Ski Day

What Is Ski Day?

January 12th is "Ski no Hi" (Ski Day, also called Ski Memorial Day) in Japan. On January 12, 1911, Austrian army officer Major Theodor Edler von Lerch gave the first full-fledged ski instruction in Japan to young officers of the 58th Infantry Regiment of the Army's 13th Division in Takada, Niigata Prefecture (now the city of Joetsu). The day was established in 1994 by Esport Mizuno, the flagship store of sporting goods maker Mizuno, and later, in 2003, by the Ski Association of Japan after consultation with related organizations.

The Birth of Skiing in Japan

Major Lerch had come to Japan to study the Japanese army, which had won the Russo-Japanese War. The instruction is said to have been given at the request of the army, which was interested in skis as a means of getting around in snowy regions.

• Single-pole skiing: What Lerch taught was "single-pole skiing," a style using one long pole, based on the Lilienfeld technique from Austria.
• Spreading to civilians: The instruction spread beyond soldiers to local teachers and others, and skiing spread from Takada to other regions.

Skiing Becomes a Leisure Activity

From the Taisho era into the Showa era, ski areas opened across the country as railways developed, and skiing grew from a tool of daily life in snow country into a sport and leisure activity. Sapporo hosted Asia's first Winter Olympics in 1972, and Nagano hosted the Winter Olympics in 1998.

Fun Facts About Skiing

• Lerch-san: Niigata Prefecture has a mascot character called "Lerch-san," modeled on Major Lerch, who promotes skiing and the appeal of snow country.
• Japan Ski Origin Memorial Museum: On Mt. Kanaya in Joetsu stands the Japan Ski Origin Memorial Museum, which displays items associated with Lerch and materials on the history of skiing in Japan.
• JAPOW: The light powder snow of Hokkaido, Tohoku and the Shin'etsu region is sometimes called "JAPOW" and is popular with skiers from overseas.
• Changing ski materials: Skis have evolved from early wooden boards to combinations of metal, fiberglass, carbon and other materials.

Ways to Spend Ski Day

• Plan this winter's skiing or snowboarding trip and check your wear and gear
• Read about Major Lerch and the origins of skiing in Japan, and look at photos from the time
• Watch footage of ski events from the Winter Olympics or the World Cup
• Before heading to the slopes, get your body ready with stretching and light exercise

The single-pole skiing taught by one foreign officer became the starting point of Japan's winter sports culture. On January 12th, why not turn your thoughts to the pleasures of winter in snow country?