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Japan is, essentially, just a continuous
string of volcanoes that popped out of the sea some years back, off of the
east coast of Asia. I am no geologist, but roughly speaking, that is what
Japan consists of.
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Today it is approximately 90% mountainous, with
a fairly large portion of them volcanoes, either extinct, dormant
or..gulp!..active.
Japan also has a large and fairly extensive ski
industry, certainly the most concentrated, if not the biggest, in the world. It
goes without saying that on this island chain the size of California, the
volcanoes and the ski industry are going to collide.
A friend of mine from my home town in Vermont
is a member of the geology faculty at Wittenberg University (USA). He told me,
to my suprise, many mountains were volcanoes in their past. Even the Green
Mountains, nowadays little more than weather-beaten hills, and home to
Vermont`s famous (or is that infamous?) ski industry? His reply was that yes it
could have been possible. When? My memory is fuzzy on the subject, but it seems
that either 50,000 years ago, or 500,000 years ago was the answer. I guess they
didn`t have carving skis and high-speed quads in those days? I suppose if it
was 500,000 years ago they may not have had snow, just primordial soup. It is a
safe bet that there were no snow-making machines then to make up for any lack
of natural snowfall either.
Given its geologic activity and proclivities,
volcanoes are a big part of the Japanese ski scene, just as they are a big part
of many other things in Japan. It is even possible in Kyushu Region to ski on a
nearly constantly active (though, obviously not too strongly) volcano. It has a
short season of snow, approximately a month, but that season is extended by
using some kind of artificial surface on the slope.
Of course any discussion of Japan and
volcanoes, is not complete without the Japanese national symbol Mt. Fuji (or
"Fuji-SAN" in Japanese). Mount Fuji is not actually host to any ski
areas itself, but it is the most climbed mountain in the world, and at least a
handful of those climbers are daring enough to bring their skis and boards. How
is the skiing on Fuji-San? Well, I have never been on it....yet, but I have
talked to people who have. The quote I remember best goes something like this;
"I have never been more scared skiing in my life - Fuji san was so big and
there was so much snow...you never knew if you were going off a cliff or
something". This comes from, hands down, the most "fearless"
recreational skier I have ever met, who had a habit of jumping OVER 30 feet
tall trees at Aomori Prefectures’s Hakkoda Ropeway. It kind of makes you
wonder what kind of guts it took for that Slovenian man to ski Everest-SAN?
The Japanese ski industry has it’s own
dominant landmark of a volcano. Next to the famous Niseko resort in Hokkaido is
the famous Mount Yotei. Like Fuji it is not host to ski lifts itself, but
because the nearby Niseko resort (one of Japan’s most popular) has a large
and unimpeded view of the volcano, it has become the "symbol" of
Japanese skiing. My first view of it was on a website for a tour company that
goes to Niseko. The picture of it, and the Niseko skier frolicking in a
veritable "white-wash" of powder was so striking that I instantly
made a few copies, and plastered them all over a newsletter I edit for an
outdoor club. Do people ski Yotei-San? Well, I don’t know for sure, but if
people ski Mt. Fuji, I think its a safe bet.
Here in Iwate, where I have lived for the past
two and half years, we also have our "dominant" volcano, Iwate-San.
To make it even more interesting, like Mt. Bandai in Fukushima (host to
Alts-Bandai ski area, I believe) it has been "showing signs of increased
geological activity". So now one has the privilege of skiing in Iwate
prefecture, looking at the majestic mountain-scape, and wondering(in all
likelihood, irrationally) if Iwate will suddenly explode in a cataclysmic, St.
Helens SAN-like explosion followed by pyroclastic flow (Isn’t it amazing what
living 12 miles/20 kilometers from an active volcano will do to your
vocabulary?) removing organic life from any existence for miles. Perhaps such a
thought adds to the "adventure" of the days skiing? Anyways, I’m a
fatalist, if it’s my time, then it is, and nothing can be done about it.
Realistically, geologists in Japan are first rate (they HAVE to be!), and
should an eruption be probable, ski areas would not be open, they’ve been
shut down before due to Mother Nature, and in all likelihood, again, on this
patch of "geological activity" that also happens to be a country.
That aside, if you are willing to risk it you
will find that Iwate-SAN and its ridges are host to some of the best skiing in
Tohoku. In all, there are seven ski areas in the vicinity of Iwate-SAN (one
extinct, in the monetary, not geological sense) all quite different from the
other, yet each one is a very good ski area in it’s own right, and each has a
wonderful, picturesque view of Iwate Prefecture’s centerpiece.
Best known as the 1993 Alpine Skiing World
Championships Ill-fated host, it lies on a ridge at a roughly south east plain
to Mount Iwate. It is known for harsh weather, penny-pinching management, and
probably the best racing terrain in the country. It has two gondolas that lead
up to two peaks on the ridge, and some really good trail skiing. On the Ladies
Downhill Gondola, next to the terminus, my friends and I caught sight of a
small camera-like machine aimed toward Iwate-SAN last winter. We hypothesized
it was:
A) A laser beam used to "stun, or
dematerialize" out of bounds skiers.
B) A movie/video camera used to make
"off-color" movies of local bears and deer in mating season.
C) A geological contraption used to measure
Iwate-SAN for changes in regards to its impending eruption.
D) The result of another government-sponsored
work project, whose aim was to combat the unemployment rate and actually serves
no functional purpose.
Needless to say, the view of Iwate-SAN, the
surrounding area, and two other ski areas is first rate, perhaps the best of
all ski areas mentioned in this article. This view has an international
reputation, as my cousin, who has never been to Japan, vividly remembers the
view from watching the 93`championships on television
This is the one Mt Iwate ski area that just
does not have one special feature that jumps out at you. It is a
budget-oriented, family ski resort, that has just enough advanced skiing to
keep an expert busy for a weekend. Off to the right of the main peak is a bowl
that looks GREAT from Shizukushi, actually a little off to the side of the
peak. Through an American who used to volunteer weekends with the ski school
there, I found that the bowl is somewhat dangerous, and the ski area requires
that you hire a guide. It looks like it would be worth it. If you want to
venture on you own, be careful, as the ski patrol are efficient, ever-vigilant,
and not afraid to clip a lift ticket, foreign or Japanese. The biggest
readily-available benefit of the proximity to Iwate-SAN? The "onsen"
(hot-spring) next to the ski area is first rate. The onsen and the ski area are
both favorites among the locals who want to avoid the tourists who flock to
Appi, Shizukuishi, Hachimantai Ski Area, and Resort.
It is next to Amihari, halfway between the
summit of Iwate and Amihari. I can not tell you much more about it, as it has
been closed the three winters I have been here. When I first arrived, I got the
polite Japanese answer was that it was closed due to "increased volcanic
activity". Now that I have been here long enough to have "inside
sources", I know that it was not the volcano, but the management, they
were losing a lot of money. The "volcano" excuse was a little fishy,
as the other five resorts continue to operate, and Hachimantai Resort is in an
even more dangerous position, nestled at the base. I suppose if you don’t
want to pay for a lift ticket, and risk trespassing you can hike up yourself,
but why bother as there is some great skiing around here.
"Resort" is literally one of the best
places to learn how to ski in Japan, with its gentle rolling slopes, good local
lodging, and abundance of "onsens" (hot springs) to soak out the
bruises and wounds left by a days learning. It also is the closest ski area to
the peak of Mt. Iwate. It is nestled right at the base of the mountain, and not
far beyond the top ski lift is the point where the mountain really juts out of
the ground and leads up to the main crater. The imposing view of Iwate SAN, in
all it’s splendor, from here is incredible. It also has a good view of the
secondary crater, the one that is currently active, which for most of last
winter was emitting steam. In all my curiosity, I thought it fascinating to
look at. However this fascination was not shared by everyone I knew. One of my
friends chose not to look at it at all. For those wanting a beautiful view
while they ski, this is the place.
This is a small resort off to the west of
"Resort". It is similar to Amihari in the fact that it doesn’t have
any real outstanding features, and just enough to keep an expert occupied for a
little bit. It is family oriented, and friendly to the budget. Like Amihari it
is also a favorite of locals, who want to avoid the tourist crowds who for one
reason or another flock to Appi, "Shizu", "Resort", and
Hachimantai "Sukijoo". I have been here only once in my two and a
half years here, and it was not bad...my impressions of Iwate from Shimokura..?
Well, I um..forgot, The rest of the resorts mentioned, I have been to multiple
times..I’m starting to stretch for answers..Next!
Appi is, without a doubt, one of Japans top
ten, if not top 5 resorts. If you choose a day with nice weather and/or no
crowds (weekdays are your best bet for this, take note please), you will not
argue with that ranking. If you go on a weekend during a long holiday? Well you
will like the consumer services and facilities, but you may not like playing
"pinball" bouncing off the other skiers all day long. Appi is nestled
on a ridge going west from Iwate, actually behind the ridge that contains
Hachimantai and Shimokura. From the top of the mountain, looking to the east,
the view of Iwate-SAN, the surrounding area, and the northern two-thirds of
Iwate prefecture is absolutely fantastic. Go on a sunny weekday, and don’t
forget to bring your camera.
Hachimantai, is a mountain ridge that is the
continuation of the ridge that contains Shimokura, ahead of the ridge that Appi
is on. It is also the ridge that is the border with neighboring Akita
prefecture. It, along with Geto, in the south of Iwate are the two snow magnets
of Iwate with skiing well into May/June. Hachimantai ridge, is also well known
to hikers for its view, leaf-peepers in the fall for the foliage, and fans of
the "onsen" for its hot springs. It is a true year round resort,
probably the best in Iwate. Appi, too, is a well-known year-round resort, but
it’s summer customers are there for the facilities, not the nature and sight
seeing. The ski resort at "Hachi" is also legendary, for some. If you
are a snowboarder, a backcountry skier, or live for powder and off-piste this
is the place for you, it’s one of Japan’s best. It has a true
against-the-grain atmosphere, and will leave you aghast that anyone said Japan
was "homogenous". In a day and age of "cookie-cutter" ski
resorts, you will find Hachimantai unique, but don`t expect a ton of amenities.
They will give you three lifts, some rentals, and a place or two to keep warm
and eat. Not much? Well they give you an entire ridge, and a valley or two to
ski or board with as you please, no tickets clipped. Have fun! Hachi, also has
a really good view of Mt. Iwate, as it has a really good view of a lot of
places, even itself. Given that it is believed that the secondary crater of
Iwate, not the main one is expected to erupt next, it may be this resort more
than any other that will be "coated" by an Iwate eruption (Shimokura
may be too, depending on direction and force). Well, this place attracts the
"daredevils" more than any other ski area in Tohoku already (with the
possible exception of Aomori’s Hakkoda-SAN), so why not give them another
reason to come here. Naked lava surfing anybody?
Climbing/skiing Iwate-SAN itself is technically
banned, due to the deaths of two hikers in 1998, due to inhalation of volcanic
gasses, while hiking Iwate. I have yet to do it, but it does look REALLY
tempting. Do I know people who have skied it before? Yes, that goes without
saying. Do I know people who have skiied/hiked it since the ban was enacted in
1998? No comment.
There you have it one volcano, three ridges,
and six great resorts. These resorts can offer something to just about any kind
of skier. From the rank beginner (Hachimantai Resort) to the two craziest types
of expert skiers the "powder-hound" (Hachimantai Ski Area) and the
"speed-deamon" (Shizukuishi), there is something for you near
Iwate-SAN. From the discriminating, status seeking, "name"
resort-dwelling skier (Appi), to the rowdy, adventure-seeking youth with dyed
blond hair (Hachimantai Ski Area), to the "local yokel" and family (Shimokura
and Amihari) any type of skier will discover what they are looking for in this
group of resorts, all within an hour and a half of each other, and the same
distance from Morioka, the capital of Iwate Prefecture. Morioka, is also the
last stop on the "shinkansen" (bullet train) north of Tokyo. This
means that you can get from Tokyo station to the slopes at "the end of the
line" in less than four hours. Every weekend, it seems, I meet more than a
few people who do just this. I know this weekend does not come cheaply for
them, but I am also sure a visit to Mt. Iwate is worth it to them.
AN ASIDE:
Why did I call this article "MISTER"
Iwate and "MISTER" Fuji? Well, all Japanese mountains are given the
"SAN" appellation. "SAN" is also the Japanese equivalent of
"Mr., Ms., Mrs.,etc". They are the same sound, but are represented by
two different characters giving them entirely different meanings.
To a foreigner living in a mountainous area
(and really , in Japan, WHO ISN`T?), it is one of the first things you learn
about the language post-arrival. This did not stop one of my comrades in the
JET program (she was unsurprisingly voted "fluffiest" by her peers
that year) my first year in Japan, after being here for about eight months,
after being told that, from smiling, chuckling, and saying "OOOOH! You
know, for eight months I thought it meant MISTER-Fuji, MISTER-Iwate,
etc.!!"
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