For a city with a population of over 13 million – about one and half times the entire population of Sweden – Tokyo knows how to organise. For folk on the go, there are attendants to direct you (push you) into the tube during rush hour, you never have to queue for ANYTHING for more than a minute, and you don’t have to think about opening and closing taxi doors, because the doors do it themselves.
For its city spaces, why have one traffic patroller when four can get the job done quicker? Why have hotels or specific stores scattered around town when you can group them all together into easily recognisable districts?
This is what Tokyo has done with its ski and snowboarding stores. Located between Jimbocho and Otemawatchi subway stations, and right after the Bookshop District is Ochanomizu, otherwise known as the Sporting Goods District. One road, with store after store and floor upon floor of ski and snowboard clothing and equipment. If you want choice, you have it here in abundance, and if you ever come to Japan for the snow, I recommend visiting this area before you head out to the hill.
Outerwear
Japanese snow clothing is known for its unabashed, colourful style and, oh my, don’t you know about it when you arrive here. Colourful, loud and louder design is bountiful for both sexes. Although, perhaps not surprisingly, there are a lot of stereotypically feminine designs for women, there are other choices available should pink or purple not be your thing. Whichever colour, fun is the main objective.
You can’t miss Japanese snowboarding brands Estivo and X-NIX, as well as Arg and ARBN (both owned by Asics), Scorpion Headwear and Inhabitant. These labels have everything you’d expect from a country considered the powder capital of the world. International brands that stand out include Howl, Blue Blood and newcomer, Italian optics brand, Earth. For helmets, the spotlights were on Bult‘s lid with an integrated camera, as well as wide selections by Sandbox.
Despite the mind-blowing options, I’d like to introduce my new favourite ladies’ size guide of all time, titled ‘How to find good fitting!’:
Travel buddy, Holly, and I are still pretty bemused about it. Are we logs or trunks? Should we be offended that we might have trunk-compatible legs? Is it usual to label sizes within animal or environmental categories? So many questions. Unfortunately, there was no equivalent men’s version to extend the size guide joy. With or without inspired fitting guides for men, these are but a pea-sized addition to the strange and wonderful products you’ll see in a Tokyo (anti knee aging scrub cream? I’ll take two, and a packet of chocolate-covered prawns for the road).
Snowboarding here is bigger than skiing and when it comes to clothing, Japanese snow-seekers are big Burton lovers. Its flagship store is located in the more upmarket area of Otomesando, near the iconic Shibuya crossing, and clustered together with other dedicated stores including Patagonia, Roxy, Columbia and Gregory.
Skis
For skis, the winners were 4FRNT and Japan’s own Vector Glide. My personal favourite was Skilogik, a U.S. Company which has only been up and running since 2011.
It has carved out an impressive and distinct style with some beautiful designs and a service that includes custom-build skis, working on the basis of the exact height, weight and ability of the skier. Turns out, the day after the trip to Sporting Goods District, I discovered that Ollie, my new roomie in my hostel, had recently had custom skis made by Skilogik. As an instructor and ski patroller from New Zealand he went for a ski based on the Ullr’s Chariot RL, a 100mm+ camber/rocker combination, along with a personalised design that included Mount Cook, (NZ’s highest mountain) and a tui bird, which was embellished with a pāua shell, from a type of sea snail often found in NZ. How about this for custom-made AND gender-neutral design?
Cost
I had heard there were some good bargains to be had in SGD, but unless you have full day or two on your hands to dedicate to this slightly overwhelming experience, I wouldn’t depend on it. There were Smith I/O X goggles priced at around £45 cheaper than in the UK, but it’s hit and miss. Although bartering is encouraged, most prices were pretty similar to the UK. Do also note, many labelled prices don’t include tax, which is currently 8%. In the process of buying our shovels, Holly and I ended up bartering the sales assistant back down to around the price we thought they were in the first place. Fail. But at £30 for an avalanche shovel, it’s still significantly cheaper than what’s on offer in the UK. Win.
We could have spent many more hours here. Snowboarders, especially, could spend days here. But, whether you prefer standing sideways or not, shopping-fatigue WILL kick in. Stock up on caffeine. Take supplies. Go back the next day. And never forget: have fun and feel so good.
Trail 27 
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