Furano Ski Resort (富良野スキー場) in Nakagoryo, Furano City, Hokkaido, will hold a special experience on four days during the 2026–2027 winter season: "FURANO bonchi powder First Track with Photo Session" (FURANO bonchi powder ファーストトラック with Photo Session). The experience is limited to 10 guests per day.
Furano promotes the high-quality powder snow created by its basin climate, at home and abroad, under the name "FURANO bonchi powder." This light, fine-grained snow is described as "fuwa-sara" (ふわサラ), and the experience is designed to let guests feel it fully. Guests make the first run down slopes that no one has skied yet, enjoying corduroy-groomed runs together with the sunrise. When conditions allow, they may also see natural phenomena such as "diamond dust," in which ice crystals sparkle in the air, and the "sun pillar" (サンピラー).
A professional photographer accompanies the group and gives participants the photo data of their best moments. After the run, guests have the "First Track bento" (ファーストトラック弁当), made with Hokkaido ingredients and supervised by the hotel's head chef, in a special room inside the hotel.
Highlights
- A special ropeway trip takes guests to the summit as dawn approaches.
- Photographer Kei Sato (佐藤 圭) takes the photos and gives guests the still-image data.
- The head chef-supervised "First Track bento" is served in a special room with a view of the slopes (ゲレンデビュー) in the hotel.
About the Experience
Starting with the sunrise from the summit, guests make the first track while looking out over the Tokachidake mountain range. The experience offers a chance to glide through what the resort describes as some of Japan's top-class powder snow before anyone else. A professional photographer captures guests' runs and hands over the commemorative photo data. After the first track, guests have the head chef-supervised "First Track bento" in a special private room with a view of the slopes (ゲレンデビュー) inside the hotel.
Event Details
FURANO bonchi powder First Track with Photo Session (reservations required)
Dates: January 7 (Thursday), January 14 (Thursday), January 21 (Thursday), and January 28 (Thursday), 2027
Time: From 6:30 AM (meet at 6:00 AM at the Furano Ropeway base station building)
Location: Furano Ski Resort (summit of the Furano Zone), elevation 1,074 m
Nakagoryo, Furano City, Hokkaido
Program:
- A special ropeway trip and the Downhill Third Romance Lift (ダウンヒル第3ロマンスリフト) take guests to the summit.
- After enjoying the sunrise from the summit, guests begin the first track.
- A professional photographer captures guests' runs. Carefully selected photo data is handed over to guests.
- Guests enjoy the head chef-supervised "First Track bento" in a special private room with a view of the slopes (ゲレンデビュー) (from 11:30 AM).
Price: ¥25,000 per person
Capacity: 10 guests (the experience runs with a minimum of 3 participants)
Reservations: Online booking opens on the official website on October 21, 2026 (Wednesday)
Inquiries: TEL 0167-22-1118 (9:00 AM to 5:00 PM)
Official website: https://www.princehotels.co.jp/shinfurano/informations/portalsite/informations.photo.session.2027
- The plan details may change.
- The experience may be canceled due to weather or other conditions.
- The information above is current as of October 21, 2026, and may change.
About the Photographer
Kei Sato (佐藤 圭)
Kei Sato began a career as a snowboard and ski photographer, working mainly for specialist magazines. Sato has won the support of many professional riders, from snowboarders to skiers, regardless of genre. In the journey series "Chikyu wo Suberu Tabi" (地球を滑る旅, literally "A Journey of Sliding Across the Earth"), which began in 2012 with professional skier Tsuyoshi Kodama (児玉毅), Sato has published nine books combining photos taken on the journeys with newly written text.
