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This is the second half of Episode 34 of the podcast, my chat with Dan Solo of Snowball Japan. Originally from Australia, Dan and his wife Andy first travelled to Japan more than 20 years ago and fell in love with life in the snow country. They set themselves to one day run their own ski lodge, a dream that came to fruition when they opened Snowball Chalet in Madarao, followed soon after by Snowman Apartments. Since that time, Dan and Andy have taken on more properties in Madarao, the connected resort of Tangram Ski Circus, and nearby Shiga Kogen – Japan’s largest ski resort.

In the second half of our chat we discussed Dan’s other properties including the self-contained chalet of Shiki at Tangram – on the Tangram-side of Madarao – and Yukimi Sano, Dan and Andy’s beautiful conversion of a 160-year old home nearby Shiga Kogen Mountain Resort and the famous snow-bathing monkeys of Jigokudani. We also discuss the many resorts accessible from his properties and Dan’s suggestions of what to look for, including the pros and cons of refurbishing an existing properties versus a new build, if you’re interested in following suit and setting up your own lodge or ski business in Japan. 

If you haven’t yet listened to the first half of the interview, make sure to go back to do so before listening to this. In that chat, we discuss how Dan and Andy discovered Japan’s snow country and set about and achieved their dream of opening their own ski lodge here. For more information, visit the Snowball Japan website and you can also find them on Instagram and Facebook by searching Snowball Chalet at Madarao Mountain. The episode page of the Snow Country Stories Japan website has images, links and a map showing you where in the snow country we are. 

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.