backcountry courses, avalanche instruction, and more available.

acceSS By Train: Shinkansen from Tokyo Stn. to Nagano Stn. (1 hr., 45 min.), then take the JR Shinetsu Honsen Line to Sekiyama Station, then 20 min. by taxi.

CHARMANT HIUCHI

Nou, Niigata

(0255) 68-2345 http://charmant-hiuchi.jp Dec. 18 - May 5 8:30 - 16:30

1 DAY Adults ¥3,800 TICKET Kids ¥2,800

Charmant is a locally owned and operated ski resort that most of your friends do not know about, but may wish they did. The resort is literally right on the Japan Sea (you can see it from the top lifts) and gets some of the heaviest snow dumps around. It is also a healthy drive from Tokyo (four hours), but is worth the trip if you enjoy short lift lines and uncrowded slopes. There are lots of ungroomed areas and advanced terrain including a 1,000-meter powder course. The proximity to the sea means there is some excellent seafood nearby, and you can ski straight through Golden Week.

Let us know what you’d like to do! We have all kinds of ways to have fun in this great outdoor area.

Park

20% 1

45% 2

Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

20% 1

45% 2

Advanced

courses

Longest Course: 2,700m Top Elevation: 1,009m Base Elevation: 501m

35%

Park

17 Beginner Intermediate From Advanced is inconvenient. courses acceSS Car access is recommended: Train and bus serviceLifts Gondola Tokyo it takes 4 hours by car, depending on traffic and weather.

www.dancingsnow.com info@dancingsnow.com

Outdoor_Japan_1214_2012.indd 1

OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 70

Longest Course: 2,700m Top Elevation: 1,009m Base Elevation: 501m

For more Niigata information visit OJ Online (www.outdoorjapan.com)

WINTER

35%

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12/12/17 22:07

GUNMa W

hile neighboring Niigata gets most of the attention, Gunma quietly has some great snow resorts of its own. Located in northeast Gunma near the border with

Niigata, Minakami has 10 ski resorts and is just 90 minutes from Tokyo. Ozu-Katashina is another quality area that ďŹ&#x201A;ies under the radar. Katashina town lies in the shadows of mighty Mt. Hotaka and Mt. Shirane and features nearby resorts such the popular Oze Iwakura, Hotaka Bokujo, a boarders park, and Oguna Hotaka, a nice mid-sized resort. Manza, to the east of Katashina, the popular ski and onsen areas of Manza and Kusatsu Resort & Spa are great places to relax before or after a good day on the mountain.

Minakami Houdaigi

Kawaba

Okutone Snow Park Tenjindaira Tanigawadake

2013

Oze Iwakura

Norn Minakami Manza Onsen

Kusatsu Kokusai

More information online at www.outdoorjapan.com/snow WINTER

OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 71

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MINAKAMI HOUDAIGI

Minakami, Gunma

(0278) 75-2557 www.hotakasan.co.jp/hodaigi/index_E.html Mid Dec. - Mid Apr. 8:00 - 16:30 (17:00 - 21:00 Jan.only)

1 DAY Adults ¥4,000 TICKET Kids ¥2,500

Houdaigi ski area is the largest ski area in Minakami and gets better snow than most of the resorts in the area since it is at a higher elevation. Although there are many beginner and intermediate runs, there are a few advanced courses as well, including a killer 40-degree slope and a 2,600-meter cruiser. Parents can let their kids have fun safely on tubes and airboards in the “Kids Land,” and older kids can enjoy the “Action Land” with table tops, waves and banks.

Park

40% 2 Park

Beginner Lifts

acceSS

courses

Advanced

30% 1

Longest Course: 2,600m Top Elevation: 1,400m courses Base Elevation: 830m

30% 1

Longest Course: 2,600m Top Elevation: 1,400m Base Elevation: 830m

OKUTONE SNOW PARK (0278) 72-8101 www.okutone.jp Dec. 18 - Mar. 27 8:00 - 22:00 (17:00 - 22:00)

30% 5

40% 2

Park

Beginner then Intermediate By Train and Bus: Shinkansen to Jomo Kogen (75 minutes) bus to Advanced Lifts Houdaigi (70 minutes).

Intermediate

30% 5

Minakami, Gunma 1 DAY Adults ¥4,000 TICKET Kids Free for children <12

Park

(weekends & holidays 6:00 - 24:00)

If rails, pipes and jumps are your thing, Okutone ski area is the place to go in Minakami. The park staff takes good care their loyal customers who come to perfect their tricks at the resort. The night sessions are popular, since they keep the lights on until midnight on Friday and Saturday nights, and they even offer Nighter season passes (as well as “Sunset” passes from 3 p.m. until closing time). Okutone has easy access from the main road. It is located right off the main road after you cross over the Tone River. Ifyou want easy access to powder, Okutone can be your choice.

30% 5

40% 1

30%

Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

40% 1

30% 5

Advanced

courses

Longest Course: 3,000m Top Elevation: 1,083m Base Elevation: 550m

30%

Park

Beginner then Intermediate acceSS By Train and Bus: Shinkansen to Jomo Kogen (75 minutes) Lifts Gondola bus to Okutone (40 minutes).

Advanced

courses

NORN MINAKAMI

Longest Course: 3,000m Top Elevation: 1,083m Base Elevation: 550m

Minakami, Gunma

(0278) 72-6688 www.norn.co.jp Mid Dec. - Mar. 31 8:00 - 16:30 (16:30 - 22:00 / 24:00)

1 DAY Adults ¥4,200 TICKET Kids ¥3,400

Situated just three kilometers from the Minakami Interchange, Norn Minakami is the most convenient of the Minakami Resorts if you are coming by car. The resort is great for families. They’ve created “family zones” where the average slope is just 13 degrees and a Day Care Center where parents can drop off the little ones and enjoy some time on the mountain themselves. Norn is open from 7 a.m. to midnight on weekends, so you can enjoy a long day on the slopes and, like all Minakami resorts, is not far from some great hot springs.

Park

30% 2

50% 2

20%

Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate

50% 2

20% 2

Advanced

Longest Course: 2,000m Top Elevation: 1,220m courses Base Elevation: 820m

30%

Park

5 BeginnerthenIntermediate Advanced free shuttle. courses acceSS By Train: 150 minutes from Tokyo Stn. to Minakami Stn., Lifts Expressway. By Car: 90 minutes from Tokyo (Nerima IC) via Kanetsu

TENJINDAIRA TANIGAWADAKE (0278) 72-3575 www.tanigawadake-rw.com Nov. 21 - May 5 8:00 -16:30

Longest Course: 2,000m Top Elevation: 1,220m Base Elevation: 820m

Minakami, Gunma 1 DAY Adults ¥3,500 TICKET Kids ¥2,000

Although Tenjindaira gets more guests in summer, when the tram is packed with hikers, than in winter when the area is blanketed in snow, “Tenjin” is a favorite of Minakami locals. The resort itself is relatively small, but lift lines are usually short and the snow quality can be excellent if it’s not too windy up top. However, the secret to Tenjindaira is what you don’t see, which is access to some serious backcountry. This is “enter at your own risk” territory and not a place to go without avalanche gear (and the knowledge to use it). Better yet, hire one of the knowledgeable local guides and enjoy some "Japow!"

Park

30% 1

40% 4

Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

30% 1

40% 4

Advanced

courses

Longest Course: 4,000m Top Elevation: 1,500m Base Elevation: 750m

30%

Park

10 Beginner Intermediate change to the Advanced courses acceSS By Train and Bus: Shinkansen to Takasaki Station, then Gondola Joetsu Line to Minakami Station, then 20 minutes byLiftsbus to Tenjindaira.

Longest Course: 4,000m Top Elevation: 1,500m Base Elevation: 750m

For more Gunma information visit OJ Online (www.outdoorjapan.com)

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30%

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KAWABA

Kawaba, Gunma

(0278) 52-3345 www.g-jmt.com/kawaba/eng Nov. 28 - Apr. 11 8:30 - 16:00

1 DAY Adults ¥4,200 TICKET Kids ¥2,700

Park

There’s something different about Kawaba. You’ll notice it the first time you pull into the covered parking area of the eight-story Kawaba City center house. There are six floors of parking and the seventh and eighth floors are filled with restaurants and ski / board shops. On the mountain, Kawaba is progressive as well with a nice balance of park and powder. Within the 10,790 meters of skiable terrain is the “Powder Zone,’ a section of the mountain left ungroomed for powder lovers. There is a good mogul course, the Free Ride Park (back by popular demand) and a 3,300-meter trail for cruising. Kawaba City also includes a ski school, kid’s corner and locker rooms.

20% 3

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Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

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Advanced

Longest Course: 2,000m Top Elevation: 2,020m courses Base Elevation: 1,290m

40% 1

Park

Longest Course: 2,000m 10 Top Elevation: 2,020m Beginner Intermediate (75 minutes) thenAdvanced courses acceSS By Train and Shuttle Bus: Shinkansen to Jomo Kogen Lifts Gondola Base Elevation: 1,290m 50-minute shuttle bus ride to Kawaba.

KUSATSU KOKUSAI

Kusatsu, Gunma

(0279) 88-8111 www.kusatsu-kokusai.com/winter/english Dec. 15 - Apr. 15 8:30 - 21:00 (17:00 - 21:00)

1 DAY Adults ¥4,000 TICKET Kids ¥3,200

Park

Although Kusatsu is famous as one of the country’s best onsen rsorts, the area also features a quality ski resort that has been around since the Taisho Era and is open nearly six months out of the year. Kusatsu Snow & Spa has an eight-kilometer downhill course, one of the longest in Japan (next to Myoko Suginohara), a Kids Square where the little ones can enjoy activities such as snow tubing, and a variety of Heliport courses for all levels. However, the best part of being at Kusatsu is the fact you can enjoy some world-famous hot springs after a great day on the mountain.

Heliport

30% 1

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Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

50% 2

30% 1

Advanced

Longest Course: 8,000m Top Elevation: 2,171m

courses Base Elevation: 1,245m

20% 8

Park

Beginner TokyoIntermediate acceSS By Train and Bus: Shinkansen to Karuizawa Stn. from Lifts Stn.Gondola (72 minutes), then 55 min. by direct bus from Karuizawa

Advanced

Longest Course: 8,000m Top Elevation: 2,171m

courses Base Elevation: 1,245m

MANZA ONSEN

Tsumagoi, Gunma

(0279) 97-3117 www.princehotels.com/en/ski/manza_onsen.html Dec. 12 - Apr. 4 8:30 - 17:00 (Sat.17:30 - 20:00)

1 DAY Adults ¥4,000 TICKET Kids ¥3,000

Manza Onsen is another of one of Prince Hotels signature properties and the hotel’s buildings commands an imposing presence at the bottom of the hill that features a lot of good beginner and intermediate runs and is a great place for families. There isn’t a lot of challenging runs for advanced skiers but the scenery is beautiful, the snow quality excellent and the hotel has a great (albeit smelly) natural rotenburo (outdoor bath) for after ski soaking. The facilities and amenities are on par with what you’d expect from a Prince Resort making for a stress-free ski experience.

Park

40% 1

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10%

Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

50% 7

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Advanced

Longest Course: 1,500m Top Elevation: 2,008m courses Base Elevation: 1,646m

10%

Park

Longest Course: 1,500m 14 Top Elevation: 2,008m Beginner Intermediate Advanced Manza-Kazawaguchi courses acceSS By Train & Bus: Takasaki Line from JR Ueno Station to Lifts Gondola(50 min.). Base Elevation: 1,646m Stn. (160 min.) then change to the Seibu Kogen Bus to Manza Onsen

OZE IWAKURA

Katashina, Gunma

(0278) 58-7777 www.oze-iwakura.co.jp Dec. 11 - Apr. 10 8:00 - 21:00 (16:30 - 21:00)

1 DAY Adults ¥4,600 TICKET Kids ¥3,600

Oze Iwakura is the largest of the Katashina ski resorts. It was also one of the longest skiers-only holdouts and at last check there were still a few runs that banned boarders (mainly mogul courses). The mountain itself has a timeless, genteel feel to it, where visitors seem more interested in breathing in the fresh air and taking in the views than worrying about the latest snow fashion. If you get tired of groomers, you’ll find some nice powder on the fringes while some areas outside the lines will be tempting. Yet Iwakura remains a skier's mountain at heart, and skiers will enjoy the long, cruising runs, moguls and some challenging steep terrain.

Park

30% 1

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Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

30% 1

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Advanced

Longest Course: 3,200m Top Elevation: 1,703m

courses Base Elevation: 1,006m

30% 10

Park

Longest Course: 3,200m 18 Top Elevation: 1,703m Beginner then Intermediate by busAdvanced to courses acceSS By Train and Bus: Shinkansen to Jomo Kogen (75 minutes) Lifts Gondola Base Elevation: 1,006m Oze Iwakura (90 min.)

More information online at www.outdoorjapan.com/snow WINTER

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GIFU Dynaland Takasu Snow Park

lthough it gets less attention from the Tokyo crowd than Nagano, Niigata and Gunma, Gifu has a number of quality resorts that service the Nagoya and Kansai region. Less than a couple hours from the main Gifu ski resorts is the Edo-style town of Takayama, known as “Little Kyoto.” Takayama’s master carpenters built some beautiful shrines and temples here at the base of the Japan Alps. Also in the region, along the border of Gifu and Toyama prefectures are the World Heritage villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokoyama, known for the thatched roof houses built in “Gassho-zukuri” (praying hands) style. These A-frame farmhouses are constructed to withstand the heavy snowfall that blankets the region each year. If you are looking for good skiing and mixing in some great cultural experiences, Gifu is a great winter destination.

TAKASU SNOW PARK

Takasu, Gifu

(0575) 72-7000 www.g-jmt.com/takasu/eng Early Dec. - May 6 8:00 - 16:30

1 DAY Adults ¥4,800 TICKET Kids ¥2,000

Takasu is well known to park riders. The resort has a large free ride park that includes kickers, rails, boxes and one of the biggest super pipes in Japan. There is also a 600-meter professional boarder cross course and a mogul course. The resort is the training grounds for many of Japan’s rising stars and has hosted a number of competitions including the FIS Snowboard World Cup. Aside from the amazing pipe and park, winter sports enthusiasts of all levels can enjoy the openfaced free ride terrain including a 4,800-meter trail, one of longest in western Japan, and several other 4,000-meter trails. There’s even some backcountry tours through Dainichi Valley.

Park

35% 1

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Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

35% 1

35% 3

Longest Course: 4,80 Top Elevation: 60 courses Base Elevation: 95

Advanced

30%

Park

BeginnerTakasu Intermediate and ACCESS By Bus: A bus leaves Nagoya at 8 a.m. stopping at both Lifts Gondola Dyanaland. The trip takes about 2 hours, 45 minutes.

Advanced

courses

Longest Course: 4,800m Top Elevation: 600m Base Elevation: 950m

DYNALAND

Takasu, Gifu

(0575) 72-6636 www.g-jmt.com/dynaland/eng/ 1 DAY Adults ¥4,800 TICKET Kids ¥2,000 Dec. 8 - Apr. 7 Weekdays 8:00 - 16:30, Weekends 5:00 - 16:30 (17:30 - 23:00) Dynaland is the largest of the Takasu ski resorts. There are 19 runs; the longest a 3,200-meter thigh burner. There is a shared ticket to neighboring Takasu Snow Park and two places on the mountain that connect the resorts. If you want to get out on the slopes first thing in the morning, the Hotel Villa Mon-Saint is right in front of the resort and there are 5 a.m. openings for first tracks on selected dates. The resort has a resident DJ who will take music requests and you can do some good for Mother Nature while having a lunch break since the Dynaland Eco Project collects proceeds from resort restaurants to support a Gifu tree planting project.

Park

40% 3

32% 3

Park

Beginner Lifts

Intermediate Gondola

40% 3

32% 2

Advanced

courses

Longest Course: 3,20 Top Elevation: 1,43 Base Elevation: 98

28%

Park

Beginner Intermediate Takasu and ACCESS By Bus: A bus leaves Nagoya at 8 a.m. stopping at both Gondola Dyanaland. The trip takes about 2 hours, 45 minutes.Lifts

Advanced

courses

Longest Course: 3,200m Top Elevation: 1,430m Base Elevation: 983m

For more Gifu information visit OJ Online (www.outdoorjapan.com)

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12/12/18 9:21

8th Annual

SNOW SPLASH '13 Powda inna day, louda inna night

JAP

A N

Jan. 12 (Sat.) & 19 (Sat.) 野沢温泉

Snow Splash Parties in Nozawa Onsen @ The Craft Room

Jan. 26 (Sat.) 水上

Snow Splash '13 in Minakami @ Canyons Alpine Lodge

Mar. 2 (Sat.) 白馬

Snow Splash '13 in Hakuba @ The Pub at the Mominoki Hotel

Mocha Mountain Kilamanjaro

The Peacekeepers (Shapeshifter)

Johnson’s Motorcar

Ally

Abdou Bayefall

Digda, The Dirty Ts, Snow Splash DJs and more! SNOW SPLASH IS SUPPORTED BY

FOR MORE INFO ON TICKETS, TOURS & ARTISTS PLEASE VISIT

Arisa Safu

Sno events w Splash a weeke re part ski celebrand, snow music tion and bring t festival. We the mohe music to u good v ntain and ib resort es to a t near yoown u.

www.outdoorjapan.com/snowsplash OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 75

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OJ CLASSIFIEDS

■ HOKKAIDO ■ TOHOKU ■ SHINETSU • HOKURIKU ■ CHUBU • TOKAI ■ KANTO ■ KANSAI

■ HOKKAIDO

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- Exclusive range of luxury cabins, chalets and apartments - Great range of summer activitives - Car and bike rentals arranged

y Heat Escape the Cit www.hakubaresort.com TEL (81) 0261 72 6663 info@hakubaresort.com

Hakuba Office :

OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 76

SPRING

2 0 1 2

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Lifestyle Directory

■ CHUGOKU • SHIKOKU ■ KYUSHU • OKINAWA ■ OUTSIDE JAPAN ■ GEAR & SERVICES

■ GUNMA

■ TOKYO

■ SAITAMA

■ TOKYO

■ SHIZUOKA

■ KOCHI

自然の中で遊ぼう！

PPYRA A H

rR te

i ng a nd Ca nyo a ft ni ng

関東から一番近いラフティングスポット富士川 Fuji River, The closest rafting spot to Tokyo

res. ntu ve Ad

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NATURAL ACTION ★ TEL: 0544-65-1123 ¦ info@naturalaction.co.jp http://www.naturalaction.co.jp

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SPRING

OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 77

■ NARA

n`s B est Whi te pa -W Ja a

SHIKO FT

GET WET, GET HAPPY!

■ TOKYO

2 0 1 2

12/12/17 22:08

OJ CLASSIFIEDS

■ HOKKAIDO ■ TOHOKU ■ SHINETSU • HOKURIKU ■ CHUBU • TOKAI ■ KANTO ■ KANSAI ■ CHUGOKU • SHIKOKU ■ KYUSHU • OKINAWA ■ OUTSIDE JAPAN ■ GEAR & SERVICES

■ MICRONESIA

■ BALI 癒しの空間で... 波を心いくまで満喫...

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Feel at home... Enjoy the ride...

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email: reservation@pimalai.com

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Discover Nature, Discover Yourself. ■ NEPAL

■ GEAR & SERVICES

Office Network & Computer Support Database Development Website Development VoIP Telephone Systems Online Marketing www.showcase-central.info www.emissary.co.jp | 03-3365-1978 78

OJT_winter_12-13_v1.indd 78

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12/12/17 22:08

Denver lnternational Airport

Fly to Denver the gateway to your adventures in the Rocky Mountains. Effective April 1, 2013, United will launch nonstop service between Tokyo and Denver with Boeing 787 Dreamliner*. United is serving to 7 US Mainland cities from Japan, with convenient connections to 370 cities in six continents.

*Subject to government approval.