For years, female Japanese riders have quietly pushed some of the most technical and stylish snowboarding in the world, often without the same opportunities, contests, or platforms found elsewhere. When The Uninvited arrived in Japan, it was clear from the first practice session that the riders were beyond ready to show up.
The stop carried a deeper meaning for The Uninvited’s founder, Jess Kimura. “I love Japan. And I mean, I know everyone loves Japan, but for me it’s a little more personal because I’m half Japanese,” she said. “I just love coming here. I love the people, the culture, and just that snowboarding doesn’t feel as commercialized.”
From February 6–8, 2026, in the Tohoku region’s Aizu area of Fukushima Prefecture, Hoshino Resorts NEKOMA Mountain stepped up to host the first-ever Uninvited Japan Open, understanding the weight of the moment for the girls. Presented by YETI and supported by The North Face, CAPiTA, Union Binding Co., Sun Bum, Nekoma Mountain, and SLUSH The Magazine, the event marked a decade-long goal for Kimura: bringing The Uninvited to Japan.
What started with self-funded street films has evolved into a global platform with events and community ride days built around riders who didn’t always have access to traditional pathways. Bringing The Uninvited to Japan felt like a natural extension of that mission.
Behind the scenes, Event Lead Nirvana Ortanez secured the location, including a site visit this past fall. Creative Director, designer, and builder Ben Bilocq worked with The Uninvited team, Henmi-san, Mami-san, and the NEKOMA park crew on the precise features that brought the course to life. Abby Fuhrer handled athlete support and co-produced the event on-site with Nirvana, with additional support from Carmen Leung on logistics. This skeleton crew made the event possible.
On finals day, the weather was weathering. Temps were well below freezing, the course was icy, and the riders were warmed up, rapid-fire dropping and hiking back up to the top of the course.
“Those girls don’t complain,” Jess said after the event. “They don’t complain because the people that complain are the people that just have opportunity their whole lives. And these girls have had none. Not one of them complained.”
With 45 riders bringing the heat and a ¥1.5 million purse on the line, judging was nearly impossible for judges Aya Sato, Miyeong Yamaguchi (aka Miyon), and Jess Kimura.
“Halfway through finals, we all looked at each other, and we’re like, we’re cooked. How are we going to do this?” Jess said about the riding level being so insane.
At the center of that battle were three names that have quietly defined Japanese streetstyle podiums for years: Hinano, Himari, and Shizuku. Different styles, different personalities, but always pushing one another.
Taking the win, 14-year-old Hinano Sakamoto rode with visible confidence, sometimes even playful defiance, as she stacked tricks throughout finals.
That same attitude showed up in practice after a string of heavy slams had Jess trying to rein her in.
“She was eating shit so bad in practice,” Jess said. “And I was like, hey, you need to chill out. You only do 50-50 the rest of the day. And she was like, okay. And goes up, goes to the kink rail, and like switch, bluntslide 270s. And as she’s in the kink on the flat part, she looks straight into my eyes, stomps it, and rides away. And I was like, you fucker.” [laughing] “I like to see the confidence because we weren’t allowed to be confident forever,” Jess added. “To see someone who has that confidence and fully owns it and fully follows up with the riding to back it, is really cool.”
In 2nd place, Himari Takamori carried a completely different presence—quiet, composed, and almost unreadable, even after heavy slams. “She’s like this really quiet, shy girl, you never hear her talk. You never see her react, but then you saw her really turn it up in the finals and try stuff she had never tried before, and really battle. She went to war,” Jess added.
3rd place went to Shizuku Hanada, who threw down in finals. “She was so precise and so consistent,” Jess said.
The North Face Best Trick was earned by Yuri Takizawa for her switch frontside bluntslide 270 out on the waterfall rail. “She took her face to the rail for that. And she didn’t give up,” Jess said.
YETI Rookie Award recipient Midori was younger than most of the field and, at 15 years old, was riding with a calm, technical approach. “She came into her own in a way that no other person was riding with that much precision,” Jess said.
Across the entire field, what stood out wasn’t just the difficulty of the tricks, but the style and motivation. Even the youngest riders moved with control and intention. “None of them have bad style,” Jess said. “We’ve tried to break that down, and I really think it comes from Miyon being the first. They all have this gangster style that Miyon brought to the table.”
The event was hosted by MC Hiromi, a pioneering Japanese rider who, as Jess put it, was “so far ahead of her time,” riding rails and backcountry features years before most women in the scene. Jess pointed out a lineage in Japanese snowboarding: Miyon influenced Himari, Himari influenced Hinano and Shizuku. Each rider adding their own take, while that same core style runs through all.
That influence showed up everywhere, even among the youngest competitors. One of the most talked-about riders at The Uninvited Japan Open was eight-year-old Kaya Satomi. “When I saw her there, I was like, oh my god, is that her?” Jess said, having just started following the Instagram account @kaya_haya_taya. “She drops in and 50-50s the whole rail. I’m like, okay, sweet. But then she threw down the front board, and that was wild. I’ve never seen an eight-year-old do that.”
The commitment wasn’t just visible in the execution. It showed up in the crashes, too. “I’ve never seen people claw and drag their carcasses off the course,” Jess said. “Like all they cared about was getting out of the way of other people. It was crazy. They couldn’t breathe, and they were clawing on the ground, dragging themselves.”
This reminded Jess of her own experience years earlier. “I just remember being like that. I remember the first Holy Bowly ever. I knocked myself out, and I was just clawing to get off the course.”
It was the same instinct and urgency to clear the landing and keep the session moving.
Beyond the insane riding level, what made the event amazing was the atmosphere. Everything was designed to make the riders feel like they belonged. The Community Ride Day, led by Tomoyo Oishi along with Jess, Miyon, Himari, and Aya, embodied this ethos. “When it’s explicitly stated that this is for the girls, any level of riding, they know that they’re meant to be there,” Jess said.
The spectators mattered too. Jess wanted noise, energy, and support—the kind of atmosphere she rarely experienced growing up. “A huge component of these events is the crowd,” she said. “I’m so obsessed with having a crowd and having that energy. I always wanted that motivation.” And the people showed up.
On finals day, temperatures hovered between -9 and -15 degrees Celsius. Jess nearly had a panic attack that morning, worried spectators would be too cold, and Tuyuhe Uninvited team scrambled to make sure there were handwarmers available for anyone who needed them. YETI also helped keep the crowd warm, serving hot soup on site.
When the contest ended, the impact was immediate. One rider’s mom approached Jess with a translation on her phone. It said, “My hand is broken right now, so I want to go see New Zealand with revenge.” And her mom goes, “I already bought a ticket.”
“And I was like, but we haven’t announced the dates,” Jess said.
Jess laughed at the memory, but the meaning was clear. “This lit a fire,” she said. “So cool. Kind of scary, but cool.”
For many of the Japanese riders, this was the first time they’d ever been part of an open event with a full, stacked field, real support, and real stakes.
“There are so many girls that next year, I bet, will come back with a vengeance,” Jess said. “This was the first time all of those girls had a chance.”
The Uninvited Invitational returns to Woodward Park City, April 8–12. Invites will be announced by The Uninvited on February 14th, to riders from around the world. Check out their website for up to date info!
Until then, we’re gonna leave Ted Borland’s video edit of The Uninvited Japan Open here.
Results
1st Place – ¥600,000
Hinano Sakamoto @hinano6622
2nd Place – ¥375,000
Himari Takamori @himari0118
3rd Place – ¥225,000
Shizuku Hanada @shizuku_snow819
The North Face Best Trick – ¥150,000
Yuri Takizawa @yuri.bow25
Switch frontside blunt 270 out of the waterfall rail
YETI Rookie Award – ¥150,000
Midori Oshima @mido_ri2010