Midway through our tour of Snow Peak locations in Japan during the fall of 2023, we took a bit of an unexpected and unplanned detour. Our road-trip had taken us south from Snow Peak Way Premium at HQ1's Campfield and Spa along the western coastline of Japan. After heading east and back inland, we realized we were closer than expected to the Japanese Alps and with it, one of the three Landstation locations in the country.
What is a Landstation?
Snow Peak Landstations are what Americans might consider flagship stores. A tier below the HQ locations, but above other retail experiences, they offer the widest array of gear, experiences, and food. Within Japan, there are three Landstation locations. We've covered Kyoto Arashiyama's space within a 100 year old restaurant already, Tokyo's lives within a large shopping complex just a short walk from the main Tokyo train station, and finally Hakuba sits nestled within the mountains themselves.
At a Landstation, you'll find dining options from quicker cafe style bites to full on dining experiences. You'll also see camping and living options weather in a site or staying inside of a Jyubako, and experiences including classes and events that connect to the surrounding area.
Getting to Snow Peak Hakuba
Hakuba, as part of the Hakuba velly in Nagano prefecture - home of the 1998 Winter Olympics, is very similar in feel to ski towns of America. Architecture that blends modernism with ski-chalets, high end brands like Patagonia nestled in to old buildings as part of larger shopping, and more ski resorts and hotels than you can count. If you've been to Jackson Wyoming, Aspen Colorado, or Lake Tahoe California/Nevada you know the feeling.
Snow Peak Landstation Hakuba stands out from this however, by fully embracing the blended design of Kengo Kuma and using natural materials in conjunction with a silhouette that mirrors the mountainous backdrop. You're faced with this intentionally, as the parking lot and entrance place the building between you and the snow-capped peaks.
Thankfully, like all of Japan, getting to Snow Peak Landstation Hakuba without a car is easy. You can do it with a single transfer, as the JR station is on the same street as Hakuba, with an eleven minute walk separating the two.
However, if you're comfortable with driving in Japan, which is quite easy thanks to english-speaking GPS available in most rental cars, you'll be treated to fun roads and incredible views throughout Nagano prefecture.
What is Landstation Hakuba Like?
Unlike Kyoto Arashiama, which we covered recently, Hakuba is a completely new building that just celebrated its 4th anniversary this past weekend. This is immediately evident once you approach the building from the field side. Embedded into the mountainous silhouette is a thatchwork of wooden beams.
Once inside, you'll immediately see the breadth of what Landstation Hakuba offers. The space is divided into three primary sections, a Cafe (managed by Starbucks), the retail space, and a Snow Peak Eat restaurant. We walked through the cafe, though did not spend much time there. However, it is clearly designed to support relaxation and admiration of the natural spaces with most seating facing the large full-height windows looking out over the Japanese Alps.
The retail space is decently large, with a wide selection of apparel and gear with much of it on display. Nestled into the retail area is also a small tourism booth for the Hakuba region. While no one was staffing it, there were brochures in multiple languages available describing what you'll find.
As we'd come from HQ1 just two days prior, there weren't many pieces we were seeking out. We purchased a coat for a friend back home, and the Hakuba Landstation Titanium Mug - but surprisingly we found a small supply of the Snow Peak Titanium Milk Frother. This companion piece to the Titanium French Press does what the name implies, with a small pump you're able to make a nice foamy milk even in the field. Despite being discontinued years ago, Snow Peak Japan had apparently unearthed a small inventory of them and I couldn't pass up the opportunity.
Post-purchase, we visited the Snow Peak Eat inside. While Snow Peak's Landstation Kyoto Arashiyama features a Snow Peak Cafe, Snow Peak Eat is a vastly different experience. Full course dining, the atmosphere of gazing out the continuous full-height windows with warm woods surrounding the entirety of the hall, it's simply delightful.
Outside and the store is another unique component to Hakuba. While there is the large field visible from inside, tucked off to the side is a true American style campground.
Camping at Snow Peak Hakuba
This was without a doubt the biggest surprise to us. To date, the camping we'd seen was very typical of campgrounds in Japan. Large open spaces that are relatively free-reign to where you setup. So to see a forested space with dirt walking trails and numbered campsites caught us off-guard.
The campground consists of two Jyubakos, each with their own Takibi Tarp Octa setup outside for cover and campfires. Surrounding these more permanent installations are 6 walk-in campsites, similar to how Snow Peak Campfield Long Beach operates. We didn't walk into the campground itself as there were people there and we wanted to respect their privacy, however from our vantage points we could see that the sites were spacious and relatively private.
If you're looking for something in-between a Jyubako and camping, a Glamberg L is available to rent. Set up and fully equipped, it is a similar experience to the Tent Suite at Snow Peak Campfield Long Beach.
While there is no Onsen on-site, campers get access to the Happo Onsen "Mimizuku no Yu", just a couple meters away that offers absolutely spectacular views of the Japanese Alps.
Final Thoughts
Snow Peak Landstation Hakuba is a bit out of the way compared to other Campfields and Snow Peak stores in Japan. However, if you're looking for a day trip or an overnighter with easy access to hikes and wonderful scenery it is a fantastic option.
Since it has a Snow Peak Eat, Cafe, Retail Store, Campground and field for event hosting, it is one of the most well equipped Snow Peak options if you would like to see what Snow Peak offers in Japan but can only visit a single location.
Questions on Snow Peak travel in Japan? Feel free to leave a comment below or ask us a question via our contact form.