Japan Ski Tours

Anaba Lodge

Anaba Lodge is Japan Ski Tours' own ski lodge, at the base of Ani Ski Resort in Kita-Akita, Akita Prefecture, in a remote corner of the Tohoku powder region. "Anaba" means "hidden gem" or "secret spot" in Japanese. The lodge sits 2 minutes from the ski hill. Guests get a morning shuttle up and can ski back at the end of the day to the road, a 3-minute walk from the building. Ani has a gondola, two lifts, and some groomed runs, but its main draw is gondola-accessed ski touring on Mt. Moriyoshi, which makes the lodge a natural base for backcountry skiers and splitboarders. Ani is also an Indy Pass member resort. The lodge was fully renovated in 2022. It is heated by a handmade masonry wood stove and finished with locally sourced cedar and organic plaster. It runs in the traditional pension style, with breakfast and dinner served daily. Dinners rotate through Japanese hot pots, a hearty vegetarian mabo dofu, and Western options such as shepherd's pie. There is a café pouring lattes and pour-over coffee, and a mostly full-service bar with draft beer and local sake, whisky, and wine. After skiing, guests can use the outdoor sauna and snow plunge. Rooms come in two types. Standard twins hold 1–2 guests; deluxe twins hold up to 3 and add a sofa or sofa bed. Every room has two single beds, a locking safe, and a desk. Bathrooms and showers are shared, and guests have access to a drying room for ski gear. High-speed fiber-optic wifi runs throughout the building. The lodge is also home base for Japan Ski Tours' Ani backcountry guiding, and guests booking a guide can rent touring skis, splitboards, and avalanche safety kits there. The lodge is 20 minutes from Aniai Station, where a reservable share taxi runs guests to the door until 6pm.

Anaba Lodge, Kaginodaki-206-3 Anikaginodaki, Kitaakita, Akita 018-4624, Japan

Hokkaido

Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost main island, is where Japan Ski Tours runs its guided Storm Chaser trips, its Hokkaido Indy Trip, and partner guiding in the Niseko area. All their Hokkaido stays are in walkable town centers or slopeside, and each includes onsen hot springs access. The Hokkaido Storm Chaser has two bases. Guests spend three nights at La Vista Furano Hills Hot Springs in the ski town of Furano, then three nights at the Dormy Inn Premium in the port town of Otaru. Both hotels have in-house onsen with sauna and are within walking distance of downtown restaurants and bars. From these bases, guides choose each day among resorts including Furano, Tomamu, Sahoro, Kamui Ski Links, Asahidake, Sapporo Kokusai, Teine, and Kiroro, depending on conditions. The Hokkaido Indy Trip starts at OMO7 by Hoshino Resorts in central Asahikawa, the gateway to Pippu, Nayoro Piyashiri, and Kamui Ski Links. It then spends two ski-in/ski-out nights at Tomamu The Tower and finishes at Hotel Sonia in Otaru for Mount Racey, Kiroro, and Sapporo Kokusai. For guests based in Niseko, Japan Ski Tours also arranges daily guiding across the Niseko resorts, Moiwa, Rusutsu, and Kiroro through their partner Hokkaido Vibe.

Nagano Region

Japan Ski Tours' 9-day Nagano Indy Trip covers the snow country of central Honshu, crossing from Minakami in Gunma Prefecture through Niigata's snowbelt and into Nagano. It skis eight resorts ranging from small local hills to big-name areas. Guests spend the first three nights at Hotel Juraku in the heart of Minakami town, within reach of Hodaigi, Kandatsu, and Kagura. Next come two ski-in/ski-out nights at SBC Resort Kijimadaira. The trip finishes with three nights at Wafu No Yado Masuya, a traditional ryokan in Shibu Onsen, a walkable hot spring town with over 1,300 years of history. From Shibu Onsen, guests ride Ryuo Ski Park and Yakebitaiyama in Shiga Kogen and can visit the snow monkeys of Jigokudani. Every stay on this trip includes onsen hot springs, and the Shibu Onsen ryokan hosts the trip's traditional Maiko performance.

Tohoku

The Tohoku region covers the northern tip of Japan's main island, Honshu, and is Japan Ski Tours' specialty for travelers who want Japanese powder without crowds. Their Tohoku trips take guests across Aomori, Iwate, and Akita prefectures to small independent resorts where lift lines are rare and fresh tracks last. The 8- and 10-day Tohoku Indy Trips move through a series of hotels, each with in-house onsen hot springs. The 10-day trip begins with two nights at the Rockwood Hotel & Spa, slopeside at Aomori Spring. Both trips then stay at the Hachimantai Mountain Hotel, slopeside for Panorama and Shimokura ski resorts and within reach of Appi Kogen. From there they continue to the Tazawako Lake Resort, a short shuttle from Tazawako ski resort, and finish with two nights at Semi Onsen Ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn near Geto Kogen. For the Hakkoda Guided Trip, guests stay at the four-star Art Hotel in the historic city of Hirosaki, next to Hirosaki Station. Hirosaki sits between Hakkoda, Aomori Spring, and Owani Onsen, so guides can switch resorts when Hakkoda closes for storms. Tohoku is also home to Japan Ski Tours' own Anaba Lodge at Ani Ski Resort in Akita.