Pre-Season Update: Japow 2024/2025

With less than three months until the Japanese snow resorts start welcoming guests, we thought it would be a great time to update you on the upcoming season.

Japan: The Secret is out

The Snow Concierge team has been incredibly busy preparing for this season. We’ve known for years just how epic ‘Japanuary’ can be, but it seems that even more people are coming around to the idea, with many of our Aussie clients opting for January to head to the Japanese ski resorts. (Whereas our US clients tend to get their Japow fix in February.)

It seems that many people who usually ski or snowboard in Europe & North America have decided to try Japan instead this year. The shorter flight time, lack of time difference & weaker yen are all reason enough to consider Japan. When you add in the lack of crowds, it’s really not a hard decision to make.

This increased demand has had a significant impact on the availability of premium accommodation in some of the more popular resorts, many properties booking out 12 months in advance – especially for the peak January period.

What does this mean if you haven’t booked yet?

Late Accommodation Available

The good news is that there are still plenty of options available for the 2024/2025 Japanese snow season with some resorts yet to release rates (or rooms) yet. A peculiarity of the Japanese snow market is that many Japanese-owned properties release their pricing much closer to winter.

While many properties in the better-known resorts are fully booked, many other resort options will only be available to book from the start of September.

So, if you haven’t got your accommodation locked in yet – there’s no need to stress.

These options won’t necessarily be in the more western resorts, but that’s not such a bad thing in our book – there are some great accommodation options coming online & you won’t have to share the mountain with other international visitors. And for the cost conscious, rates for accommodation & food can be a lot less than some of the big-name resorts.

But don’t sleep on this opportunity, as the window for booking for this season is starting to get a lot smaller.

Please reach out if you’re keen – these rooms won’t last long.

Free Wi-Fi on ANA

Once you have your accommodation sorted, you’ll need to lock in flights. Flight prices have been fluctuating a bit of late but we’re seeing some fairly competitive economy fares across ANA, Japan Airlines & Qantas. If you’re keen to fly up the front of the plane, ANA currently has the best business-class fares from Sydney to Tokyo. As a bonus, ANA now offers free Wi-Fi for business-class passengers on all international flights. (Now we don’t necessarily advocate working on a flight, but this is a great option if you’re on a ‘bleisure’ trip & want to get the work squared away before you arrive!)

La Niña Watch

The very best ski trips involve a few magical ingredients – great people, great vibes & great snow. Japan is very well set up to deliver on all these elements, but especially the snow! Regardless of the dominant weather pattern you can expect excellent snow conditions across Japan.

And there's a good chance of even better snowfall this year due to potential La Niña conditions. The Japan Meteorological Agency has indicated there is 60% chance that La Niña will arrive in time for winter, meaning a very good chance of heavy snowfall in the 2024/2025 Japanese season. And that’s something to get excited about!

Ready to plan your dream winter getaway? Get in touch, or follow us on Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates, exclusive offers, & a chance to connect with other snow lovers!

Wishing you Peace, Love & Powder Days!

The Snow Concierge ❄️