G'day, I'm Rob
Melbourne-based skier with a Japan problem.
I started Piquno because I couldn't stop talking about skiing in Japan, and my mates were getting sick of it. So now I write about it here instead.
I've been skiing for years and Japan is the place that ruined every other ski destination for me. The snow is lighter, the food is better, the onsens after a big day are unmatched, and somehow it's cheaper than a week in the Australian alps. Once you've had a waist-deep powder day at a resort where you're the only foreigner on the mountain, there's no going back.
Piquno covers daily snow conditions across every region in Japan, from the big names like Niseko and Hakuba down to the tiny local hills most Australians have never heard of. I also write about gear that actually works in Japanese conditions, trip planning from Australia, and the cultural side of a Japan ski trip that makes it about more than just the skiing.
My Setup
- Piste skis: Kästle MX 84
- Powder skis: LINE Sakana
- Shell: Salomon Moon Patrol GTX
- Home mountain: Wherever has the deepest base in Nagano
- Based in: Melbourne, Australia
What This Site Is
Piquno is a daily journal for anyone planning, dreaming about, or obsessing over a Japan ski trip. Every post is written to be genuinely useful. The kind of specific, opinionated advice I wish I'd had before my first trip.
No fluff. No listicles recycled from other blogs. Just straight-up intel from someone who actually skis these mountains.