SnowLocals has created a 3-part video series again. This time, we bring you to a ski area on Hokkaido that is small, undiscovered and wonderfully Japanese. Yubari Resort - It's our new favorite place.

There is deep snow, of course. But there is also much more: a troubled history of population decline, famous melons, genuine locals, and legendary mascots. This is just a piece of Yubari as we see it. For the rest you've gotta visit.

Episode 1:  Melon Kuma [melon bear]

Kuma is Japanese for bear. So Melon Kuma is Melon Bear.

Melon Kuma is just that - a bear with melon DNA - but in Yubari, Melon Kuma is much more. 

The Japanese have mascots for everything, literally everything. Each town has a mascot, islands have mascots, regions have mascots, states have mascots, companies, shops, and products all have mascots, and some become wildly popular. Most mascots are cute, some are just strange, but very few are lovable and scary at the same time like Melon Kuma. This unique combination has propelled Yubari's Melon Kuma mascot to superstardom in the mascot world and in all of Japan. 

Any attempt to portray Yubari without mention of Melon Kuma would be an incomplete illustration of Yubari, Hokkaido, or even Japan.

Melon Kuma is unique and simple. Yubari is famous for the cantaloup melons that grow on the surrounding farms. Long ago, a local black bear ate a Yubari melon and became half-melon half-bear. This is Melon Kuma, and every winter this solitary creature takes to the slopes in search of the same thing as you or I - deep Japanese pow. Only now, we have the skiing melon bear on film. 

Enjoy.

EPISODE 2:  Yubari Pow

There is an old saying in Japan that roughly translates to: "The snow feels deeper if you aren't a Melon Bear." 

This is true, Melon Kuma rarely needs a snorkel while you and I should pack a snorkel just like we bring a hat and goggles. 

Episode 2 focuses on the pow. The famous Japanese pow that never gets old and is also an integral part of any winter visit to Hokkaido. It feels redundant to always talk about how much it snows in Japan, but it's what we do, and as long as it keeps snowing we'll keep making videos of deep POW.

Enjoy.

EPISODE 3:  yubari life

Life in Yubari has seen some changes over the past twenty years. The Yubari region was once Japan’s coal mining capital but has since seen a staggering population exodus as the coal industry disappeared in the 1980's. What remains attached to the dwindling town today is the Mount Racy ski resort and friendly locals who are hoping for a comeback rooted in tourism rather than tunneling. 

Episode three of the Yubari video series shows you more of this town's soul. On the surface, there is light powder, Japanese hospitality, great food and the world's best mascot. However, it is the locals who make a visit to Yubari special. These are the friendliest people in the world and they all help make a trip to their part of the island unforgettable. Here is a glimpse of some other crucial pieces of the Yubari experience. 

Mount Racey and the town of Yubari is one of Japan’s best-kept secrets that shouldn’t be missed on a trip to Hokkaido. 

Don't judge a town by its property values or population growth, because there's more life in Yubari than most places we've ever been.

THERE IS NO RESORT IN JAPAN BETTER SUITED TO BEGIN OR END A LARGER JAPAN TRIP.  

“MOUNT RACEY WILL GIVE YOU A GLIMPSE OF WHAT IT IS LIKE TO SKI YOUR OWN PRIVATE SKI AREA”
 

Yubari Resort is one of those places that you just happen across while traveling and then keep returning to every year. It is easy to get to and just plain relaxing. The train quite literally drops you off in the parking lot. The hotel is then connected to the gondola via a covered bridge, and you will never feel the pressure to get first chair and first tracks because well... all of your tracks will be first tracks. Once you have had your fill of playful and powdery tree skiing, then spend a few runs ripping the GS course, the mogul zipper line, or the surprisingly well-maintained terrain park. Don't forget to hone your turning skills on a smooth groomer run in true Japanese fashion and then snack on some famous Yubari Melon bread.  Eat some dinner, marvel at the amazing assortment of melon bear (the Yubari mascot) merchandise, ski a few laps under the lights at night and then finish the day in an open air onsen. 

Yubari Resort will be your new favorite place on Hokkaido.