Japan has long been the veritable Disneyland for snowboarders and skiers based elsewhere in pursuit of some of the deepest powder on Planet Earth. That’s precisely what went through Travis Rice’s mind when he was scouting locations for his 2016 opus The Fourth Phase: there’s gotta be a Japan segment.
But, as often happens on trips in pursuit of passion, the pow was only a part of the reward of Rice’s Japanese sojourn. He also made a lifelong friend along the way – Japanese professional snowboarder Shin Biyajima. In the two years since The Fourth Phase dropped, Rice has been pursuing a side passion project that profiles Shin, his devotion to snowboarding, and the beauty of his backyard in the Nagano Prefecture.
Here’s Travis:
“I was able to spend three years traveling and exploring the Japanese Alps with Shin Biyajima during the production of The Fourth Phase film. During that time I shared so many adventures and conversations with this new friend of mine. After our film released, I really wanted to capture a more authentic portrait of Shin and his process of living and riding as a Japanese snowboarder. I spent about six weeks over two years following Shin around his backyard in the Nagano Prefecture hiking, inquiring and immersing myself in Shin’s universe. Joined by filmmaker Justin Smith, we wanted to capture an intimate portrait of a lifestyle that is quite foreign compared to the norms of North America, yet still strangely similar to the principles that most snowboarders share around the love of the mountains.”
The film is beautiful, replete with stunning imagery, and, of course, some great riding.
