Born and raised in the snowy wonderland of Yamagata, Aguri’s skiing journey began quite literally on a pile of snow under his family’s roof. Before long, he was tumbling through gates at a tiny local slope — one without lifts, which meant a fair bit of hiking too (excellent endurance training, as it turns out).

As a youngster, training could be tough, but nothing beat the sheer joy of skiing all over Zao Onsen Ski Resort on the final days of the season every March. And that was the tradition that cemented his love for the sport. Those early adventures led him into competitive alpine racing during his college years, and later, to the world of snow sports instructing.

After achieving his instructor qualifications and spending time teaching in New Zealand, Aguri now brings his experience from a wide range of instructions as athlete and instructor to help our guests discover their own passion and love for skiing.

Aguri makes sure everyone finds their own way to enjoy the mountain.
And don’t forget to ask him about rice and cherry.