Toilets that splash you. Robots that serve your dinner. Vending machines that feed you ramen around the clock. We lived on rice balls, matcha ice cream, and pure powder dreams for four weeks straight.
New to the term “Japow”? I break it all down in this this post diving into the adventure.
Watch the trip in 80 seconds — chaos, culture shocks, and powder dreams!
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✈️ ⛩️ How It Started
Four friends, four weeks, and one snowy island that turned everything upside down. I joined our crew as the only girl—packed into a tiny Japanese rental car, buried in boardbags and buzzing with excitement. Chaos? Absolutely. Worth it? Every second.
I thought I had a clue what Japow would be like – but the real thing? Completely next level.
We started our journey flying from Zurich to Sapporo, with a quick pit stop in Tokyo, not that we had any time to see the city. Already during our first hours in Japan, we were thrown straight into the unexpected. Our flight from Tokyo was delayed, and we only had a short window to make the next one. As we walked out into the terminal, a staff member was holding a sign with our names giving us train tickets for the terminal transfer. She sprinted through the airport with us, dodging crowds like a pro, and guided us to the immigration, where we’d already filled out our entry forms to save time. But then… the boardbags. They always take longer. Time was running out fast, and by the time we got to the domestic terminal, the plane had already left.
Still, no panic. The staff, calm as ever, not speaking a word of English, used a tablet and Google Translate to communicate with us, and just rebooked us onto the next flight an hour later without a blink. That was our first impression of Japanese hospitality: efficient, fast, and somehow still polite while running through an airport at top speed.
🚗 🍜 Luggage Tetris & Vending Machine Ramen
We picked up our hilariously rental car – four people, four boardbags, four suitcases, backpacks… and serious doubts. Japanese cars are compact and squared-off, and ours looked like a real-life game of luggage Tetris. But after some creative pushing and stacking, it all squeezed in. Barely. It was a little box on wheels, but packed with sensors, heated seats, and pure Japanese efficiency.
One night in Sapporo, and we were already hit with the first dose of Japanese chaos: vending machines on every corner, selling everything from hot coffee to ice cream. Our first ramen experience came via vending machine too, we clicked our choices, paid, handed over the ticket, and minutes later had steaming, salty bowls in front of us. Jetlagged and hungry, it was exactly what we needed.
🎮 🛁 First Impressions & Culture Shocks
Then came the shopping center: a full-on sensory overload with flashing lights, sound effects, and whole floors dedicated to arcade games and capsule toy machines—some filled with the most random and honestly trashy little toys. Our friend was obsessed, and anytime we lost him, we knew exactly where to find him: standing in front of a capsule machine like a kid in a toy store. There were also photo booths—super popular—where you follow pose instructions on the screen, snap a bunch of kawaii-style pics, and then go wild editing them with filters, stickers, and sparkles. So Japanese. So fun. That night, we also visited our first onsen—open until 1 a.m., which felt wild compared to Swiss indoor pools that usually close by 9 or 10 p.m. The whole ritual was something else: slipping into the hotel-provided onsen clothes and wooden slippers, sitting on tiny plastic chairs, and intensely scrubbing yourself before stepping into the steaming hot bath with strangers. At first, I felt lost—unsure of what to do and totally out of place. And since the baths are gender-separated, I was on my own. But after watching others and giving it a go, I eased into the rhythm of it.
It’s definitely a different culture – but a beautiful, calming one once you get the hang of it. An onsen bath became part of our daily routine after riding—nothing like soaking in a hot onsen to recover from a full day in the snow.
It was the first of many little surprises Japan had in store for us. The next day, our first convenience store breakfast—7-Eleven rice balls, fried chicken, smoothies, decent coffee. Then, finally, we were itching for our first turns. Rusutsu was our first stop. No fresh snow, sadly. But that didn’t stop us.
❄️ 🚱 No Fresh Snow, Still Stoked
For the next two weeks, our little wooden house outside Niseko became our home base. The first week was dry, no fresh snow, but we still chased leftover powder at the resorts we rode: Rusutsu, Kiroro, Niseko, Kokusai, and Asarigawa Onsen. We found secret tree runs, hidden fields, and even a forgotten forest in Rusutsu with untouched snow days after the last snowfall. That’s the magic of Japan: the powder stays perfect, just waiting for someone to find it.
Japanese ski resorts are a world of their own. Some of them are absolutely enormous, with grand entrances, long carpeted hallways, and big, open lobbies that feel more like a hotel than a ski area. Every lift has speakers playing whimsical music. Safety signs warn you about snow falling from trees. Attendants at gondolas greet you at the bottom and thank you at the top. In Niseko, I rode the legendary “pizza box” lift—no back, no bar, just vibes. Actually, most of the lifts we encountered in Japan were really old, with strange safety bars or sometimes no backrests at all. It was definitely a bit sketchy at first, but you get used to it quickly—and honestly, it just added to the charm. More insights and tips about the resorts will follow in one of my next blog posts
🏂 🗻 Touring Trouble & Skyline Views
One morning, we hiked Iwaonupuri under a deep blue sky dotted with clouds. Naturally, I lost a screw from my setup and had to fix it with a cable tie, peak professionalism. To make things even better, my skins wouldn’t stick properly either, classic. Luckily, I scored new ones in town and we were good to go. At the summit, Mt. Yotei stood in full glory, with the sea shimmering in the distance. That view hit different.
Day 8 changed everything – the snow finally started, and it didn’t stop. From then on, it was Japow heaven. Kiroro gave us one unforgettable day with 60–70 cm on the slopes. It was the kind of snow that swallows you whole, in the best way. After just one turn, I was completely overwhelmed. Vision gone, sound muffled, gravity irrelevant. I felt like I had vanished into a dream. It was pure joy, and I couldn’t stop smiling the entire way down.
🚧 🗺️ Roadblocks, Detours & Escape Plans
After our Niseko chapter, we headed east for a short ride day at Tomamu, Hoshino Resorts before setting sights on Furano. On the way there, we had one of those classic Japan moments. Roads started closing all around us due to heavy snowfall, and we kept having to turn around, again and again. What should’ve been a straightforward drive turned into a maze of detours and delays—but somehow, it just added to the adventure. Luckily, we made it out and back again in one piece.
We had originally booked a hotel in Asahikawa, thinking we’d base ourselves there. But once we arrived in Furano and saw the snow conditions deep, perfect, irresistible knew we had to stay. The catch? the front desk staff of our Asahikawa hotel didn’t speak any English, so we couldn’t explain or cancel. So we improvised: we checked in, dropped off our empty boardbags in the room to hold it, and then simply… vanished for three days to chase the powder in Furano. I still wonder what the hotel staff thought of that empty room with just boardbags in it!
In Furano, we discovered a steep, untouched tree zone that became our playground for three days straight. Screaming through the woods, ducking into couloirs, wiping out, laughing—it felt like being a kid again.
🤖 🚽 City Vibes, Robot Waiters & Toilet Pranks
Before heading back west, we finally spent a few days in the hotel in Asahikawa, snowboarding at Kamui Ski Links and soaking in the local vibes.
We even got to explore the city a bit and catch the Asahikawa Snow Festival, with its glowing ice sculptures and wintry charm. We also noticed something hilariously unique: some locals carry their dog poop in little fishing-net-style bags. Practical? Maybe. Unexpected? Definitely. And one night, to top it all off, we were served by an actual robot in a restaurant – classic Japan! Our hotel in Asahikawa also had a little surprise: a sake tasting station in the lobby with eight different kinds of sake to try. Of course, we sampled them all. Right next to it, there was a full waxing station for snowboards – geared up with every wax, brush, and tool you could possibly need. And the moment you finished, a member of the cleaning staff magically appeared to tidy it all up. I honestly felt a bit bad!
One night, I pranked my boyfriend by stealing the toilet remote from our hotel room while he was using it. Let’s just say Japanese toilets are capable of some serious splash damage, complete with light, sound, and even a burst of perfume. It’s like a spa, if the spa had a sense of humor.
We missed karaoke nights, but wandered through the Asahikawa Snow Festival, where glowing ice sculptures lit up the streets. We peeked into loud, flashy pachinko parlors – confusing and overwhelming, with endless rows of identical machines and that signature metallic soundtrack. There’s a secret backhouse where you’re supposed to exchange winnings for cash, but no one tells you how to find it – good luck! We never figured out how the game actually works and, of course, ended up walking out without a win. We also visited snowboard shops with hand-shaped boards that looked too beautiful to ride.
🍣 🎲 Food Roulette & Snack Obsession
Japan fed us well – with curiosity and mild regret. In local restaurants, our friends ordered things I’d never dare try, like seaweed salad that foamed in your mouth, deep-fried aorta, and chicken neck. Luckily, I only had to take a bite and not finish the whole thing. The flavors were bold, the textures… surprising, and every time we left, we smelled like fried fish. A badge of honor, I guess!
We quickly noticed menus had maybe two or three non-alcoholic drinks… and then three full pages of alcohol. It’s like the default assumption is you’re drinking, no questions asked! In some spots, we had to take off our shoes at the entrance and sit on the floor, which was charming – until I kept forgetting to switch into the provided toilet slippers. And worse: forgetting to take them off after. Total tourist giveaway!
Instead of fresh-brewed tea, we were sometimes handed green tea powder to stir into hot water. Not exactly gourmet, but hey, it added to the charm. Every day we grabbed weird snacks from 7-Eleven: squid chips, fish-flavored nuts, and desserts with textures I’ll never understand, perfect for our nightly card games.
By week two, I was basically surviving on ramen, rice balls, and egg sandwiches. Saving grace? Matcha ice cream. Life-changing. Sushi in Japan? Ruins sushi everywhere else. And McDonald’s? You can get a McChicken… with shrimp inside the meat. No joke!
🎌 🎎 Last Powder & The Souvenir Thing
At the very end, it was again Kiroro’s turn to blow our minds. In the last two weeks, two meters of snow fall had buried stairs, signs, and pretty much everything in between. We spent our final days there, and it felt like the perfect closing chapter to the trip. So much fun, so many powder laps, and that kind of perfect snow that makes you forget time exists.
Before flying home, we spent one last night in Sapporo. Everything went smoothly – finally, no stress at the airport! But not without one final mini-adventure: hunting for the weirdest souvenirs for our friends back home. We searched through convenience stores and souvenir shops for the most bizarre treats we could find; wasabi KitKats, fried squid snacks, and strange packages we couldn’t even identify but looked too weird to leave behind. Laughing and slightly confused, we packed them up anyway, knowing they’d get a reaction back home. Japan just never stops surprising you. It’s a vibe.
👋 🎌 The End… For Now
By the end, I had bruises on my legs from a few good tree crashes, an addiction to green tea, and a heart full of powder turns and magical landscapes. Japan is wild and weird and deeply beautiful. I thought I could imagine what Japow meant before this trip – but now I really know. Already dreaming of the next Japow mission.
What do you want to hear more about?
Resorts? Gear? Budget tips? Or maybe the chaos behind those tree crashes? 😅
Drop your questions or ideas in the comments – I’ll use them to shape the next post. Let’s plan the next Japow mission together! 🏂❄️
Media: All footage is owned by me. Some images were generated using Midjourney AI.
What a nice experience you must have had! Reading this makes me wanna go and experience the same!
thx again for your great illustrated impressions from Japan
feels like beeing there…