Category
Snow and Ice
ActivitiesSnow and Ice
Japan’s reputation for the best snow on Earth is well earned — Niseko’s international powder scene, Nagano’s dense concentration of resorts, and Tohoku’s quieter, heavier-snowfall hills that never quite make the international lists. Our complete guide to skiing and snowboarding in Japan covers all of it, region by region, alongside dedicated coverage of backcountry touring, avalanche awareness, and the annual Japan Snow Guide. Browse below for resort deep dives, trip reports, and season-by-season updates.
Skiing
Japan’s First Turns: 100 Years of Skiing
Mt. Kanaya is an unremarkable hill. Arrive in summer, and the short chairlift is running visitors to the top, so they can ride a ...
Snowboarding
Splitboarding Kagura Backcountry
It’s a bluebird day with a dusting of fresh snow. Over at neighboring Naeba, spring conditions are already evident but, here at K...
Gear
Getting in Gear: Winter Tips from the Experts
This is the year you’re going to do it—get the good things you need to go into the backcountry the right way. The choices can be ...
Snowboarding
White Gold: Shaun White Interview
Holding someone’s Olympic gold medal for the first time can be like holding their baby; it’s shiny and beautiful, but it’s a bit unsettling, and you don’t want to drop it, so you smile and hand it back after a few moments.
Skiing
The Snow Chasers
After spending four years riding more mountains in North America than most skiers get in a lifetime, I was ready for a new advent...
People
Remembering Jake Burton
This article was originally published in Spring 2010. Outdoor Japan contributor Neil Hartmann sits down with Jake Burton in Ni...
Hakuba
Ski Towns: Happo Village
How well do you know Hakuba? You probably know this Nagano town sits at the base of the majestic Northern Alps. You may even know...
Skiing
The High Flying Tele Guy
Masanori Inagaki is unassuming when you first meet him; his words are soft, slow and measured; his clothes dark, reserved, slight...