Snow, onsens, and ramen: Discover skiing, Japan style

25 September 2026

Japan puts a very different spin on a ski holiday. Days on the mountain might be followed by a soak in a steaming onsen, dinner in a tiny ramen restaurant, or an evening wandering through a traditional snow-covered town. And there’s plenty of choice when it comes to where you ski. From Hokkaido’s famous powder to the hot spring villages of Nagano, the easy Tokyo connections of Niigata, and the winter landscapes of Tohoku, each region offers its own reason to head to the mountains.

Snow, onsens, and ramen: Discover skiing, Japan style

Hokkaido: for famous powder and great food

Hokkaido is often the first place that comes to mind when you think of skiing in Japan, and for good reason. Resorts including Niseko, Rusutsu, and Furano are known for their powder snow and wide choice of terrain. Niseko works particularly well if you want plenty going on away from the slopes too, with restaurants, bars, and hot springs adding to the experience. Furano has a slightly different feel, combining excellent skiing with a nearby town that’s easy to explore once the lifts close. Food is another big part of a Hokkaido stay. Sapporo is famous for miso ramen, making a steaming bowl of noodles a very welcome way to end a day in the snow.

Nagano: skiing meets traditional Japan

Hakuba offers a wide choice of ski areas alongside restaurants, onsens, and mountain scenery, while Nozawa Onsen combines skiing with the atmosphere of a traditional hot spring town. After a day on the slopes, you can wander through the village and experience one of its public baths. There’s plenty to discover beyond skiing too. Nagano is home to the local soba noodles that are the perfect reason to make time for a long lunch between runs.

Niigata: an easy addition to a Tokyo adventure

Echigo-Yuzawa can be reached from Tokyo by bullet train, so you could spend a few days exploring the capital before swapping city streets for snow-covered mountains. The surrounding area has a choice of ski resorts as well as hot springs, giving you plenty of options once you arrive. Further north, Myoko combines several ski areas with traditional onsen towns. Niigata is also one of Japan’s best-known rice-growing regions and has a strong sake culture, adding another side to the experience once the skiing is finished for the day.

Tohoku: for something a little different

If you’d like to go beyond Japan’s best-known ski areas, look north to Tohoku. Resorts such as Appi Kogen and Zao Onsen offer impressive winter scenery and the chance to experience a quieter side of Japan’s ski scene. Zao is particularly memorable for its juhyo, often known as ‘snow monsters’, where trees become completely coated in snow and ice during winter. Combine that with skiing, hot spring bathing, and regional food, and you have a winter holiday that feels very different from a traditional European ski break.

Make time for what happens off the mountain

Part of the appeal of skiing in Japan is that your day doesn’t have to end when you take off your boots. You might soak in an outdoor onsen surrounded by snow, try the local style of ramen or soba, explore a mountain town, or spend an evening in a cosy izakaya. And because Japan’s ski regions each have their own food, traditions, and landscapes, travelling between them can be just as rewarding as the skiing itself.

To book your Japan ski holiday, speak to your Travel Counsellor today.

5 Whistler ski experiences you may not have considered

28 September 2026

Whistler is well known for its scale, snow, and lively village, but there is more to a ski holiday here than simply working your way around Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. For UK visitors, it also works well as part of a wider Canada trip; you can spend a few nights in Vancouver before or after the mountains, try something different on the slopes, and make the most of local knowledge once you arrive. Here are five Whistler ski experiences worth knowing about when planning your visit.

Travel Counsellors experience the best of Singapore

25 September 2026

Singapore is a city that makes a strong first impression, combining remarkable architecture, historic neighbourhoods, acclaimed restaurants, and plenty of ways to experience the city from a different perspective. During a recent Travel Counsellors trip, the group enjoyed a packed itinerary featuring the grand surroundings of Raffles Hotel, the futuristic Gardens by the Bay, Sentosa, and some of Singapore’s best rooftop venues.

Meet the new Majestic Mirage Costa Mujeres

21 September 2026

One of the newer additions to Costa Mujeres, Majestic Mirage Costa Mujeres - All Suite Resort brings a more polished take on all-inclusive living. Just 35 kilometres from Cancún International Airport, the resort sits close to the Punta Sam Ferry Terminal, making trips to Isla Mujeres easy, while Chichén Itzá, Tulum, and Cobá are within reach for memorable day trips. With calm turquoise waters, white-sand beaches, and spectacular sunsets, Costa Mujeres offers a quieter alternative to Cancún, without being far from its restaurants, shops, and nightlife.

Snow, onsens, and ramen: Discover skiing, Japan style

5 Whistler ski experiences you may not have considered

Travel Counsellors experience the best of Singapore

Meet the new Majestic Mirage Costa Mujeres

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