Secret powder trip in Tangram
Walk out, ski inn!
This secret powder week is based in Tangram, with accommodation for the entire week at the cozy White Tree Lodge.
Tangram Ski Circus is a small ski resort located on Mount Madarao, but it connects directly to the larger Madarao Kogen area. On good snow days, both resorts offer fantastic tree skiing, so there may be no need to transfer elsewhere at all.
Unlike other Hidden Powder Weeks, this trip includes all ground transportation between Haneda Airport and Tangram.
Thanks to its location, Tangram also allows for day trips to several nearby ski areas, including Nozawa Onsen, Lotte Arai, Togari Onsen, Myoko Kogen, Myoko Suginohara, and Seki Onsen. The village itself is small, so evening entertainment mostly revolves around the lodge’s bar and a handful of local restaurants on the same street.
While skiing is, of course, the focus of the trip, there’s so much more to experience in Japan. During the week, we’ll immerse ourselves in Japanese onsen culture and enjoy delicious local cuisine such as sushi, tempura, ramen, and other regional delights. And of course, there will be sake and Asahi beer — Kanpai!
Your guides
Vesa Rouvila
"The lead guide for this week is Vesa Rouvila. Vesa has experience with Japan’s ski areas dating back to 2012.
Vesa Rouvila
"The lead guide for this week is Vesa Rouvila. Vesa has experience with Japan’s ski areas dating back to 2012.
Alueen keskukset tarjoavat mahtavat puitteet vapaalaskuun ja puuteria riittää! Laskujen jälkeen parasta oli rentoutua alueen onseneissa. Kohteesta löytyy myös muuta kiinnostavaa ja erinomaisia ravintoloita. Kokemisen arvoinen reissu!
Secret powder trip in Tangram
Program of the week
Throughout the week, we’ll travel by minivans to nearby ski areas, depending on the weather and snow conditions. The focus of the trip is off-piste skiing accessible from the lifts, so all participants are required to bring gear that allows for uphill travel under their own power — such as skins, snowshoes, or a splitboard. This way, we can continue climbing beyond the lift-served terrain or skin back up after a run if needed.
On clear days, we might take a full-day tour to the crater of Mt. Myoko — a breathtaking experience you won’t want to miss!
In the evenings, we’ll enjoy dinner together either at the lodge, in a few charming local restaurants, or even head to the nearby town of Iiyama to experience a sushi train restaurant!
Flights and ground transport
Flights are not included in the Tangram week package, allowing you to:
- Choose your own arrival and departure dates
- Select the airline of your preference — direct flights or with layovers
- Pick the best price or use your frequent flyer points
The trip officially begins at Haneda Airport on Saturday at 15:30 with a group bus transfer to Tangram, and ends the following Saturday evening around 19:30 at Haneda Airport. Without any extra days, your travel dates will be departure from Helsinki on Friday and return on Sunday. On the return trip, the bus stops in Shinjuku, so if you plan to extend your stay in Tokyo, we recommend spending your extra days in the vibrant Shinjuku district.
For the 2026 season, the Tokyo–Helsinki flight departs at 21:55. If you choose a Saturday return flight, please be aware that weather or traffic delays could affect the bus’s arrival time at Haneda.
Detailed transfer instructions will be provided in the pre-trip information email about one month before departure.
Passport and visa
Finnish citizens do not need a visa for trips to Kazakhstan lasting less than 30 days. The passport must be valid for at least 6 months after the end of the trip. If you are citizen of some other country, please check the requirements for your country in the local Kazahkstan embassy or consulate.
Difficulty level
You are comfortable skiing in variable conditions, both on- and off-piste. You are capable of doing short skinning ascents of about an hour, once or twice a day.
On one of the days, we’ll do a longer ski touring trip, but since this trip is based in and around ski resorts, you also have the option to focus on independent resort skiing if you prefer.
Equipment
- On these trips the basic principle is to ski powder in ski resorts and use lifts as much as possible. However, all participants must have touring bindings and climbing skins with them so that we can access untouched areas once the snow near the lifts has been skied out.
- Equipment allowing ascents by muscle power (skins, snowshoes, or splitboards)
- Snow safety equipment
- Off-piste/free-ride insurance
Other
Price
Price includes
- Ground transportation from Haneda Airport to Tangram
- 7 nights accommodation in Tangram at White Tree Lodge (includes breakfast) in a twin room
- Guiding on six days
- Lift tickets for 6 days
- Rental car and transportation on guided days
- Avalanche safety training day in Helsinki, autumn 2025
- Carbon footprint offset fee
Price excludes
- Flights
- Lunches and dinners
- Accommodation in Tokyo or airport
Accommodation
White Tree Lodge copy
In Tangram, we will stay at the small and idyllic White Tree Lodge, hosted by Sakiko and Hayden and their children. The lodge is about a ten-minute walk from the Tangram ski lifts, and Tangram connects directly to the neighboring Madarao resort. The lodge does not have its own onsen, but we will visit other nearby onsens in the area. Meals are available at the lodge, and there are also a few other restaurants in the village. Breakfast is European-style and generous. A traditional Japanese breakfast is available upon request. Accommodation is in twin rooms; there is also one triple room available.
Tangramin White Tree Lodgen ystävällinen omistajapariskunta sai olon tuntumaan kotoisalta koko vierailun ajan. Runsaan ja maukkaan aamiaisen jälkeen oli hyvä suunnata mäkeen ja kasvissyöjät otettiin hyvin huomioon.
Iltaisin oli mukava kokoontua viihtyisiin oleskelutiloihin, joten majoitus sopii hyvin myös kaveriporukoille. Voin suositella lämpimästi majoitusta kaikille!