Where to Buy Backcounty Skiing and Winter Outdoor Gear in Hokkaido

Posted on Aug 1, 2018
13
Posted on Aug 1, 2018
0 13
Sapporo City is home to a few very well-stocked outdoor stores that will more than cover unexpected gear needs when visiting Hokkaido for backcountry ski touring. Outside of Sapporo options become more limited, with only select locations offering any decent coverage of the essentials. If you're living in Hokkaido for a while, there can be some good deals on second hand ski gear on Yahoo Auctions, but your Japanese will need to be on point - there's no English version of the site. Second hand gear at stores can be curiously priced, such that new prices at outlet stores might be cheaper. Here's some of our favourite grazing (temptation?) locations.

Last updated Nov 4, 2018

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.
  • BCMap at Ishii Sports – Massive selection of back-country skis and accessories (store link).
  • 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!

Comments | Queries | Discussion

13 thoughts on “Where to Buy Backcounty Skiing and Winter Outdoor Gear in Hokkaido”

  1. 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!

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

    1. 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.

  4. 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.

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Where to Buy Backcounty Skiing and Winter Outdoor Gear in Hokkaido Difficulty Rating

Category

Grade

Points

Strenuousness

Vertical Gain

D

25

Time ascending

D

0

Technicality

Altitude

D

0

Hazards

D

Navigation

D

Totals

25/100

GRADES range from A (very difficult) to D (easy). Hazards include exposure to avalanche and fall risk. More details here. Rating rubric adapted from Hokkaido Yukiyama Guidebook 北海道雪山ガイド.