If you are looking for local prices on rentals and gear purchases, check out the following stores in Sapporo (these are simply the stores I frequent on a regular basis here – this is not an endorsement in any way).
Prices
Because prices for outdoor gear in general are fairly country-specific, here are some rough reference prices for ski gear that I would consider to be ‘cheap’ at stores in Sapporo:
- Skis: Around 35,000yen (e.g., for a pair of last- or last-last-season K2 Waybacks) would be a pretty good find.
- Boots: Sometimes you might find a decent lightweight pair of touring boots (e.g., last season Dynafit Neo U) for around 45,000yen.
- Bindings: Bindings generally don’t get discounted. Expect around 35,000yen for a pair of Dynafit Speed Turns, 65,000yen for last-season G3 Ions. 40,000yen for a pair of frame touring bindings.
- Beacons: Beacons are generally quite expensive compared to overseas. E.g., a BCA Tracker 2 beacon will set you back around 45,000yen.
Stores
Note: Even if a store has an online shop, it is not always up to date.
- Paddle Club – Massive selection and a great place to pick up last season skis for eyewatering-ly cheap.
- Location: Central Sapporo Store (Level 4 in Ikeguchi Gate Shopping Building), Oyachi Store.
- BCMap at Ishii Sports – Massive selection of back-country skis and accessories (store link).
- Location: Near Soen Station on the JR line. Google Maps location.
- Shugakuso Outdoor Store – A good selection of ski gear, but their real strength is in their huge range of outdoor gear.
- Gear rental: Beacons (5,000yen for a week), ski touring skis (skis, tech bindings, skins for 2,000yen a day), etc. Gear rental link (Japanese): http://www.shugakuso.com/%E3%83%AC%E3%83%B3%E3%82%BF%E3%83%AB/. Their rental skis are essentially demo setups, so they have a very limited supply.
- Two locations: One near Hokkaido University (central Sapporo – location) and slightly larger one further out in Shiroishi (location).
Secondhand Gear
The only place in Sapporo that I’ve found that has any selection of backcountry touring specific skis is the Second Street Outdoor store in Makomanai (location). It is a bit of a pain for access, but can have some OK deals. Generally speaking, however, there doesn’t seem to be a very big market for secondhand gear here, so prices are not markedly cheaper than last-season new stock.
For my own gear, I have bought it all via Yahoo Auctions. Last year I picked up a full touring setup (2009 Atomic Sugar Daddy skis, Dynafit Vertical FT bindings, Black Diamond skins, and Scarpa Maestrale boots) for 60,000yen. In the ski category (while choosing to search titles and descriptions), try the following searches:
Do you know of any good outdoor stores in Hokkaido (particularly outside of Sapporo City) that have a good selection of gear for backcountry skiing and exploring the winter outdoors? Please leave a comment below!
15 thoughts on “Where to Buy Backcounty Skiing and Winter Outdoor Gear in Hokkaido”
Got a great deal on last years Bent Chetler 120’s and Strive bindings but I bought them separately and will be bringing them to Sapporo Un mounted. Can you recommend a shop that can do the mounting?
Hey Frank, binding mount services (for skis and bindings not bought at the shop doing the mounting) in Sapporo are very rare. The only service we know of for walk-in mounting in Sapporo is offered by Alpen Outdoors in Hassamu (northwest Sapporo, here). They have jigs for Marker, G3, Dynafit, Frisch, Shift etc. The only catch is that they charge 22,000yen for a mount for skis and bindings not purchased at their store.
Rhythm Tunes Workshop in Niseko and Furano are a way better deal – they only charge 7,500yen for a binding mount (details here).
Hope this helps!
Hi,
I agree that this website is a very precious source of information for illiterate people. It seems very seriously documented and is easy to navigate : thank you so much!
We are not staying long enough in Japan to bring / buy a tent : would you have any tip as to where to rent a tent for 2.5 people somewhere near Sapporo?
Thank you so much in advance!
Hi,
Yes, Book Off Plus near the Second Street you mention in Makomanai is quite good. They have a large selection of gear and I was told by a local that it’s cheaper than Second Street. I picked up good carving skis and boots for ¥40k.
Thanks for the excellent website. It’s a godsend. It’s practically impossible to find info on where to go to hike etc. in Japan.
Great to hear the site is useful and that you got a good deal!
Hi Rob,
I lost my ski pole and I am looking for a store in Saporro city that sells ski poles. I only have 3 hours. IS there any shop that is near Sapporo station? Than ks for the help.
Hey Charlie, sorry I didn’t see this sooner! I hope you found a ski pole. If anyone else is wondering, the Shugakuso Outdoor Store (秀岳荘北大店) is relatively close to Sapporo Station – just a 5 minute taxi ride. Location on Google Maps is here.
Thanks for this great resource! Love Hokkaido Wilds! Am I likely to be able to buy fuel canisters (for example, something like MSR isopro fuel https://www.msrgear.com/ie/stoves/stove-accessories/msr-isopro-fuel/msr-isopro.html?srd=true) in Dec and January in Niseko? Such as at NAC in Niseko? Thanks in advance!! Best, Dave M
How much did you get back at the end of the season?
I haven’t tried selling gear here in Hokkaido. Many people will join a group on Facebook and try to sell there. E.g., Niseko Buy/Swap/Sell (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1075441735917625/) or Niseko Buy and Sell (https://www.facebook.com/groups/niseko2ndhandshop/).
Did you have any experience order online from the Paddle Club?
I don’t have any experience personally. But I’m sure they’d be OK, so long as you can read Japanese (and/or use Google Translate well).
I frequently buy online from the Paddle Club via their Rakuten page. It’s a tiny bit more expensive, but not so much that it matters. Ive tried via their official site but they have troubles accepting international credit cards.
Hi, Shugakuso have a store in Asahikawa as well. There’s a decent selection of touring skis, boots and bindings plus softgoods. It always seems to have a terrible range of gloves, so maybe get those in Sapporo.
Thanks for the feedback John!