2026–2027 Winter Season: December 15 – April 30
Our Locations
PureJoy’s team is based mainly in Echigo Yuzawa, also known as Snow Country. Our lessons are run with our partner Canyons, an established snowsports school in central Japan and the official ski school in Shiga Kogen, Minakami, Nozawa Onsen and Myoko Kogen. Every instructor is a fully certified professional employed through Canyons and holds a valid Japanese work visa. Lessons are available in English, Chinese, Thai, French and Spanish. Between us, we cover Nozawa Onsen Snow Resort; Shiga Kogen’s 18 interconnected resorts; Myoko’s Akakura Kanko, Akakura Onsen, Suginohara and Ikenotaira; the Yuzawa area’s 11 resorts, including GALA Yuzawa, Naeba, Kagura, Ishiuchi Maruyama and NASPA Ski Garden; and Minakami’s Hodaigi, Minakami Kogen Resort 200 and Kawaba.
In Niseko, we work with a small group of hand-picked instructors who share PureJoy’s approach, so you get the same PureJoy experience wherever you ride.
Nozawa Onsen
Echigo Yuzawa
Myoko Kogen
Nozawa Onsen, located in Nagano Prefecture, is a ski destination renowned for its extensive terrain and traditional hot-spring culture. Nozawa Onsen Snow Resort is one of Japan’s largest and oldest ski areas, offering a wide variety of runs for everyone from beginners to advanced skiers. It is famous for its high-quality powder snow and diverse terrain. After skiing, visitors can relax in 13 free public hot springs that have long been cherished by locals and travelers alike.
Echigo Yuzawa is located in Niigata Prefecture beside a Shinkansen station, approximately 90 minutes from Tokyo. Known as the setting of the novel Snow Country, the area receives abundant winter snowfall and has around 12 ski resorts. Well-known destinations such as GALA Yuzawa and Naeba offer excellent powder and varied terrain suitable for beginners and advanced skiers alike. The region is also famous for Niigata sake, making local sake and an onsen the perfect way to unwind after a day on the slopes.
Myoko Kogen is located in Niigata Prefecture, just one hour from Nagano City. It is renowned for its abundant annual snowfall and the dramatic backdrop of Mount Myoko, which rises to 2,454 metres. As one of the world’s oldest ski areas, established in the 1930s, Myoko offers an authentic Japanese skiing experience. The area includes several resorts, such as Akakura Onsen, Akakura Kanko, Ikenotaira Onsen and Suginohara, with excellent powder snow, long runs and terrain parks for skiers and snowboarders of all abilities.
Private Lessons
Group Size: 1–6 guests per instructor
3-Hour Lesson
- Morning: 09:00
- Afternoon: 13:00
- Price: ¥45,000 per instructor
6-Hour Full-Day Lesson
- Time: 09:00–16:00
- Price: ¥75,000 per instructor
Additional Hour
- Price: ¥17,000