By the mid-1990s, Niseko was no longer a frontier ski resort.
In the 30 years since the resort had opened that early incarnation of Hirafu had now attracted a full complement of resort partners in Annupuri, Higashiyama (Niseko Village) and Hanazono. Snowboard culture, meanwhile, was very much in its infancy. But, in Niseko it had found the perfect canvas on which it would leave an indelible mark, and the world of snowboarding and snowsurfing would be changed forever.
Well before fat skis came along, skiers stuck to the pistes and the fields of deep powder off to the sides were left completely untouched. That was until Tomoki Takaku and a very small band of brothers and sisters came along and discovered the joy of snow surfing. There was so much untouched powder they didn’t need to venture any further than the Ace Quad (Centre 4) lift above the Alpen Hotel to get fresh tracks all day. “There used to be two lift companies in Hirafu – snowboarders weren’t allowed to use the Kogen lift (above the gondola),” Takaku-san says. “The skiers used to stay over that side, and we’d ski off the Alpen lift. There were only about five or 10 of us snowboarders. We’d all meet up in the morning and ride untracked powder all day.
“We all had our routines – I used to go up the Center 4 and do 10 laps or so in the morning, have a rest and then go out again in the afternoon. It was a bit like a competition we had going between ourselves every day – we compared each other and complimented each other and drove each other forward. It was really fun and a great feeling of comradery amongst our little community.”
It was out of this time that the legendary Gentemstick snowboard was born. It was a time of experimentation in snow surf style, board design and setup, where Takaku-san and eventual Gentemstick founder Taro Tamai and others would swap and borrow each other’s boards and play with different binding mount positions to best suit riding Niseko’s relentless powder. Tamai-san made a few boards in the early 90s before officially establishing Gentemstick in 1998. Takaku-san would hassle Tamai-san to keep designing new boards for him, which he went on to ride all over the world. During the late 90s and early 2000s, Takaku-san was the poster boy for Gentemstick and one of the most filmed and famous snowboarders in Japan.
As the art of snowsurfing evolved, Takaku-san wanted to start sharing his joy with others. In 1998 he started Powder Company, aka Powcom, which was literally the first powder guiding company in Niseko. While these days it’s a backcountry company, it didn’t technically start like that. Initially it was simply guiding customers via the lifts around then-secret lines in Hirafu and Hanazono, and if they really wanted to get off the beaten track, out to Higashiyama, Annupuri or super deep into Moiwa. That was all that was required to get guests into the best powder they’d had in their lives.
These days of course, it’s a different story. If a guide starts in Hirafu, they might get their customers one or two untracked runs before needing to venture further afield. Fortunately, for those who don’t mind hiking, the Niseko backcountry between Mt Yotei and the Sea of Japan offers endless opportunities to ski untracked powder like the days of old, any day of the winter.
Takaku-san started the company with himself as the sole guide. Now, based out of the Powcom cabin at the base of the resort of Annupuri, just up from the gondola station, there are 12 guides and a total of 20 staff.
Powcom sets the standard for guiding in the Niseko mountains. Japan could be described as a country of artisans. There is a dedication to the pursuit of excellence in Japanese society unlike anywhere else and it extends from the arts to business and life in general. It’s not necessarily possible to reach perfection, but the Japanese artisan will spend every day of his or her life aiming to achieve it.
Takaku-san is very much of this mould. He would rather cancel a trip and refund a customer’s money than take them into less than ideal conditions. “Balance is important,” he says. “Some people think very much like a businessman. I guess I am more of a craftsman.”
Every aspect of the operation is carried out with precision and care, from the way they tune boards for customers, to the way they assess weather reports and plan their routes. Every single aspect of the guiding experience is held to a very particular set of standards that has been formed over of 20 years of dedication to perfection.
Guides also aren’t recruited based on qualifications they’ve gained elsewhere. The company runs on a senpai-kohai system, which is essentially the underlying principle that governs all relationships in Japanese society. Senpai is senior in rank, kohai is junior. Just like an apprentice sushi chef must spend several years mastering the basics like making rice before they can pick up a knife, so too must the apprentice guide do the hard yards learning the very basics of snowboarding, snow safety and the guiding profession in Niseko before they can take Powcom customers out on the mountain. Add to that the exemplary Japanese “omotenashi” customer service standards, and you can get an understanding for the Powcom experience.
2018 is Powcom’s 20th year in business and Takaku-san sees no sign of business slowing down. But it’s certain he will not compromise his business practices in the face of increasing demand.
“I guess the size of Japan isn’t much compared to the world population, so there is a demand out there. I think people will continue to come here and continue to think that this is the perfect ski resort. I am grateful for this and I hope it continues.”