Greetings from Appi Kogen! We’ve been champing at the bit to get back to Appi after our last visit for a couple of reasons. First up we needed to confirm it really was as good as we’d remembered (spoiler alert: it is!!)

When it’s summer in Australia, it can sometimes be hard to get your head around packing for a winter snow trip. We get it, it’s 30 degrees outside, you’d rather be at the beach and you’re having to pull out thermals and winter coats.

The great news is that Japan is now open to visitors after a very long two and a half year hiatus. But like many countries navigating a post COVID world, it’s not quite as simple as just turning up to the airport, passport in hand.

The 2023 season in Japan is off to a cracking start with strong early snowfalls greeting skiers and boarders who have been starved of powder for the past two seasons.

We weren’t on the first flight out of Sydney to Tokyo after Japan reopened but we came pretty close! After a long 2 & 1/2 years of closures, we’re finally back in Tokyo.