Our story

How SnowJapan began

When Andrew Lea first arrived in Japan from the UK in July 1992 as part of an English teaching programme, he was placed in Yuzawa Town in Niigata Prefecture. It didn’t take long for him to take to life in Japan — and to Yuzawa, skiing, snow, and winter life in general (less so the summer months).

He soon became fascinated by Japan’s ski areas, an interest that would eventually lead to this website (and his side-project covering historical ski areas, SnowJapanHistory).

日本語

At that time, there was very little information available in English about skiing and snowboarding in Japan. To learn more, Andrew spent countless hours working through Japanese guidebooks and magazines, gradually building up an understanding of the country’s winter sports scene and planning trips around what he found.

In 1996, wanting to share that knowledge with other English speakers in Niigata, he helped produce a simple printed ski area guidebook covering Yuzawa and Myoko. As the internet developed, he created a basic website in 1999 that gradually expanded beyond Niigata.

The site continued to evolve and has become a widely used and established English-language source of information on Japanese ski areas and winter sports.

What began as a personal interest gradually developed into a long-term focus — and ultimately, his life’s work. Andrew continues to own and run SnowJapan and lives in the same region of Niigata Prefecture.

Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma in Niigata Prefecture, Japan

What we do and how we work

SnowJapan has been introducing the ski areas of Japan to English-speaking audiences since 1999. It has helped bring skiing and snowboarding in Japan to a wider international audience, and is widely used for planning ski trips.

SnowJapan is independently run. Advertising relationships do not influence editorial content or direction.

The site is focused entirely on winter sports in Japan — nothing else. This reflects what we know and genuinely care about.

SnowJapan sets out to provide detailed information on every operating ski area in Japan. All ski area information is manually checked and updated each year using Japanese sources. We also publish independent daily weather and snow reports throughout the winter season.

There is no hype. We do not sell products or services, and we do not set out to promote particular destinations. Our aim is simply to provide useful, accurate information.

That said, many people around the world do discover Japan through SnowJapan, and it has become a key resource when planning ski trips.

Our approach

SnowJapan exists entirely within this website, at www.snowjapan.com. We do not operate social media accounts, publish content on third-party platforms, or distribute information through external channels. If it is not published on snowjapan.com, it is not official SnowJapan content.

The SnowJapan website and all of its content are researched, written, and maintained by people.

We do not publish AI-generated articles, reports, or guides.

A new SnowJapan for 2026

Since 1999, there have been seven major versions of SnowJapan. The current version you are reading went online in September 2026, replacing the previous version launched in 2022.

This latest update is a ground-up rebuild with a renewed focus on core content. It adds more in-depth information while simplifying navigation and overall usability.

Find out more about the new SnowJapan here.

Advertising and independence

Over the years, SnowJapan has developed relationships throughout the Japanese snow industry, while maintaining a deliberately low profile in order to preserve its independence.

We offer limited advertising opportunities within our Directory section for relevant businesses. All advertisers join on the clear understanding that they have no influence over editorial content or direction.

SnowJapan does not participate in commission-based promotions, affiliate marketing programmes, or paid recommendations. Editorial content is not influenced by commercial arrangements.

This separation allows SnowJapan to cover the Japanese winter sports scene without becoming promotional in nature.

From the beginning, SnowJapan has been driven by a commitment to providing useful, accurate information rather than commercial objectives. 27 years later, that has not changed. Advertising is not a primary focus. Most of our time and effort is spent maintaining and improving SnowJapan, researching information, and developing content for the site.

SnowJapan remains independently run and guided by the same passion that started it.

A final note

SnowJapan is created with a genuine affection for Japan and its snow country, and a deep respect for its culture. We hope that same sentiment is shared by all who visit.