Finley and Campbell Melville Ives are nine year old twins from Wanaka, New Zealand. Fin is a freeskier and Cam is a snowboarder. Fin & Cam live and breathe snow and given the opportunity they would always choose a Northern Hemisphere winter above summer holidays at home. This is about their winter 2016 adventure in Japan with their Mum & Dad. By Karen Melville Ives.
Last October our family sadly waved goodbye to the New Zealand winter. We wouldn’t be skiing or snowboarding for another eight months. But then an amazing opportunity came up to travel during the summer holidays to a snowy destination that we knew very little about…
Imagine a ski resort with wide open groomed trails, mellow undulating terrain interspersed with a few steep pitches and a decent portion of hidden trees runs. Also imagine a world-class 22ft halfpipe and a fun terrain park.
For those of you who have experienced Northern Hemisphere winters, this may well sound a lot like the Colorado resorts of Buttermilk Mountain, Aspen or Breckenridge. However the resort I’m describing is a little more off the average snow-traveller’s beaten track. This is Aomori Spring in Northern Honshu, Japan.
We were told about Aomori Spring by my brother, John Melville, who is contracted to build the halfpipe and terrain park there. So we did a little research and decided that we should ditch our summer plans and head to the snow!
We’ve now been here for two weeks and we’re loving it! So let’s tell you some of the cool things about skiing and riding in Japan and why Aomori Spring Resort could be the perfect place for a family holiday or winter athlete training.
The snow!
Japan gets a lot of snow! In fact, it’s one of the snowiest places on Earth and according to Wikipedia, Sukayu Onsen – just 60 km from Aomori Spring – is one of the snowiest inhabited places on Earth (possibly the snowiest) with an average yearly snowfall of 17.6 m!
With this quantity of snow and the coastal location, you might suspect the snow is heavy. However this is not the case. In fact the snow here is probably the lightest and fluffiest snow we have ever experienced (even compared to the ‘Champagne powder’ of the North American Rockies).
The skiing is wonderful. There’s so much powder and heaps of untracked tree runs. Bring your powder skis and low light goggles! – Fin
Uncrowded runs
Although you’ll come across kids from local schools and some tourists from Tokyo, Aomori Spring is removed from the more popular Japanese ski resorts and off the radar of most snow-loving Westerners. As a consequence, you get more of a genuine Japanese resort experience, rather than a Westernised one. You’ll also find that the slopes are uncrowded and there are very few lift lines.
Terrain park & pipe
While most people come to Japan to ride the powder, the savvier resorts are moving beyond this and providing more to their guests. With the purchase of a 22ft halfpipe shaper and investment in terrain park features, Aomori Spring is developing its freestyle offering. There are significant plans for the future. Watch this space!
If you’re focussing on learning new tricks in the park or pipe, Aomori Spring is the place to go because you always have a soft landing! – Cam
Night riding
The fun doesn’t stop at four o’clock! Just as it starts to go dark (around 5pm), the floodlights are turned on and night riding begins. Unlike other night riding we have experienced, the snow doesn’t set up hard, it stays soft and powdery so you can keep making laps through the terrain park or riding the groomers till you drop.
Accommodation
This resort isn’t in a village but there are a couple of good accommodation options. Stay right on the mountain at Rockwood Spa Hotel and enjoy the benefits of ski-in ski-out access, buffet breakfast and dinner and the open air onsen (Japanese hot pool)!
The onsen is really nice after skiing or snowboarding and a good place to stretch – Cam
Or if you’re wanting to stay for a while, consider the rustic log cabins in the campground 1km down the road. They’re basic but cosy and you can cook your own meals.
After riding during the day, you can build your own jumps, jibs or igloo outside your cabin – Fin
Good value
Let’s face it, ski trips aren’t cheap but there are very expensive places to visit and more affordable. Most resorts in Japan are a lot better value than their North American and European counterparts. A daily lift pass at Aomori Spring costs about NZ$60 and there are half day and night skiing options, as well as good value hotel accommodation/lift pass packages available.
A decent cooked meal on the mountain (chicken curry and rice or a vegetable/meat ramen noodle dish) will set you back only $10-15.
I love the buffet at Rockwood. Every morning I ate chicken curry and rice for breakfast! – Cam
Japanese culture & food
What’s not to love about Japanese culture? Sumo wrestlers, Samurai and Shinto temples are just the beginning. It can be a bit tricky with the language barrier, but the people are kind and friendly, the food is fantastic and the lift lines are orderly! Not to mention the toilet technology…
Heated toilet seats are very practical in this cold weather! – Cam
You need to learn at least three Japanese phrases: Kon’nichiwa (hello), Arigatō (thank you) and Arigatōgozaimasu (thank you very much!) – Fin
Easy access
Although Aomori Spring is a little further away from Tokyo than the popular resorts in Hakuba and Nagano, it is closer than Hokkaido. Aomori City is just three hours from Tokyo by bullet train (Shinkansen) or 1.5 hours by plane. It’s then about a 1-1.5 hours drive to the resort. Pretty much like getting to Wanaka from Auckland.
Final word
Everyday day here is a good day! We usually start by riding powder in the trees and then head to the park and pipe and Fin and Cam practice new tricks. If we have extra energy at the end of the day we take some laps after dinner… and we always end the day with a nice soak in the onsen. Bliss!
[If you want to know more about skiing and riding at Aomori Spring, add a comment or send us an email and we’ll try to point you in the right direction!]
