Join us as we explore the last frontier of big mountain snowboarding in Japan
Ride the big winter storms that the Minakami region is famous for with our local guides who will show you just why the backcountry here is as good as it gets in Japan.
Minakami is our base for the tour – a mountainous onsen town within easy reach of Tokyo. The town lies in the shadow of Mount Tanigawa – one of Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains. Measuring 1977 meters at its highest point, the mountain gets buried in deep, powder snow during the winter months. To access the mountain, the Tanigawa Ropeway delivers visitors to Tanigawadake Tenjindaira resort, halfway up the mountain. This area is our focus for the tour, as it offers incredible freeride options, some of the deepest snow and one of the longest ski seasons in Japan.
While our main focus is backcountry snowboarding at Tenjindaira, Minakami is also home to nine resorts spread throughout the area. As this is a powder hunter tour, we keep the itinerary flexible so we can ride at the best resort on the day.
To explore the Minakami area, we have assembled one the of the most experienced teams to date. Your hosts for this tour are local backcountry guide and Japanese snowboard legend Yosuke Nishida, all-time snowboarding pioneer Chad Otterstrom and Kei Ishiuchi our lead Japan guide and Operations Manager.
2026 Dates
25 January - 31 January, 2026
Guest to Guide Ratio
6 guests : 1 guide
Price
Register your interest
Tour Type
Freeride / Backcountry
Why Travel With Mint
In a rapidly changing travel industry it’s important to know that your travel provider is accredited, accountable and responsible. We are a registered member of AFTA and IATA and conduct business in accordance with the ATAS Charter and Code of Conduct. When you travel with Mint you can have peace of mind that you are booking with a qualified and established travel operator with over 20 years of expertise. And as a full-service travel agent, we are able to take care of your insurance, stopovers and pre or post tour arrangements.
Minakami Freeride Tour
Get in touch for a detailed tour itinerary and more info
ABOUT MINAKAMI
Minakami is a small township located in the northern region of Gunma Prefecture. By Joetsu Shinkansen, it takes just 66 minutes from Tokyo to Jomo-Kogen station, the nearest station to Minakami where our guides will meet you. The Minakami area has several different ski areas, each with its own special character, terrain and snowpack. Each day your guides will assess the conditions and decide the best place to go snowboarding based on weather, snowfall and backcountry advisements. The main lifted ski areas we access from our Minakami base are listed here.
ABOUT TENJIN
Tanigawadake Tenjindaira known by many as simply ‘Tenjin’, it’s somewhat of a well-kept secret from the masses, and the local freeride and backcountry community are keen to keep this area quiet too. Tenjin is renowned for receiving massive amounts of snow and it’s generally of great quality thanks to elevation and a favourable aspect. One look at mighty Mt Tanigawadake is enough to realise it has incredible alpine terrain options only limited by your skill, fitness and the conditions. The backcountry at Tenjindaira is pretty much as good as it gets in Japan. The tree riding is amazing.
ABOUT MARUNUMA KOGEN
Marunuma Kogen is another higher altitude area that reaches a neat 2000m. While it doesn’t receive quite as much snow due to its location further inland, it certainly makes up for it in snow quality. You can typically expect to ride light dry blower powder here, days after a storm has passed. Plus, it offers great views of Mt Nikko-Shiransen, the highest peak in the area at 2,578m.There’s also 610m vertical, and a freeride area which is fun to explore for a day. Maybe best of all there’s an onsen on site, the Zazen spring was recently renewed and reopened.
ABOUT WHITE VALLEY
White Valley is located in the Tanigawa Onsen area of Minakami town and within walking distance from our lodge. This is a small and very local ski hill. On powder days, most of the upper area of White Valley is left untouched by the grooming team. There’s typically very little competition for fresh tracks so it always makes for a fun day riding straight off the lifts.
ABOUT HOUDAIGI
Minakami Houdaigi is located on the north-western flanks of Mount Hotaka (Hotakasan) in Minakami town. The resort feels like a locals’ mountain and is rather off the beaten track for westerners. With a relatively high elevation and many of the runs facing due north, the snow quality is typically blower. It’s also a great option to ride when the weather is stormy, as there’s some steep, tight and technical trees to enjoy.
SNOW AND CONDITIONS
The Minakami region scores biggest storm during the months of January and February. What you can expect on this tour is cold temperatures and deep powder. Most days you can expect to ride powder that’s anywhere from boot to waist deep. Even if we don’t get fresh snow overnight, the cold temperatures and our local knowledge will ensure you’ll be able to ride light dry snow days after a storm.