Country Information
Japan, known as the land of the rising sun, is a fascinating country full of history, culture and high technology. East meets west in this land, which boasts a stunning array of traditional shrines and temples, breathtaking scenery including mountains, forests and the famous cherry blossom, and ultra modern, futuristic cities.
The country’s capital, Tokyo, ranks as one of the most modern and fast-paced cities in the world and the local people always welcome tourists due to their fascination with Western cultures.
Time
The time in Japan is nine hours ahead of GMT. There is no daylight saving.
Niseko
The ski resort of Niseko is home to our ski and snowboard instructor programmes.
Niseko receives a staggering average of 14 metres of snow, which is more than the powder-rich resorts like Whistler Blackcomb, who receive 11 metres on average by comparison. Because of this, students enjoy regular powder days and have the opportunity to go off-piste and on the backcountry ski areas at every given opportunity. This is a regular occurrence and a fact that is so often overlooked by ski and snowboard enthusiasts looking to choose where to go.
Getting There
All students will need to arrive into Chitose International airport in Sapporo.
Climate
| Month |
Ave. Temp (min) |
Ave. Temp (max) |
Relative Humidity (am) |
Relative Humidity (pm) |
Ave. precip (mm) |
| Jan |
-2 |
8 |
73 |
48 |
48 |
| Feb |
-1 |
9 |
71 |
48 |
74 |
| Mar |
2 |
12 |
75 |
53 |
107 |
| Apr |
8 |
17 |
81 |
59 |
135 |
| May |
12 |
22 |
85 |
62 |
147 |
| Jun |
17 |
24 |
89 |
68 |
165 |
| Jul |
21 |
28 |
91 |
69 |
142 |
| Aug |
22 |
30 |
92 |
66 |
152 |
| Sep |
19 |
26 |
91 |
68 |
234 |
| Oct |
13 |
21 |
88 |
64 |
208 |
| Nov |
6 |
16 |
83 |
58 |
97 |
| Dec |
1 |
11 |
77 |
51 |
56 |
Spring (March to May) and Autumn (September to November) are probably the most pleasant seasons in Japan with regards to climate. In springtime the famous blossom trees burst in to bloom and the temperatures average at 14.1C. Autumn boasts wonderfully colourful leaves with a stable climate and pleasant temperatures of around 17.6C. During the height of the summer and mid winter you can experience varied weather. The winter can get very cold, with temperatures averaging 5.2C (but then you can always go skiing!) In the summer the humidity is sometimes a little overwhelming, and expect temperatures of around 27.3C. Extreme weather comes in the form of a rainy season in early summer and occasional typhoons in early autumn.
