This isn’t just another snowboard trip to Japan—it’s an immersive 10-day journey designed to elevate your riding and deepen your connection to the mountains.
Starting and ending in Tokyo, we’ll load into 4×4 vans and follow the Holiday Road north into Honshu’s hidden powder havens: Nekoma, Inawashiro, Appi Kogen, Hatchimantai, and Geto Kogen. While the big-name resorts attract the crowds, we’ve carved our own path—toward untouched terrain, empty lift lines, elevated lodging, authentic food, and a richer connection to Japanese snowboarding culture. With the freedom to pivot, we can chase the best conditions, uncover hidden gems, and dive into cultural experiences most travelers never find.
But this camp goes beyond travel—it’s education. Staying true to our progressive coaching model, we use real-mountain exploration as our classroom. Every run becomes an opportunity to expand your skillset—learning to read terrain, shape turns, understand snow quality, harness inertia, refine body movement, and strengthen your mental state. When these elements align, you unlock true flow: riding with creativity, confidence, and style that stays with you long after Japan.
We’ve taken care of the details—lodging, meals, and logistics—so you can stay focused on the ride. Our curated accommodations range from ski-in/ski-out private lodges to five-star all-inclusive lake resorts, each chosen to balance comfort, convenience, and character. After long days in the mountains, you’ll have the perfect place to rest, recharge, and connect. For the food lovers, we’ve selected restaurants that highlight local flavors while offering variety for every palate. And because snowboarding in Japan is about more than just the snow, we’ve built time into our schedule to immerse in culture along the way.
We’ve designed this experience so you can enjoy snowboarding as it was meant to be: Adventurous. Authentic. Transformative. And above all—FUN.
Coaches for this session are..
Bryan Sun – AASI Level 3, Staff Trainer, and Instructor at Crystal Mountain, Washington. Bryan lives in pursuit of the perfect turn. As a coach, he’s a master at transforming complex techniques into simple, practical steps that riders can immediately apply.
Stephanie Wilkerson – AASI National Team Alumni and owner of Altitude Snowboarding. Stephanie is one of the most influential coaches in the world, celebrated for her global approach to progression and her passion for building strong communities.
JTB (Joshua Thompson-Bourrie) – AASI-W Examiner, Palisades Tahoe Staff Trainer, and Founder of Progression Sessions. JTB is an architect of experience, known for creating immersive pathways to progression that merge both function and form.
Fred De Condappa – Fred isn’t a snowboarder, he’s not even Japanese, but he speaks Japanese along with 4 other languages and he knows how to take care of the details so everything from laundery to dinner reservations is smooth as silk.
***Please see the “Day by Day” tab for a detailed outline of the session along with links to our hotels and the resorts we intend to ride.
This session is designed for riders who can confidentially link turns on black groomed runs, and who have some experience off-piste. If you are ready to invest in yourself and take your riding to a whole new level, this session is for you!
This premier session has a minimum participation of 9 persons to operate, if minimum participation is not met within 45 days of travel you will receive a full refund, or you can elect to convert your reservation to a private or semi private session.
Please note: This itinerary is a sample of our best laid plans, weather and the needs of the group may alter this itinerary.
Day 1 – Sunday: Konnichiwa
Your journey begins just outside customs at Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT), where one of our team will greet you. With luggage in hand, we’ll head straight to our first destination: the Urabandai Lake Resort. To accommodate different arrival times, we’ll run three separate shuttles. Depending on your arrival, dinner will be either en route or at the resort.
(Please note: if you arrive early, we’ll arrange a pickup at Narita. All flights on Day 1 must arrive by 16:00.)
Day 2 – Monday: Nekoma
Our first riding days destination is just 10 minutes from our door at the resort, Nekoma North. Translating to “demonic cat,” Nekoma offers a little of everything—easy trees, playful groomers, multiple terrain parks, and steep ungroomed lines. Best of all? No crowds. It’s the perfect warm-up zone to get your legs and mindset ready for snowboard progression in Japan.
Coaching focus: Terrain reading. You’ll learn how to assess mountains both by map and on sight—building confidence, continuity, and freedom in your riding.
After snowboarding, we’ll gather for our first group dinner at the resort. The night is yours: soak in the onsen, grab a mic for karaoke, or unwind with darts at the “Play Spot.”
Day 3 – Tuesday: Inawashiro Snow Paradise
A 30-minute drive brings us to Inawashiro on Bandai’s southern flank. Small but mighty, Inawashiro is a hidden gem that shines when the snow stacks up.
Coaching focus: Movement patterns. We’ll analyze your riding across varied terrain—carving groomers, short turns on steeps, and independent leg steering in the trees—reinforcing efficiency and highlighting growth opportunities.
That evening, enjoy a feast back at the resort with the option to join a video review session.
Day 4 – Wednesday: On the Road Again
After two big riding days, we’ll recharge with a travel day. Following a leisurely breakfast, we’ll head five hours north to Appi Kogen. Along the way, we’ll stop at Kamo Shrine on Sendai’s outskirts for a cultural walk and lunch. By evening, we’ll arrive at our private mountain lodge in the Appi village for a family-style dinner and time to study the trail map.
For those who can’t resist more laps, you’ll have the option to ride nearby Grandeco before we hit the road.
Day 5 – Thursday: Appi Kogen
With weekday crowds virtually non-existent, APPI Kogen delivers pristine terrain, tons of snow, and variety for days. From tree runs to snowcat laps and steeps, we’ll be hooting all day.
Coaching focus: Flow. Learn to link turns seamlessly through transitions, proactively choosing how to redirect momentum so you keep moving fluidly across changing terrain.
After the ride, we’ll regroup at the lodge before heading to a local restaurant for dinner.
Day 6 – Friday: Appi or Hatchimantai
Choose your adventure: stick with APPI or explore nearby Hatchimantai Shimokura.
Coaching focus: The mental game. We’ll explore how to prepare ourselves mentally to perform at our best.
That evening, we’ll dress up for a celebratory dinner at one of Appi Village’s luxury restaurants—sharing stories, laughs, and maybe some debate about future adventures.
Day 7 – Saturday: Iwate and Beyond
For our penultimate riding day, the choice is yours. Coaches will present options, and as a group we’ll decide where to shred. Afterward, we’ll head south to Hotel Route-Inn Kanegasaki to rest up in private rooms before our final mountain push.
Day 8 – Sunday: Geto Kogen & Sendai
Known for its deep snow and non-existent lift lines, Geto Kogen is the perfect finale.
Theme: Appreciation. Celebrate your new skills, capture final photos, and wrap up any last coaching questions.
That evening, we’ll head to Hotel Monterey Sendai near the city center. After a costume change, we’ll share an intimate dinner and celebration: afterwards you’ll have the option to explore the city’s nightlife, relax in the hotel spa, or simply chill in your private suite.
Day 9 – Monday: One Night in Tokyo
We’ll pack up the boards and trade mountains for sidewalks. After a relaxed morning, we’ll drive to Tokyo’s buzzing Shinjuku district, checking into private rooms in our Shinjuku Kabukicho hotel. With vibrant streets and unmatched nightlife, Shinjuku is the perfect grand finale.
That evening, we’ll host a mystery activity (sorry, no spoilers!). For those who want extra turns, there’s an optional dawn departure to Zao Eboshi before meeting the group in Tokyo.
Day 10 – Tuesday: Sayonara
All good things must come to an end (at least for now). After breakfast, we’ll say our goodbyes, and yes I’ll probably cry. We’ll arrange your airport transfer or help you connect to your next Japanese adventure.
- Transportation From the Start, We meet you at the airport and we take you back when its over
- Lodging, combination of 4 Hotels (3 nights), Resort (3 nights), and Private 10bedroom Abnb (3 nights).
*Rooms are a combination of double occupancy and single occupancy, all hotels have ensuite restrooms and western beds. If traveling alone we will pair you with another attendee of the same gender. If you’re traveling with a friend you can request to share a room at no additional charge. If you prefer your privacy we offer a private room upgrade for a fee* - Coaching, 7 days of professional coaching/guiding in a small group setting (maximum 1 coach per 4 campers).
- Optional Pre-Session Prep Meeting, 1 on 1 with a coach via zoom.
- Lift Tickets at all locations
- All Breakfasts
- All Dinners, hosted nightly by our team at select restaurants (excluds top shelf and specialty drinks)
- Dedicated Support that speaks Japanese, English, Chinese, Spanish, etc.
- Off Snow Video Review and Goal Setting
- Scheduled Cultural activities, and night riding opportunities
- A Branded Gift Something you’ll want to keep and use for years to come
- A Post Session Certificate signed by your coaches
- International Flight
- Lunch on the mountain
- Extra Adult Beverages, in most cases we’ll get the first round but the next one will be on your tab
- Medical care, we’ll do our best to get you whatever help you need but you’ll need to settle the bill
- Snowboard gear, snowboard demos will be available at some locations but it’s best to start your progression on gear you are comfortable with
- Travel Insurance, a policy that covers you in case of an injury snowboarding is mandatory. We highly suggest a “World Nomads Explorer Policy”
- Transportation outside of scheduled itinerary, If you require any ground transportation outside of the scheduled itinerary, any costs incurred will be your responsibility; however we will do everything in our power to ensure your safe travel