Wakaranai for Brands
Come make something in Hokkaido
We have a small lodge in the mountains of Hokkaido.
Come shoot something. Bring your team. Test a product. Take over the lodge for a week. Make something weird in the snow.
We don't really know what the collaboration is yet.
Maybe you do.
Wakaranai Lodge is a small creative basecamp in Tomamu, Hokkaido, for brands.
Come make something.
Wakaranai isn't just somewhere to sleep while you shoot somewhere else. The lodge has a personality of its own — an old building we're rebuilding ourselves, full of fat skis, handmade things, natural materials, strange details and whatever we're working on next. Shoot a campaign here, make a film, use the lodge as your production base, or come up with something that uses the place in a way we haven't thought of yet.
Hokkaido without looking like everyone else's Hokkaido campaign.
If the question is whether this will look like every other Niseko shoot: it doesn't have to. Wakaranai is an independent lodge in a small Hokkaido community, surrounded by snow and forest, full of skis, handmade fixtures and whatever is currently half-finished. Lived-in. A little strange. Connected to actual local life.
Bring your people.
Take over the lodge and bring the people you actually want to spend a week with. Your design team, athletes, photographers, founders, product people, whoever. Ski, work, cook, eat and hang out under the same roof. We're small enough that it feels less like organizing a corporate retreat and more like going somewhere interesting together.
Bring something you're working on.
Hokkaido winter is a pretty good testing ground. Bring skis, outerwear, cameras, packs, prototypes or whatever else you've been making and see what happens when you actually use it. Bring the people who designed it, the people who are supposed to break it, or both. If there's an interesting way for Wakaranai to be involved, even better.
Do something we haven't thought of.
This is probably our favorite one. Maybe you want to build something here. Take over a room. Put an installation in the snow. Bring ten people and a completely unreasonable idea. Maybe your brand makes something that belongs at Wakaranai, or maybe you just found us and thought we should do something with these guys. That's enough of a reason to get in touch.
Wakaranai Lodge, in plain language.
Wakaranai Lodge is a small independent lodge in Tomamu, Hokkaido, Japan, available for brand collaborations, creative retreats, campaign shoots, commercial photography and filming, product testing, athlete trips, product launches and small brand events.
We're in central Hokkaido, close to Tomamu and within reach of Sahoro, Furano and a lot of mountains, forests and small towns in between. The lodge has seven guest rooms and can be privately booked for the right project.
Wakaranai at a glance
- Location
- Tomamu, Hokkaido, Japan. Finding Wakaranai Lodge
- Type
- Small independent ski lodge and creative basecamp
- Best for
- Small brand teams, outdoor brands, creative teams, photographers, filmmakers, athletes and product teams
- Possible uses
- Brand retreats, private lodge takeovers, campaign shoots, photoshoots, filming, product testing, athlete trips, workshops and creative collaborations
- Group size
- Seven guest rooms. Typically 8–12 people.
- Winter
- Inland Hokkaido snow, with access to Tomamu, Sahoro, Furano and nearby touring. Winter at Wakaranai
- Access
- New Chitose Airport is about 1.5 hours by car in clear conditions. Train via Minami-Chitose to Tomamu Station. Free parking. Studless tires in winter.
- On site
- Shared kitchen, living and dining, gear room / small ski shop, Wi-Fi, hosts living on site. See How the Lodge Works.
- Languages
- English, Japanese, German, Spanish, Italian
Questions we keep getting in advance
Can brands rent the entire lodge?
Yes. Private takeovers are possible for the right project. Tell us who you're bringing, roughly when, and what you're trying to do. We'll tell you if a full-lodge booking makes sense.
Can we use Wakaranai Lodge for a photoshoot?
Yes, subject to the project. Indoor lodge spaces, the yard, nearby forest and snow are often usable as a location. We're not a studio. Tell us what you're trying to make and we'll tell you what we can help with.
Can we film at Wakaranai Lodge?
Commercial and creative filming inquiries are welcome. Same as stills: it depends on the project, the dates, and what you need on the ground. Ask.
Can you help organize a ski or outdoor brand trip in Hokkaido?
We can host the stay, help with local logistics, and make introductions where we actually know people. Guiding is available through local backcountry guide Raven Outdoors. We are not a full-service production or event agency.
Can we ship products or equipment to the lodge before we arrive?
Often, yes — ask first. Tell us what's coming, when, and how bulky it is. We'll confirm what we can receive.
Can you help us find photographers, guides, athletes or local talent?
Sometimes. We can introduce people we know when it fits. We don't keep a talent roster or promise a crew.
Can we test prototypes at Wakaranai?
Outdoor and winter product testing projects are welcome, subject to what you're testing and what the stay needs. Hokkaido winter is pretty good at finding weaknesses.
How many people can stay at Wakaranai Lodge?
The lodge has seven guest rooms and typically fits 8 to 12 guests. That's the point. It's built for groups small enough that everyone actually interacts.
Where is Wakaranai Lodge?
Tomamu, in the mountains of central Hokkaido, just outside Shimukappu. Not Niseko. Inland snow, forest, and access to Tomamu, Sahoro, Furano and a lot of smaller terrain in between.
How far is Wakaranai from New Chitose Airport?
About 1.5 hours by car in clear road conditions via the Doto Expressway. By train, take the airport line to Minami-Chitose and change to the Limited Express Ōzora for Tomamu.
What ski areas are nearby?
About 7 minutes to Hoshino Resorts Tomamu, 35 minutes to Sahoro, and around 1 hour 20 minutes to Furano. There is also touring terrain around Tomamu and Minami-Furano.
Do you work with international brands?
Yes. We host in English and Japanese, and also speak German, Spanish and Italian.
Do we need to have a finished idea before contacting you?
No. You don't need a deck. Tell us who you are, what you make and what you're thinking.
Got an idea?
You don't need a deck. You don't need to have it all figured out.
Tell us who you are, what you make and what you're thinking.
Or write inside@dontknowlodge.com.