​Tohoku Storm Chaser Itinerary
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Days 1-4 base in the Morioka Area

• Six different ski hills, each with its own weather conditions and specialties and no competition for our powder!
• Storm chase on any given day to the best possible hill with the highest chances of the best pow
• Get out of ski towns and stay in real towns not populated by tourists
• Travel at 320kph/200mph as you take the bullet train to access the untracked Japow
• Into the Après-ski scene?  An endless supply of nightlife from Izakayas to craft beer joints offering local brews
• CAT ski on one of our days at an extinct resort that has a powder exclusively reserved for our Tohoku Storm Chaser groups
• Food is key. Optional dinner reservations for the group with highlights including a dinner/dance performance and a noodle eating competition all arranged by your guide

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Days 5-8 base in Hakkoda Area

• Ski what is fast becoming the next slack-backcountry sensation in Japan; the Hakkoda Ropeway. Offering up an immeasurably huge annual snowfall (well beyond what Niseko gets annually), great terrain and excellent steeps, skiing Hakkoda is truly a must for powder hunters
  
• Hakkoda is finally getting attention but there's so much more on offer in this region than is at first visible 
• We stay in the heart of Northern Honshu--Aomori. Isolated from mainstream Japan for most of its existence, the people of Aomori have their own deep traditions, dialect and  let's not forget about the food!
• Play music, learn traditional dancing, and eat the best regional specialties in this unique northern gem (optional dancing of course)

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​Day 1: Meet the group!

Three options to meet up with the group

Option 1: Meet at Hanamaki Airport (HNA) "Hana Shop and Cafe" on the first floor at 5:30pm

Option 2: Meet at Morioka Station South Exit by 6:45pm
Morioka Station is a bullet train station located just over 2 hours from Tokyo. To get there by 6:45pm, we recommend catching the 4:20pm bullet train from Tokyo Station. 
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Option 3: Meet the tour at the Dormy Inn Morioka Hotel at 7:30pm. 

How do you get there? See our Logistics page for more information. 

​Days 2-5: Storm Chase in the Iwate region
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The area surrounding Morioka is exploding with ski hills in every direction. Depending on the conditions, we'll hit Geto Kogen, Tazawako, Hachimantai Panorama, Shizukuishi, Appi Kogen or one of the smaller Shimokura, Amihari or Iwate Snowpark ski hills. With so many options sometimes it can be hard to choose!

​One of the days we'll hire out a CAT and ski down an abandoned ski hill. More info about what to expect from the CAT here.

​This section of the trip does involve a fair amount of driving. Every day you can expect to travel 45 minutes to 1.5 hours to a ski hill in one of our 4x4 Adventure Vans.

Each night we'll be heading back to the vibrant city of Morioka where we'll have reservations to the best local cuisine (see our food page here) and have an abundance of nightlife options, if that's what you're into. 

On the evening of day 5 we'll pack up our things and head 2 hours north to Aomori--where the next destination of Hakkoda is located. 

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​Days 6-7: Ski Hakkoda in Aomori 

Hakkoda is one of best undiscovered gems left to be found in the Japow universe. In the same fashion as Asahidake in Hokkaido, Hakkoda is a single tram that opens up incredible backcountry terrain. Depending on where we want to go, one run can take 30 minutes or 3 hours, which is why we spend two days at this incredible hill. At Hakkoda, it's all about the quality of a run, not the quantity. 

Our two days in Hakkoda are backcountry days which are accessed by a tram. That means that while the tram takes care of 90% of elevation gain, we'll still be hiking anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes per run on terrain that varies from flat traverses to moderate climbs. Since we'll be doing 2 runs per day, that means we'll be touring for between 1-3 hours per day. 

​If you have your own touring equipment, you will definitely want to bring it for these two days. If you don't have your own gear we'll have snowshoes available for you to use along with an avalanche safety set which are available to rent at checkout. 

More than just skiing, Aomori is a unique and interesting culture with its own traditions, dialect and yes--amazing local food. In this town we'll be eating sushi, seeing two musical performances and can even learn some traditional dances (participation optional!). 
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Day 8: The end of the tour
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If you opt to buy the Tohoku JR East Rail Pass (which is the recommended option as see in Logistics), you can take the bullet train on the morning of the last day and be back at Tokyo by noon or Narita Airport (NRT) by 3:30pm.

Thinking of other endings? See advanced options here (i.e. Extend your ski holiday; take bullet train from Aomori to Hokkaido and ski Niseko, Furano, Sapporo Teine etc.)
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Pro tip: If you're planning on staying in Tokyo for a few days at the end of the trip, note that you can mail your ski bag for about 2,000yen straight to the NRT or HND airports. That way you won't have to lug your bags around! More information on this is in the Logistics section. 

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