From Dream to Reality: Owning Your Own Ski Lodge in Japan Pt.2 with Dan Solo / Snowball Japan

Snow Country Stories Japan

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.

Snow Country Stories Japan is a bi-weekly podcast about life and travel in Japan's legendary 'yukiguni'. For more information about the show and your host, visit our website - www.snowcountrystories.com - and make sure to subscribe, rate and review the podcast and follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

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1. Episode Introduction (00:00:00)

2. Final Minutes of the First Half of our Chat (00:02:05)

3. Shiki at Tangram: Building Dan's Dream Chalet (00:04:58)

4. Nearby Ski Resorts of Myoko Kogen, Nozawa Onsen, Togari & Togakushi (00:12:31)

5. Yukimi Sano: The Restoration of a 160 Year Old Home (00:17:15)

6. Shiga Kogen Mountain Resort: Japan's Largest Ski Resort (00:22:06)

7. How to Start Your Own Ski Lodge & What to Look For (00:24:17)

8. Investment & Management Services Offered by Snowball Japan (00:27:38)

9. Refurbishment vs A New Build (00:30:07)

10. Dan's Tips for Choosing a Resort with Potential (00:32:07)

11. Snowball Japan Website & Social Media (00:36:09)

12. Episode Close (00:39:07)