4-day snowboarding tour in Rishiri Island, Japan
Join JMGA-certified guide Toshiya on a 4-day/5-night off-piste snowboarding trip in the magical Rishiri Island, in Japan.
4 Days
Jan - Mar
Intermediate
Beginner
Description
Rishiri is a small, circular island in the Sea of Japan, located off the coast of Hokkaido, the second largest island in Japan. Rishiri covers 183 km2, and is formed by the cone-shaped extinct volcanic peak of Mount Rishiri (1,721m), which stands out from afar.
Rishiri Island is a perfect destination for ski touring and snowboarding. Its mountains offer great backcountry terrain of different difficulties, with a combination of alpine and forest landscape, and loads of amazing powder snow!
The exact itinerary of our trip will depend on the snow and weather conditions. In order to save time and energy, every day will begin with a snowmobile ride across long valleys, and we will then ascend to remote locations in the mountains using splitboards. We will split the group in twos based on acquaintances and/or skill level, and another mountain guide and myself will lead each subgroup.
We will spend the nights at a ryokan, a traditional Japanese guesthouse that my family and I own. After a tiring climbing day, you will be able to relax in an onsen (hot spring bath) and taste some sophisticated Japanese dishes, many of them including delicious local seafood.
While this is a 4-day trip, I recommend participants to arrive one day earlier and depart the day after the tour ends, staying in Rishiri for 5 nights (included in the trip’s price).
Join this exciting snowboarding trip and enjoy a real Japanese experience! Send me your booking request now.
Check out a ski touring version of this program. If you are looking for other winter activities in Rishiri Island, I recommend the snowshoe trekking trip. If you would like to learn more about Rishiri, take a look at the article Winter in Rishiri, backcountry skiing in a remote Japanese island.
Price includes
- Accommodation included
- Guiding fee
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Price details
- The price includes accommodation with breakfast and dinner.
- When booking, please note that the price depends on the size of the group at that time. If the group size is larger by the time of the trip, the difference will be refunded. If the group is smaller, then participants will have to cover the difference.
- Onsen Tax is included in the price.
Details
More info
Equipment: Given there are no rental places in the island, you will need to bring all your snowboarding gear and safety equipment. Additionally, participants should have medical insurance, which should cover mountain rescue operations.
Transportation: I can help you arrange your transportation from the ferry terminal or the airport to the guesthouse, if needed.
Weather: Winter temperatures in Rishiri Island are around -5℃ and can feel below -15℃ due to strong winds.
Meeting point
About the guide
-Toshiya
4.8
(22)
Ski Guide
I was born on the island of Rishiri in 1969. I still live here today! Since my childhood, I have spent most of my time in the sea, going fishing, and in the mountain going skiing. I’m a ski guide (level 2) from the Japanese Mountain Guide Association. I’m the only one on the island. I have reached the summit of Rishiri more than 500 times… It’s my great pleasure to guide here and let people from all around the world discover this beautiful island all year round. Please feel free to get in touch with me if you are looking for a local expert to guide you in Rishiri. Besides mountain guiding, I'm managing a family hostel here so I can help you with the accommodation as well.
Languages
Japanese | English
Certificates
JMGA
What people are saying about -Toshiya
We had an amazing experience on Rishiri, perfect snow, good weather and a guide who knows the island like his pocket. The very steep slopes and the overwhelming nature satisfied every wish we had. We have been looking for a guided tour avoiding the normal tracks on Hokkaido and then saw the pictures of the floating mountain. And definitively the adventure included. We went to the southern part of the island, as Toshi-san knew that there would be the best snow conditions. The first 5km we have been toed in by a snow mobile and then climbed up a several times, riding different gullies each time. Toshi-san is an amazing person, always happy, friendly and very welcoming. As said before, he knows every bit of the island and guided accordingly bringing us to breathtaking places. We all would and will totally recommend him to friends visiting Japan. The reality was much better than expectations! We had some concerns regarding the weather conditions and difficulty but got lucky with the weather and never felt that Toshi chose a route too difficult. Rishiri is a floating mountain! Steep like in the Swiss alps, but just one single mountain, which makes the it much more imposant. On the sunny day, we could see the Sibirian mainland. What are your top 3 memories during the trip ? Riding very steep slopes in perfect snow, Toshi-san with his warm and welcoming attitude, and the travel to get there and back
Our two guides have been really great and showed us the beauty of Rishiri and Rebun Island by sharing their knowledge and passion. We did learn a lot about the flora on Japan's most Northern islands! Rishiri-Zan was a great, pleasant summer hike and must be beautiful and fun for ski touring in Winter time. thanks again!
denis
We had a great trip, no powder but fabulous Spring ski, thanks to Toshiya who is super friendly and excellent at picking the right route according to the weather especially in windy conditions. Thanks a lot
Mikko
Outstanding service in pension and guiding.
Ben
Had a great time on Rishiri with Toshi. He really knows how to make the best out of all weather conditions. Had some of the best skiing of my life, plus the food was great!
You may also like
Join our newsletter!
Stay up-to-date on the best adventures.