About Us
Japow.travel exists for one reason: to help you have the best possible ski trip to Japan – with less fluff, fewer tabs open, and more time spent in the trees.
We’re obsessed with Japan’s snow, resorts, and mountain towns, and we built Japow.travel as the guide we always wished existed when planning our own trips.
What Japow.travel is
Japow.travel is an independent ski travel site based in Australia & Japan, focused entirely on skiing and snowboarding in Japan.
Instead of trying to cover every mountain on earth, we go deep on one thing:
- Resort reviews with real pros/cons, not brochure copy
- “Best of” lists that explain why something is worth your time
- Practical guides to food, onsen, etiquette, transport, and more
- Comparisons (Japan vs Australia, Hokkaido vs Honshu, resort vs resort) so you can pick what actually suits your crew
It’s built for people who care about snow quality, terrain and crowds – not just how fancy the base village looks on Instagram.
The Japow Score
Every resort on Japow.travel gets a Japow Score – our shorthand for “How good is this, really, if you’re chasing Japow?”
The score blends three things we actually care about:
- Snowfall – how much it snows and how often it stays cold and dry
- Crowds & lifts – how likely you are to get fresh tracks and how painful the lift system is
- Terrain & tree riding – how fun the hill is once you’re off the groomers
The idea is simple: if you’re trying to decide between Resort A and Resort B for a limited number of days, the Japow Score and breakdown help you choose fast.
If you want the full nerdy breakdown, you can read more on the How we rate resorts (Japow Score) page.
Who Japow.travel is for
Japow.travel is written primarily for:
- Intermediate to advanced skiers and riders who care about snow quality and terrain
- Powder chasers planning dedicated Japow missions
- First-timers to Japan who don’t want to make obvious mistakes on their first trip
- Families and mixed-ability groups trying to balance kids, beginners, and powder hounds
We try to keep things clear and honest: no endless jargon, but enough detail that experienced riders still get something useful.
How to use the site
A quick way to get around Japow.travel:
- Reviews – deep dives on individual ski resorts, with Japow Scores, snapshots, and where to stay
- Best Of – curated lists (hidden gems, best for families, first-timers, etc.)
- Guides – food, onsen, trip logistics, hiring guides, and more
- Compare – side-by-side comparisons (Japan vs Australia, Hokkaido vs Honshu, resort matchups)
- Explore – a more visual way to browse destinations and ideas when you’re still in the “dreaming” phase
Start broad with Best Of or Compare, then drill down to individual resort reviews once you’ve shortlisted a few areas.
Who’s behind Japow Travel
Behind the site is a small crew of snow-obsessed humans who:
- Plan winters around Japan’s snow rather than school holiday calendars
- Care more about storm cycles, treelines, and liftlines than hotel lobbies
- Spend an unreasonable amount of time checking maps, snowfall stats, and resort details so you don’t have to
We’re constantly updating and expanding the site as we explore more regions, revisit old favourites, and refine how we rate and compare resorts.
Our promise
When you land on Japow.travel, here’s what you can expect:
- Useful, honest information you can actually plan a trip with
- Clear pros and cons, not just “everything is amazing”
- No resort pay-to-win in ratings or reviews
- A focus on snow, terrain, and experience, not just marketing gloss
If you spot something out of date, think we’ve missed an angle, or want to suggest a resort, guide, or comparison, we’d love to hear from you.
📩 Say hi: hello@japow.travel