Japanese Snowboards
Snowboards have been designed and built in Japan as early as 1971, when Shinzo Tanuma prototyped the first MOSS snowboard.
Japanese snowboards are known for their focus on Snowsurf, ground tricks (gura-tori グラトリ) and alpine high speed carving. Bespoke makers offering hand built customized boards, proudly using local materials.
Here is a tribute to the world of Japanese snowboards.
Snowsurf
FIELD EARTH
Asahikawa, Hokkaido
snowsurf
Cutting edge innovator of snowboard shapes with their 3D and 4D board designs, unique materials with minimalist color topsheets.
GENTEMSTICK
Niseko, Hokkaido
snowsurf
Synonymous with Japanese snowsurf culture featuring minimalist design with unique snowsurf shapes for powder and carving sweeping turns.
MOSS SNOWSTICK
Kanagawa
snowsurf
The original pioneer of the snowsurf movement, originating from Pioneer MOSS, a surfboard maker in Kanagawa. Nowadays are known for boards that make beautiful turns with 3D base profiles.
Maverick Figures
Tanigawa, Gunma
snowsurf
Part of the TJ Crew family (TJ Brand) that focuses primarily on big mountain free riding inspired by Mount Tanigawa.
TJ BRAND ORIGINAL
Tokyo
snowsurf
Explores the essense of free riding, heavily influenced by surfboard shapes and historical snowboarding design.
MOSIRITA
Hokkaido
snowsurfbespoke
Bespoke custom snowboards made by hand in Hokkaido with beautiful wood grain topsheets.
Offshore
Niseko, Hokkaido
snowsurfbespoke
Niseko based Japanese brand started by Australians bringing a unique blend of Australian surf culture and Japanese craftsmanship.
Four Square Design
snowsurf
Part of the Pioneer MOSS family of brands that focus on powder riding shapes.
HITRIBE
bespokesnowsurf
Brand by Shingo Takahashi, a pro-freestyle rider in the 1990s now blends surf culture with snow riding.
PRANAPUNKS
Nagano
snowsurf
Known for manufacturing their boards in Aomori Japan using Nagano wood. Their range focuses on snowsurf but also have a freestyle option available.
SEPPA SHAPES
Okinawa
snowsurfpowder
Focus on bringing together Okinawa surfing culture with snow. Powder-specific shapes, such as swallowtails, designed to provide the float and maneuverability of surfing a wave, even in tight tree runs.
Sample Shape
Yamagata
bespokesnowsurf
Handshaped snowboards inspired by surfboard design and culture. There is no lineup, each one handcrafted.
VOLTAGE MFG
Minamiuonuma, Niigata
bespokesnowsurf
Regular boards are hand-made in Japan, leveraging the expertise of local artisans in the Tsubame-Sanjo area of Niigata.
Powder
Lehman Stick
Gunma
powder
Founded by a group of salarymen for others who want to maximize their limited weekend time on the mountain. They focus on powder boards for the Japanese powder and tree runs.
Life Riddim
bespokepowder
A side-label of Outflow, focused on original, domestic powder-specific shapes and high-end customizations.
SECCA
powderbespoke
Created by women, for women, focusing on powder riding with unique designs, using quality Japanese materials.
SEPPA SHAPES
Okinawa
snowsurfpowder
Focus on bringing together Okinawa surfing culture with snow. Powder-specific shapes, such as swallowtails, designed to provide the float and maneuverability of surfing a wave, even in tight tree runs.
UNIT .mfg
Niigata
powder
Known for its high-quality, domestically produced free-riding and powder boards.
green.lab
Nagano
powder
Known for its commitment to environmental sustainability, using domestically sourced wood from thinned Nagano forests to create high-quality, handcrafted freeride and powder boards.
Bespoke
MOSIRITA
Hokkaido
snowsurfbespoke
Bespoke custom snowboards made by hand in Hokkaido with beautiful wood grain topsheets.
Offshore
Niseko, Hokkaido
snowsurfbespoke
Niseko based Japanese brand started by Australians bringing a unique blend of Australian surf culture and Japanese craftsmanship.
HITRIBE
bespokesnowsurf
Brand by Shingo Takahashi, a pro-freestyle rider in the 1990s now blends surf culture with snow riding.
Life Riddim
bespokepowder
A side-label of Outflow, focused on original, domestic powder-specific shapes and high-end customizations.
SECCA
powderbespoke
Created by women, for women, focusing on powder riding with unique designs, using quality Japanese materials.
Sample Shape
Yamagata
bespokesnowsurf
Handshaped snowboards inspired by surfboard design and culture. There is no lineup, each one handcrafted.
VOLTAGE MFG
Minamiuonuma, Niigata
bespokesnowsurf
Regular boards are hand-made in Japan, leveraging the expertise of local artisans in the Tsubame-Sanjo area of Niigata.
General
MOSS SNOWBOARDS
Kanagawa
general
Beyond the MOSS "Snowstick" (separate brand) for snowsurfing, MOSS makes a variety of boards for freestyle and racing. Part of the Pioneer MOSS family of brands.
Ogasaka Snowboards
Nagano
general
Amongst the oldest snowboard makers in Japan. They are known for producing racing and carving snowboards in addition to freestyle and splitboards.
Yonex
Niigata
general
Known for applying materials such as carbon from racquets to snowboard construction. Their boards are notoriously light, reactive, and powerful.
BC Stream
Niigata
generalcarvingracing
Focuses on high-performance alpine and carving, known for its meticulous in-house manufacturing and rider-driven designs. Owned by ACT.
![LOVEBUZZ 57 [ROCKER]](https://content.snowline.jp/gear/models/lovebuzz-57-rocker.ecc12afc-e6a7-4d37-9acd-8dbc06b23732.png)
Gray Snowboards
Osaka
general
Known for their carving and freestyle line up, they are a research and technology focused producer of snowboards.
SABRINA
general
Exclusively focuses on women's-specific snowboards designed for the physique and riding styles of Japanese women and local snow conditions
TWELVE
Tokyo
general
Focus on creating boards with simple shapes and profiles designed for real snowboarders, prioritizing quality and a solid riding experience over excessive marketing or hype.
ALLIAN
general
Originally a US brand, converted to be a Japan focused brand that makes boards for all terrains.
Atirom AVS
general
AVS (Anti Vibration System) is a world-first material consisting of glass fibres molded into rods that help with suppressing chatter.
FOSSIL
general
Prioritizes the pure, natural feel of a snowboard over flashy graphics or modern trends.
Island Snowboards
Niseko, Hokkaido
general
Rider-owned and built snowboards using locally sourced Japanese wood for the Japanese powder snow.
Outflow
general
Produces boards that span the spectrum of freestyle to freeride to powder. Associated with Shingo Takahashi and the subbrand Life Riddim.
SIN.SNOWBOARD
Minamiuonuma, Niigata
general
SIN boards are designed for "All-Mountain Freestyle." They prioritize high-speed stability and a "pop" that caters to technical riders who want to transition seamlessly from park jumps to natural backcountry terrain.
Freestyle
011 Artistic
freestyleground-tricks
Rooted in the "ground trick" (gratri) and jibbing scene, producing lightweight boards designed for maximum maneuverability and playfulness.
DEATH LABEL
Chiba
freestyle
Famous for models like "Madmax" (for jibbing) and "Boneless" (for all-around performance). Punk rock and hip hop roots.
FNTC
Kanagawa
freestyle
FNTC boards are designed to be user-friendly, catering to beginners to advanced riders looking to maximize their fun on the snow, especially for ground tricks and carving.
Noah
Osaka
freestyle
Boards made in Japan with a patented variable convex sole using local factories.
November Snow Material
Nagano
freestyle
They offer a wide range of models, with popular boards like the "Artiste". The brand covers all freestyle categories, from pipe and slopestyle to jib and ground tricks.
Asian Can Controllerz
freestyle
ACC targets riders who are not satisfied with "ordinary" mass-market gear, focusing on unique graphics inspired by graffiti, spray art, and urban fashion while maintaining high technical performance.
Crooja
freestyle
Built around the idea of making boards specifically tuned for ground tricks (gura-tori) and freestyle riding.
DEVGRU
Osaka
freestyleground-tricks
Boards targeted to intermediate freestyle riders doing park and ground-tricks.
HOLIDAY
freestyleground-tricks
Made in Japan boards focusing on freestyle, ground tricks (gura-tori), and all-mountain performance.
KM4K
Hakuba
freestyle
Lineup of snowboards designed for various free-riding styles, often using directional shapes and specific cambers for powder and carving.
OJK
Gunma
freestyleracingcarving
Boards are developed with a strong emphasis on alpine and freestyle carving performance, reflecting their expertise in snow engagement dynamics.
PLUTONIUM
ground-tricksfreestyle
Specializing in boards for ground tricks, it was named for the desire to feel "explosive" compared to other Japanese brands.
REGALIA
Shizuoka
freestyle
Niche, independent brand that focuses on crafting high-performance, domestically produced boards for carving and ground tricks.
RICE28
Nagano
freestyle
Celebrated for pioneering the Ground Trick (gura-tori) culture. Established in 1995, it is one of the oldest rider-driven brands in the country, predating many of its contemporary rivals.
SCOOTER
Nagano
freestyle
A long-standing Japanese freestyle snowboard brand known for its high-performance, domestically produced boards for movable and fast carving turns.
Spread
freestyle
The brand is renowned for its focus on ground tricks ("guratori"), flatland freestyle, and high-performance all-around riding
TORQREX
Ibaraki
freestyle
Renowned for its patented core technology and specialization in ground tricks (guratori) and all-mountain freestyle riding.
Did not release a 2025-2026 series.
UKIYO
Tokyo
freestyle
Known for its freestyle, street, and all-mountain boards that blend Japanese artistry with a community-driven snowboarding vision.
WRX SB
Nagano
freestyle
WRXSB is credited with pioneering the "Rantri" (Run-Trick) style in Japan—a hybrid riding style that blends high-speed carving (Run) with technical ground tricks (Trick).
Carving
BC Stream
Niigata
generalcarvingracing
Focuses on high-performance alpine and carving, known for its meticulous in-house manufacturing and rider-driven designs. Owned by ACT.
ALC
Ueda, Nagano
racingcarving
Specializes in high-performance alpine and carving snowboards, as well as the accompanying plates and bindings.
AMICSS
Ueda, Nagano
racingcarving
Specializes in handcrafted, high-performance alpine and carving snowboards. The brand is known for its "Own Produce, Own Made" philosophy, emphasizing precision manufacturing and material development for race performance and superior edge control.
OJK
Gunma
freestyleracingcarving
Boards are developed with a strong emphasis on alpine and freestyle carving performance, reflecting their expertise in snow engagement dynamics.