Rhythm Happo, Hakuba — Local services in Hakuba

The gear was great and for the most part, performed well! (rented skis, boots, poles, and a helmet)

However, my boots were a different story. During the fitting, they checked my foot measurements and asked my skill level, where I expressed that I’m beginner-intermediate but I ski regularly at home and own my own setup. I gave them the sizing of the setup that I own. She brought out a boot that is 23.5. I told her that my boots at home are 24.5. My friend has 23.5s and I tried them on and they were far too small, hence why we came to rent. She had a weird attitude from the start but I continued on friendly, as she could have just been having a bad day. I tried the boots on and as I presumed, they were too small. I expressed that my toe area was feeling veryyyy cramped and my toes weren’t able to lay flat, even after banging my foot into the back of the boot and leaning into the shins, my toes had no room to flatten out AT ALL. My big toe was fully bent and my other toes were scrunched up. She told me that “once you clip in and lean into the front of the boot, your foot will slide back and you’ll be fine.” She also said that I have an “narrow foot” so these should be good. I understand that but centimeters are centimeters, my foot is still longer heel to toe than 23.5, that doesn’t change. Essentially, she convinced me to rent a boot that was a full size too small for me, and my big toes paid the price. I ended up with excruciating toe bang and bruised toes after 2 days of skiing. The second day I could hardly control the skis because I couldn’t put as much pressure on my big toes to turn because they were already so sore from day 1. Luckily this didn’t result in further injury but I can’t say the same for everyone.

Outside of this, the gear was good and reasonably priced! But my recommendation for improvement would be that if a guest is expressing how boots are too small and explaining that they have a setup at home that is a size that works better for them, please listen to them so they don’t end up hurting themselves. Skiing is just one of many things I planned to do on this 14 day trip so I didn’t want the hassle of taking my gear to all 7 cities that we are planning to visit, and skiing only being 2 days of that. The convenience of renting made more sense. But that doesn’t mean I’m uneducated about what size boots and skis I need for my size and skill level. It just felt like she didn’t take any of my previous ski experience and ownership into consideration when assessing my rentals. She was talking to me like I was someone that had never skied before.

Still a great place to rent, just stand your ground and ask for a different boot size if they truly are too small and your toes...

I had the pleasure of visiting Rhythm Happo, Hakuba recently to pick up a snowboard bag, and I must say, my experience was… memorable. First up, a massive shout-out to Marissa (I hope I got the name right), who was an absolute legend—super helpful, knowledgeable, and made the whole process a breeze. It’s always great when someone makes you feel like your business actually matters.

But things went downhill when I reached the checkout. All I can say is—what a shift. The difference in service was… hmm… huge. I get that not everyone’s in the mood for a chat, but the level of enthusiasm here was about as lively as a flat tyre on a country road. Despite clearly being a foreigner who doesn’t speak a word of Japanese, I wasn’t offered any assistance with a tax refund. When I finally asked about it, I was met with the charming response that it was apparently a bridge too far. No alternative solution was suggested—just a good old-fashioned stare and silence.

Feeling unconvinced, I left the shop but came back to see if I could return the bag and repurchase it without tax. Well, that turned into an entirely new adventure in customer service gymnastics. Excuse after excuse—and not the good kind—just to make the simplest thing unnecessarily difficult. She seemed determined to make it her personal mission to dig up a note from who-knows-when just to ensure my purchase couldn’t be refunded. Not exactly what I’d call good sportsmanship, mate.

Look, the shop has some great gear, and there are definitely a few diamonds among the staff. But it’s fair to say customer service is a bit of a mixed bag. While I’d happily recommend Marissa to anyone, if you’re heading to the register, I’d suggest bringing along plenty of patience and a good sense of humour. Trust...

I recently rented ski equipment from Hakuba Rhythm, and I have to say, the level of service exceeded my expectations. I encountered difficulty booking a taxi back to my hotel due to high demand in the area, and I was feeling a bit stranded. When I approached the staff for help, they went above and beyond to assist me. Although there were no taxis available at the time, they kindly offered me a ride in their staff vehicle, ensuring I made it to my destination without any issues.

This gesture truly reflects the outstanding customer care they provide, and it’s a big reason why I’ll definitely be returning to Rhythm for my future trips. Thank you to the entire team for making my experience in Hakuba even better than expected....