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Refresh your Mind Body and Soul
Educational Adventures
in the Great Outdoors
Canyons is a leading outdoor education provider offering year round
adventure activities and team-building experiences in the mountains
of Japan. Our fun and flexible programs provide rewarding learning
opportunities and unforgettable adventures all within a safe and carefully
supervised environment. Students will sample a wide range of exhilarating
challenges, each with their own unique set of learning outcomes, and leave
with a healthy respect for nature.
Our professional team of multi-national “adventure mentors” guide
students every step and splash of the way, ensuring that each individual
is reaching their potential and of course having fun! From the moment
student groups arrive, the mentors are on-hand to see that everyone
is comfortable, happy and entertained, leaving time for accompanying
teachers to get on with other tasks or even relax!
Our adventures are not just about fun. With our “challenge by choice”
philosophy, we work towards every student leaving with a feeling of
achievement. Our goal is that each Canyons customer will take away a
greater understanding of themselves, as well as an appreciation for the
great outdoors!
We are happy to customise activity elements or overall programs to align
with relevant curriculum guidelines, whether these relate to ADVENTURE
CULTURE, SERVICE or more specific course topics such as environmental
studies, science, geography and cultural studies.
Outdoor Education
Canyons Ltd,Yubiso 45, Minakami-machi, Tone-gun, Gunma Prefecture, Japan.
www.canyons.jp
english@canyons.jp tel: +81 (0) 2787-22-811
Location and Access
Canyons main center is based in Minakami, a
traditional Japanese spa town in the mountains of
Gunma Prefecture, just a few hours from Tokyo.
Minakami and the surrounding area is renowned
as one of Japan’s premiere locations for summer
and winter adventure sports, counting Mount
Tanigawa, Joshinetsu National Park and one of
Japan’s most exciting rivers, the Tone, among its
many natural attractions.
Access is easy. By coach Canyons is four hours
from Narita Airport. The bullet train to nearby
Jomo Kogen Station (15 minutes from Minakami)
takes just over one hour from Tokyo. Canyons
provides bus transfers to and from local stations.
or can organise transfers to and from airports.
Japan
Our Playground
Come and play in our backyard! We also operate
bases in several other areas including Yuzawa,
Nozawa, Okutama and Kusatsu, enabling us to
take advantage of the best spots for different
adventures and stunning scenery to match.
Outdoor Education
Gunma
www.canyons.jp
Our Facilities
Alpine Lodge Minakami
Our friendly, spacious riverside lodge is the ideal base for a residential
camp. A welcoming and relaxed environment to exercise and be energetic,
relax and contemplate, or recover for the next adventure.
The comprehensive facilities include comfortable onsite accommodation
and Canyons very own restaurant, serving a delicious array of international
and Japanese cuisine.
Your group can relax and socialise on the large, covered deck, try out the
skate half-pipe, hone skills on the pool table and table football, or chill out
in the TV room.
Accommodation
Groups of up to 100 people can be accommodated in a mixture of
bunkrooms and Japanese-style rooms with comfortable futons on the
tatami mat floors. Most rooms sleep 4-6 occupants, however a few larger
rooms are available by prior arrangement. The lodge features Japanesestyle male and female bath facilities, showers and western-style toilets in
addition to a washing machine and drying room.
Should you choose to stay elsewhere, Canyons can recommend and
arrange alternative accommodation for your group in one of the many
high-quality lodges and hotels in the area.
Outdoor Education
www.canyons.jp
Summer Adventures!
whitewater rafting, canyoning, nature walks, mountain biking,
climbing, canoeing, hiking, bunjy jumping, caving, bbqs, abseiling
Summer Adventures
Green Season in Japan is a long affair stretching from April when the snows
begins to melt, until November, when once again the temperatures start to
get chilly again. The snowmelt swells the river and makes the Tone a white
water paradise with world class rapids.
We have a wide range of activites on offer and will customize the level to
the needs of your group.
Rafting
Grade 3-4 rapids in high water season & Grade 1-2 rapids in summer.
Canyoning
Jumps, slides, swims, waterfalls and ropework.
Mountain Biking
Downhill MTB on some great mountain trails
Lake Canoeing & Kayaking
Exploring the environment around the Naramata Lake
Bungy Jumping
Japans highest and most scenic bungy over the Tone(42 metre)
Paragliding
Either tandem jumps or learning the basics of take-off, flight and landing on
the bunny slope, never more than a metre or so off the ground.
Hiking
Anything from half day to multiday. Famous peaks or natural outdoor hot
springs.
Caving
Get a new perspective on Japan as you explore below ground.
Climbing
Introduction to rope skills and climbing techniques. Indoor and outdoor
options available.
Orienteering/Geocaching
Navigate your way around one of 3 courses solving problems as you go.
Whitewater Skills
Learn the basics of whitewater and river skills.
Outdoor Education
www.canyons.jp
Team Building
With experienced facilitators on staff, our team building programes are
popular with corporate clients and schools alike. Challenging, rewarding
and fun. Some popular options are listed below, and as with everything we
do, customizing to fit the goals of the students is encouraged.
Teambuilding games
Following the Project Adventure (PA) methodoligy, we use a variety of
games and activities to mold your group in to a "performing" team. Each
activity is customized to the groups level and stage on the team spectrum.
The focus is firmly on communication, teamwork and learning as your
team have to brainstorm and experiment together as your ingenuity is put
under the spotlight.
Raft Building
With a team of your peers and the most basic of equipment plan, design
and construct a raft to carry to a specific point. Sink or swim depending
on your team’s abilities.
Adventure Race
A multi-discipline day that puts team dynamics, strategy and determination
to the test, as your team negotiate the problems and activities along the
course.
Outdoor Education
www.canyons.jp
Sa
leSummer Adventure Camp Itinerary
p
m
Day One
Arrive Narita Airport
Met by Canyons Staff
Bus Transfer to Canyons Alpine Lodge
Welcome Meeting
Dinner at Canyons Alpine Café
Day Two
Cooked breakfast at Canyons Alpine Café
Half day Canyoning Tour
Lunch
Half day Rafting Tour
Hearty dinner at Canyons Alpine Café
Evening Activities
Day Three
Half day River Cleaning
Lunch
Half day Mountain Biking Tour
Hearty dinner at Canyons Alpine Café
Movie Night
Day Four
Full day hike to natural hot spring lake in Kusatsu
Picnic lunch
Dinner at local restaurant
Evening Activities
Day Five
Half day Lake Canoeing
Lunch
Half day Paragliding Flight Basics
BBQ dinner
Prize giving
Toasting marshmallows over a campfire
Day Six
Transfer to Tokyo
Lunch in traditional Restaurant
Half day Tokyo Cultural Tour & Sightseeing
Depart
Winter Adventures!
Skiing, Snowboarding, Snowshoeing, Backcountry Tours,
Snowmobiling, Cross Country skiing, Snowball fights, Igloo building
Winter Adventures
Japan is famous for great snow and premium skiing. Resorts generally
open in mid-December, with dates depending on the snowfall. Midwinter snow lasts through January and February, with spring conditions
around mid-March. Higher resorts stay open until the Golden Week
holidays at the beginning of May and others finish up a bit earlier.
Individual resorts nestle next to each other across the mountains. Each
one has its own character and challenges, giving your group different
choices to explore. Talk to us and we will work out the best plan to fit
your goals, group size and accommodate seasonal factors.
Ski School
Canyons has a team of English-speaking professional ski and snowboard
instructors. Many of them spend the entire year on skifields around the
world. They are all selected for their ability to relate to students and
provide fun lessons.
Our team are passionate about snow and keen to pass that on to their
students. Canyons caters for all sorts of challenges, from beginner to
advanced level, race training, freestyle, powder clinics, cross country or
telemark.
Outdoor Education
www.canyons.jp
Winter Adventures
Snowshoe Tours
A snowshoe tour is a great way to appreciate the natural beauty and
tranquility of the Japanese mountains - a stunning environment many
people never get a chance to see. The hikes up to frozen waterfalls,
secret caves or hidden temples are always a highlight of a mountain
adventure and students learn en route about the local flora and fauna.
Our snowshoe guides are also well versed in local history and legend and they love telling those stories.
The mountain environment is a memorable classroom and lessons
learned here are especially vivid. Learning in the outdoors, especially
with an environmental focus makes for a very vivid experience. Our
winter programmes take advantage of our location to help the students
understand as much as they can about their winter surroundings.
Snow science
Snow is so much more than the white stuff that you slide on. Weather,
geography, ice crystals, the water cycle and temperature all combine to
give the students a fascinating understanding and help them to appreciate
the snow they see all around them.
Backcountry experience
Venture away from the resort and a whole different world opens up. A
carefully controlled introduction to safe practices, the equipment and
the environment is valuable knowledge, and offers an insight into the
beauty and power to be found in the mountains.
Snow craft courses
Many people see snow and the first instinct is either to make a
snowman or a snowball. Snow craft allows the students to indulge their
creative side with structured challenges. Armed with the right tools and
techniques an igloo or snow shelter (where you will eat your dinner)
is a very realistic goal and immensely fulfilling to make. Sculptures are
another popular choice.
Outdoor Education
www.canyons.jp
le
p
m
Sa
Sample Winter Adventure Itinerary
Day 1
Arrive Tokyo. Transfer to Canyons
Day 2
Ski at Houdaigi
Day 3 Ski at Houdaigi
Day 4
Half day Snowshoe Tour Afternoon Off Night Ski at Okutone
Day 5
Ski at Gala Yuzawa
Day 6
Ski at Kagura
Day 7 Transfer to Tokyo. Half day Tokyo tour.
Depart
Customised Programs
There are plenty of options for your summer and winter adventures and
we are happy to design a program that incorporates the elements your
students require. In the unlikely event that we can’t do it, we will find
someone who can. We work closely with travel agents in Tokyo who can
arrange most things in and around the capital.
Whether your students are looking for an action-packed adventure, a
chance to discover the natural beauty and fascinating culture of Japan,
engage in some team building and experiential learning, or get involved in
some community service/environmental awareness activities, Canyons can
create the ideal program.
The options are endless so if you let us know what aspects your require,
we will find some options. Some examples:
Wadaiko drum workshop
Learn the basics to this ancient Japanese drum tradition.
Takumino Sato Craft Village
A very hands-on learning experience where students have a go at a
traditional crafts.
Tokyo based cultural tours
The capital has so much to offer that a side trip is too good an
opportunity to pass up.
Community/Environmental
River Cleaning /Tree Planting
Blogging for local tourism
Teaching English to local students
Outdoor Education
www.canyons.jp
Safety
Canyons has an impeccable safety record spanning 14 years of operation
and a reputation for outstanding guide capability. All of our operational
procedures are based on international best practices and standards.
Canyons practices are in accordance with the following professional
associations:
NZRA
New Zealand Rafting Association
CIC
International Association of Professional Canyoning Guides
WFA
Wilderness Alert First Aid
NZSIA
New Zealand Snowsports Instructors Alliance
All of our guides and instructors are internationally licensed professionals
with a passion for the outdoors.
Outdoor Education
www.canyons.jp
Teachers Pack
We understand that schools and parents have high expectations of
outdoor education operators and the teachers that organize trips. In
order to make the organization as easy as possible we have created the
“Teachers Pack”. A collection of documents to aid in the creation of
your trip and inform parents of details.
The pack includes:
Risk assessment
Parental consent forms
Pupil record sheet
Operator and activity explanation (power point - can be used for
school and parent briefing)
Quote generator
Insurance details
Outdoor Education
www.canyons.jp
Testimonials
Just wanted to say thank you very much for everything last week. It was a great trip and I have had so many
emails from the parents, I have attached them below as they are raving about the instructors and thought
it would be nice for you guys to hear.
We were very impressed with the slickness of the whole trip, it seemed that nothing was forgotten and
everything had been thought of. (It may have not felt like that to you! But it definitely was one of the best
and easiest ski trips I have taken)
I think all of the instructors and staff that worked with our students were fantastic. That alone would
ensure a return trip from us. Working everyday in a school environment it can be easy to be critical of
coaches and instructors, but it was faultless for every instructor. In my experience this is a difficult task,
but your instructors managed to be constantly enthusiastic, fun, patient, kind, and extremely professional. I
haven’t seen our kids waxing so lyrically about their instructors before, and never have the teachers felt like
such a spare part and even feeling like it was a “holiday” trip and not just work!! (although better keep that
quiet to all the other staff here!)? We had a group of mixed athletic abilities but the fact that every student
walked off the slopes every day with an enormous feeing of success and at the end of the week, all were
keen to come back on a ski trip again is testament to all of the instructors.
Snowshoeing was great and a good break for the students. They really seemed to get together and were
a lot more outgoing and chatty after that for the rest of the week. The Japanese meal was great and again
something that they felt was well worth doing.
We liked the ski resort at Houdaigi and it was a great beginners and intermediate range. It was great to go
to Kagura and see something new too as well.
Emma Hall
Head of Senior PE, Tanglin Trust School,
Singapore
Our school has taken about 40 upper high school students on a three day outdoor challenge trip in
early November for the last 6 years with Canyons Japan. We complete most of these activities each year:
canyoning, caving, downhill mountain biking, rafting, rock climbing, orienteering and a campfire at Canyons
base on the banks of the Tone river. Each year there is a waiting list for students to go on the trip and our
school is in the process of expanding to a winter trip to include skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing.
Canyons provides all equipment, which is well maintained and very functional, in one central location on the
Tone river, the venue for most of the water activities. The Minakami base has hot showers, change rooms,
restaurant, skateboard ramp, pool table and a huge indoor/outdoor deck overlooking the river. Students
move easily from one activity to another meaning that they can experience much with little downtime.
Canyons transport us on their own buses between activities, to and from our hotel and the local station.
They also have on site accommodation at their base on the river banks.
Students on all our trips invariably have a great time. They are challenged, in ability level groups and rise to
the occasion doing things they would never ordinarliy tackle. Canyons encourages teachers to join in with
students in the activities. It is rewarding and reassuring for teachers to know that students will love this
trip, will gain great outdoor experience and a respect for the natural environment. Students will also gain a
valuable insight into the Japanese reverence for nature and will be effectively organized, instructed and led
by the Canyons staff.
We will continue our relationship with Canyons Japan into the future as these trips meet our needs for
quality outdoor education.
Dave Gotterson
Department Head, High School Social Studies,
The American School in Japan
Outdoor Education
www.canyons.jp

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