Culture at the Ski area

Furano is an almost untouched skier’s paradise in terms of powder, the terrain and the all round feel and atmosphere on the hill and in town. For years, Furano has been a very popular destination for Japanese skiers but almost unheard of by International Skiers outside of the World Cup successes. This does not reflect the International quality of the hill and the snow. When coming to Furano it is important to understand that there have been very few foreigners skiing here each season up to this point, and that it is you who will be setting the standard for the future and also leaving your image, as that of all foreigners on this beautiful town and ski area. It is not a burden but luck on your part if you have the chance to represent foreigners in Furano.

Not everyone will understand your language but if you speak slowly and use simple English you will be able to communicate and make friends along the way.

Please always be sure to obey and follow all rules and laws in Japan and at the ski area. Japan is a very civilized country and Furano’s citizens are extremely law abiding. It is not unusual to find a pair of gloves, a necklace, or even a wallet with all the money still in it, sitting on a table with a note saying when they were lost, waiting to be collected by the rightful owner.

Please always be respectful of Japanese culture and the way things are done here just as you would expect and hope anyone traveling to your country would do. Please try and speak at a level in accordance with the locals voices.

Locals will never be angry if you make a mistake regarding the cultural and it is one of the beauties of traveling to Furano for your ski holiday that you can learn so much whilst having a great time skiing the best snow on the most spectacular and amazing mountains. Please use you common sense and understand that what you do will often be taken as the norm for all foreigners. This is great if you are kind and friendly but not so perfect if you cut in lift lines and walk over the traditional mats with your shoes on.

Whilst no one expects you to be able to have a conversation in Japanese, or even be able to order dinner, it is nice to be able to, and in fact often receives a round of applause if you can say a few of the greetings and thank you and good bye in Japanese. What would you think of someone if they came to an English speaking country and they hadn’t learnt 'hello' or 'thank you'?

Try and learn a little about the culture within which you are skiing and we are sure you ski holiday into Furano will be made all the more enjoyable.

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