This January marked the second Japan Ski Tour run by Kennedy Baptist College and it did not disappoint!
After 16 hours in transit, 12 students and 3 staff members arrived in Tokyo, where it was brisk at 3 degrees. They headed to the Family Mart at the bottom of our hotel, which served a variety of nutritious and not-so-nutritious snacks and beverages for such a low price!
After a brief nap, we spent the day exploring Tokyo walking from Shinjuku to Shibuya. We discovered the 360 degree viewpoint at the Tokyo Government Metro Building, visited the Meiji Jingu Shrine and strolled down Takeshita Street in Harajuku. Next, we experienced the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing in Shibuya, before taking the train back to Shinjuku for dinner and more shopping.
The next day was the start of our early mornings as we made our way to the train station for our limited express ride to Hakuba. As we approached the beautiful snow-covered trees and mountains, it was snowing by the time we arrived at Hakuba station.
Early the next morning, we bundled up in our ski gear and met our instructors across the street. The first day was challenging, requiring courage, endurance and patience and it also left some bruises and sore muscles.
After dinner, we visited the local 7-eleven for all our snacking needs, where we may have emptied their stock of Pancakes with margarine and maple syrup.
The following four days included morning lessons and afternoons spent shredding the fresh powder across two mountains all afternoon. We started on green runs in the early days to some of our more experienced skiers and riders doing blacks runs in no time! People were taking tree lines and attempting to beat each other’s speeds on each run. The group worked together to make an impressive snowman under the chairlift before venturing to the top of the mountain to catch the gondola for lunch. We loved the snowball throughout the trip, ending our days with dinner and snowball fights.
On Friday evening, we enjoyed a Drumming Show and buffet at Goryu Escal Plaz with three other schools visiting from WA. The food was delicious and the lively Taiko drumming was an unforgettable experience.
Leaving Hakuba was memorable as the snow piled up on our way to Nagaon station for the Shinkansen Bullet Train. We started slow at just 100km/h and eventually were soaring through the mountains and farms at 300km/h. Enjoying our final convenience store snacks before arriving back in Tokyo. After another 14 hours, we returned home in Perth, with souvenirs, tired bodies, full hearts and amazing memories.
Some comments from our students:
“My favourite part about Japan was the snowboarding, the thrill of going down a snowy mountain on a board was UNREAL. Starting on day 4 of the trip we had 4 days snowboarding some of us skiing, and at the beginning of every day we had trainers to help us get the hang of it. From hardly being able to stand up on the board at first and progressing all the way to hitting a double black diamond was an amazing experience.”
“If someone asked me what my favourite part of the trip was, I wouldn’t say skiing or wandering the streets of Tokyo. I’d say it was the new friendships and the moments that turned into memories before I even realized they would.”
“The highlight for me on this Japan trip, was the good weather during our trip and exploring parts of Japan that I have never been to before or not familiar with.”
Keep an eye out for the next Kennedy Japan Ski Tour, scheduled for January 2028. This tour will be open to the current Years 8, 9 and 10 students.
Mrs Stephanie Manns
Tour Coordinator
