The Japanese biathletes have spent the past two weeks at the cross-country skifield on the Pisa Range and have been impressed by what they have seen.
Team leader Kyoji Suga and manager Hiroyuki Deguchi said they had brought the squads to Snow Farm for the ''altitude, great trails and biathlon range'', and on the advice of International Biathlon Union (IBU) expert Ubaldo Prucker, who ran a IBU/International Olympic Committee Oceania development camp there in July.
Mr Prucker is becoming an increasingly strong international advocate for Snow Farm, which he believes has the potential to host world-class biathlon events.
The Japanese team had originally planned to hold its selection races for next February's Sochi Winter Olympics during its Snow Farm visit.
However, those were postponed, while selection races went ahead for the Winter World University Games in Trentino, Italy, in December. Japan will send five representatives to the Sochi Olympics - one man and four women, and a six-strong team to the university games.
Mr Suga and Mr Deguchi said Snow Farm measured up well against European training venues the Japanese teams would usually visit at this time of year.
The pair confirmed they would return to Snow Farm next year, but arrive earlier in the season.
''We think in July. The trails are always groomed well, the shooting range is always in perfect condition and the accommodation is really close to the tracks.''
Wanaka Biathlon Club chairman Phill Thomson said there had been a ''real increase'' this season in international teams at Snow Farm.
''And next year I think it's just going to keep ramping up.''
The Japanese biathletes leave for home today.
