Fifteen Years in Japan

Words by Adam Ü | Photos by Grant Gunderson

On an early trip to Myoko, Adam Ü shows what makes him keep returning to the area. **Grant Gunderson**

When Grant Gunderson and I first visited Japan 15 years ago, it was life changing. Up until that point, most of my professional ski career consisted of trips to Europe, complete with ropes, sharps and skiing over rocks. Japan was more similar to Grant and my home resort, Mt. Baker Ski Area. Japan’s combination of continuous deep snow and so few people reminded me of the “it was so much better back then” stories from Baker’s old guard.

While I wasn’t skiing steep, exposed lines like I had in Europe, all that soft snow in Japan was not without its own set of hazards. Grant and I both had close calls with snow immersion on our second day of skiing over there, and our crew immediately adopted new safety protocols to keep each other in sight. We had to have at least one person ready to rescue, up high, out of frame, with a shovel ready to go in case one of us plugged into the snowpack after an air.

Ü takes flight on his first trip to Myoko and lands on the cover of *Telemark Magazine*. **Grant Gunderson**

The people, the culture and the food were amazing. By the end of our two-week trip, we had both seen enough to vow to return every year for the rest of our lives. Grant and I have both missed a few years, but the sentiment is still there. I can’t think of a better place on the planet to experience powder skiing and a welcoming cultural experience that’s different from home.

Nothing will top that first trip for me, but I’ve had many more trips, and they’ve all been memorable in some way or another. Every time I go back, I ski the best snow and eat the best food of my life.

This photo from Ü and Gunderson’s third trip to Japan made the rounds of ski magazine covers worldwide. **Grant Gunderson**

One year, I put together a crew of friends, and K2 lent me their Airstream trailer and a truck, plus legendary Japanese mogul skier Takehiro Sakamoto. He guided us around Hokkaido for two weeks, during which time Grant met up with us at Rusutsu. We had a blast for the first two weeks but, after the rest of the crew left, Take and I took the rig on the ferry down to Honshu where I got to hang out with him and his friends for a week. That last week was extra special as it was a true “local” experience. While we were hanging out in Nozawaonsen, we noticed that all of them were wearing Sorel boots while I was the only one wearing the classic Japanese construction worker boots. I’m still friends with many of the folks I met with Take.

Conditions are always a gamble when you travel, even in Japan where it can rain to the top in January, but there are plenty of other activities to pivot to. I’m generally not a city person, but I love spending time in Tokyo on my way out. No matter what you want to do, there’s probably an entire neighborhood of Tokyo specializing in that thing. My vice is guitar shopping, so I like to spend time in Ochanomizu and Shibuya.

KC Deane finds post-ski snacks in Nozawaonsen. **Grant Gunderson**

A lot has changed in the past 15 years, but the biggest difference is the number of Western visitors. On our first trip to Myoko in the Japanese Alps, Grant and I met up with the tourism folks to discuss our project. Places like Hakuba, Nozawa and Niseko were already on the map, but Myoko was relatively unknown to the point that ski areas and hotels were at risk of closing down. The tourism board was desperate to get more eyes on the region. We told them we could likely help.

We published stories about that first trip in a few outlets, and the next year we saw a few more people in Myoko. The second year, we published a few more articles, including in France and Scandinavia and subsequently saw more tourists from both countries the following winter. From there, the growth exploded. Nowadays, Myoko’s booked out during the winter, and there are Westerners buying up hotels and offering guided trips everywhere. We can’t claim it was all our fault, but I can’t help but wonder what the true locals think.

On their first trip to Nozowaonsen together, Ü and Gunderson captured this shot. **Grant Gunderson**

While the growth was positive in some ways, it also had its downfalls. I’ve encountered visitors, including pro media teams, that have been blatantly poaching lifts without lift tickets, skiing in closed areas and behaving inappropriately. As a guest, I try to represent myself better by respecting the locals, and I’d like to see more respect for the local culture from visitors.

With more people exploring, it’s getting harder to find that “all by yourself” experience, but it’s still possible. Otherwise, the cultural experience, and especially the food experience, is worth the price of admission. And you can still probably find the best snow of your life on any given day on the hill.