Outland Japan – Details, episodes & analysis

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Episode 37 of the podcast takes us to Minakami in Gunma Prefecture to speak with Zack Berman of Momi-no-Ki Lodge. Originally from the United States, Zack and his wife Amanda own and operate the large self-contained lodge in the heart of Minakami – a hot spring town now well-established as one of Japan’s best outdoor destinations. We discuss the skiing and snowboarding available at the multiple resorts in the area – including the celebrated backcountry of Tanigawadake Tenjindaira and more – along with the fantastic rafting and canyoning, hiking and hot springs all within easy reach of the lodge. Minakami remains somewhat off the radar for international visitors but it shouldn’t and I doubt it will for long.

You can get in touch with Zack and Amanda via the lodge website, their listing on AirBnb or Momi-no-Ki’s Instagram or Facebook. As Zack mentions toward the end of our chat, when booking via the official website, enter the code POWDER for a discount. 

This is the first episode of the podcast under the new name 'Outland Japan'. Under the new name, I’ll be expanding the focus of the podcast from just the ‘yukiguni’ or snow country to all of rural, regional and the wilds of Japan. I will continue to focus on the snow country, as I’m based here and want others to discover it, while also exploring those rural, regional and wild areas across the country as we travel outside the big cities to discover a different side of Japan. 

Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

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I am pleased to announce that the podcast will be returning with the first episode of Season 4 on Tuesday 22nd October, under the new name of 'Outland Japan'. The podcast has now been running around a year-and-a-half, and during that time, I've discovered more and more stories I’d like to bring you, that lie outside of the snow country, in other areas of regional and rural Japan. Under the new name of 'Outland Japan', I’ll start to do just that as I extend the focus of the pod to all of rural, regional and the wilds of Japan. But based in the snow country myself, exploring Japan's legendary 'yukiguni' will remain a large part of my focus as we head into winter 2024-2025.

With that change, I won’t continue updating the Snow Country Stories Japan website. It will remain online for the time being but from Season 4 onward, you can find the podcast at the new website - outlandjapan.com. You'll also find the pod on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube by searching 'Outland Japan'. I look forward to exploring more of the snow country and beyond as we head deeper in the Japanese outlands in the season to come!

Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

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In Episode 31 of the podcast we head to Akakura Onsen in Myoko Kogen to speak with design maker Liam Mugavin. Originally for Australia, Liam is the cofounder of A.I.R. Myoko – a ski in, ski out chalet which combines design, gastronomy and other artisanal influences to offer a different type of experience when it comes to ski accommodation in Japan. 

Liam’s background and continued work as a designer maker underpin the concept of chalet he operates, along with his business partner and other members of the team. Extending the ‘artist in residence’ concept he undertook with Australia House – part of the Echigo Tsumari Art Field festival held in Niigata – and similar programs around the world, Liam and the team at AIR invite artists and upcoming chefs to reside at the chalet each winter. 

We discuss of that in the first half of the interview before moving onto Liam’s current project, the relocation and restoration of a 170 year old ‘kominka’ (traditional farmhouse) in the second half of our chat. With restoration nearing completion, the building will act as Liam’s design workshop - an extension of the artist residence concept. 

Checkout the A.I.R. Myoko website for bookings and to get in touch with Liam, and if you have not already, make sure to also check out Episode 17 of the podcast, in which I spoke with snowboarder Billy Halloran about the ski resorts of Myoko Kogen and his lodge, The Greenhouse Myoko. You can also find images and a map showing you where we are in the snow country on the episode page of the Snow Country Stories Japan website.

Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

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In Episode 30 of the podcast I speak with outdoor guide Iida Taka about Oze National Park. Straddling four prefectures of the snow country – Gunma, Niigata, Fukushima and Tochigi – Oze National Park is relatively small at 373 squared kilometres however its smaller size is in fact one of its attractions. Known for its lakes, wetlands, moors and marshes, the park is ringed by mountains ascending over 2000 metres with areas of dense forest. As such, visitors to Oze can enjoy varied environments including unique flora and fauna within a confined area. 

Taka is an experienced outdoor covering many destinations in Central Japan including Oze National Park. Originally from Izu, Taka’s journey to becoming an outdoor guide involves stints in Australia, New Zealand and Canada before pursuing certification in Oze – a park she is very familiar with and keen to introduce to international visitors. Based in Nagano, Taka operates Nozawa Onsen Tours in the popular ski resort and hot spring town of the same name. Offering tours that reveal the long history and culture of the village, along with the surrounding environment, Taka reveals a side of Nozawa that many if not most international visitors miss.

We discuss the national park in the first half of the interview before moving onto the tours Taka offers at Oze and Nozawa Onsen in the second half of our chat. For more information, visit the Nozawa Onsen Tours website or Instagram - links are above - and of course you can find information, images and a map showing you where the national park is on the episode page of the Snow Country Stories Japan website. 

Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

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In Episode 29 of the podcast we return to Niigata Prefecture and onto Niigata City to speak with Jenya Yuss. Jenya works for Edge of Niigata, a travel company based in Niigata City and operating tours and experiences in the city and wider prefecture. As such she’s an ideal person to introduce to the story and the reasons to visit Niigata.

When Japanese think about the snow country, Niigata is one of the first prefectures to spring to mind. Subject to very heavy snowfall, Niigata is synonymous with that snow along with its rice, sake and seafood. Situated on the coast of the Sea of Japan and at confluence of two rivers, Niigata City has long been an important trade and port city that connected Japan to the outside world. A place through which people passed along with traded goods. A mix of the traditional, industrial and grittier elements you’d expect of a port city.

Jenya and I discuss the city and its history, her own story, travel experiences offered by Edge of Niigata along with tips of onward journeys further into the snow country by train and ferry. You can find more information on the Edge of Niigata website or follow them on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. More information including links to everything we discuss in the episode, images and a map showing you where in the snow country we are, are on the episode page of the Snow Country Stories Japan website. 

Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

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In Episode 28 of the podcast I speak with Mark Davis, a Tokyo-based landscape photographer whose work focuses on the natural environments of Japan. Mark’s photography takes him into many areas of regional Japan with a particular interest in the snow country and its varied seasons. As such, his photography tells a more complete story of the snow country, and Japan in general, in revealing the transient of beauty of spring, summer and autumn in addition to its celebrated winter.

Originally from the United States, Mark’s own story and account of how he ended up in Japan, is an interesting one. As he states, his background influences his photography and the subjects, in the form of natural environments, he is most drawn to.  Mark leads photography tours in Nagano each autumn, in conjunction with two other photographers – Sho Hoshino and David Thompson. The tour is designed to take guests into the autumn landscapes of Central Japan, away from the crowds and well-known destinations - something we discuss in the second half of the interview.

For more information about this photography and tours, visit Mark's website and always, you can find more information on the episode page of the Snow Country Stories Japan website. 

Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

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Episode 27 of the podcast takes us back to Yamagata Prefecture and onto Tsuruoka, a city known for its diverse and rich traditional food culture. In 2014 Tsuruoka was designated a UNESCO ‘Creative City of Gastronomy’ in recognition of that food culture including continued agricultural practices and use heirloom crops and wild plants foraged in the forests and mountains, along with creative use and contemporisation of those gastronomic practices. It was the first city in Japan to be awarded the status yet it remains relatively unknown (including for many Japanese).

In exploration of Tsuruoka’s food culture, in this episode I speak with Alexis Crump, Coordinator for International Relations of the Gastronomy Department in Tsuruoka. As Alexis and I discuss, the gastronomy of the region is reflective of its varied topography, with different food cultures and distinct areas existing within the UNESCO designation awarded to Tsuruoka. 

Six distinct areas including Tsuruoka, Atsumi, Asahi, Kushibiki, Haguro and Fujishima account for the area generally referred to as Tsuruoka City, and each have their own food culture. Tsuruoka’s mixed landscape coastline, plains, forest and mountains is reflected in its varied gastronomy which takes advantage of the food available in each environment.

As we discuss in the interview, Tsuruoka offers visitors many reasons to visit in addition to its celebrated food culture. To learn more about what’s on offer, visit the official Tsuruoka City website for information about the region’s many attractions, festivals, hot springs and accommodation.  You can also find images, a map of where Tsuruoka is and links to everything we discuss on the episode page of the Snow Country Stories Japan website.

Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

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Episode 26 of the podcast transports us along one of the snow country’s most popular destinations – the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. Located in Chubu Sangaku National Park, the Alpine Route is a popular sightseeing route that transports visitors across Japan’s highest mountain range – the Kita Alps or North Alps. It takes a series of mountain transports to do so that operate between different stations, eventually ascending to Murodo Station at 2450 metres / 8038 feet above sea level, from where you are within reach of the summit of Mount Tate or Tateyama – at 3003 metres / 9852 feet.

The Alpine Route is closed to the public through winter due to heavy snow in the mountains, reopening on April 15th every year and operating until the end of November. It is extremely popular with both Japanese and international visitors, who upon opening, head up the Alpine Route to witness its most famous sight – the 'Snow Walls of Tateyama'.  As the weather warms in late-spring and into summer, walking trails beneath the snow will begin to emerge providing easier access to leisurely walks around the alpine plateau and more advanced overnight and multi-day hikes to the surrounding peaks including deep into the national park. For more information, visit the episode page on the Snow Country Stories Japan website. 

Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

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Today's episode - Episode 25 of the podcast - kicks off Season 3 as we make our way north to Hokkaido and onto Japan’s largest national park, Daisetsuzan. Established in 1934, Daisetsuzan National Park is known for its alpine landscapes, abundant flora and fauna, and seasonal beauty including its deep snow of winter. For many, Daisetsuzan is the crown jewel of Japan’s 34 national parks and without any doubt, is one of the snow country’s most rewarding destinations.

In this episode I speak with Richard Smith, an experienced guide who leads multi-day hiking tours in Daisetsuzan with Adventure Hokkaido. Adventure Hokkaido is a Hokkaido-based tour company offering small group hiking, cycling and nature tours to many of the islands most rewarding destinations including, but not limited to, Daisetsuzan. Originally from the United Kingdom but now based in Hokkaido, Richard knows Daisetsuzan very well and as such, offers great insight into the park while discussing the tours he leads and how to can yourself there, should you wish to.

For more information, use the links above to click through to the websites for the national park and Adventure Hokkaido, and make sure to head to the episode page on the Snow Country Stories Japan website for yet more information, images and a map showing you where the park is. 

Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

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Season 3 of Snow Country Stories Japan begins on Tuesday 2nd April 2024. In the coming season we’ll be exploring the snow country in spring and summer before heading into the beauty of autumn, starting with Japan’s largest national park, Daisetsuzan. Considered by many as the most impressive of Japan's 34 national parks, Daisetsuzan occupies a vast area dominated by volcanic ranges and many peaks of over 2000 metres / 6600 feet, with an abundant alpine flora and fauna and striking beauty from season to season including its deep snow of winter.

Exploration of Daisetsuzan will kick of Season 3 of the pod and I look forward to bringing you more episodes from the snow country as we move further into 2024 and toward the next snow season. 

Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.