Yeah a word to the wise about Japan Ski Tours; some of their guides are hardly certified. They mainly operate in-bounds except for a few tours, so their guides are not super experienced.

Spent a week or two with one of their guides last year after he finished up for the season. Met him in an onsen. He's a great guy and a great friend, but damn I was much more experienced than him with only my Avy 2 and WFR. Went splitboarding with him up in Central Hokkaido and he was very inexperienced.I don't care where you guide, you shouldn't be able to guide with only an Avy 1 and a weekend WFA course.

Find a reputable guiding company and especially one that operates within Japanese law. As far as I know JST does operate within Japanese law, but some foreign companies operate under a loophole where they organize and arrange the tours in their home country and just come to Japan under tourist visas. A shitty way to take advantage of the awesome destination that is Japan without doing your part and paying taxes there or employing some local labor.

Hokkaido Backcountry Club and Rising Sun Guides are examples of good guiding companies in Hokkaido with certified ski guides and operate in Japan.