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.
Backcountry Tours
Tohoku Storm Chasing
Just a few hours north of Tokyo by Shinkansen (bullet train) await remote mountains and the countryside of Tohoku’s Akita and Iwate prefectures.
Backcountry Skiing
Denali Descent
Daisuke Sasaki has made a name for himself in the world of big-mountain skiing.
People
Interview: The Snowboarding Samurai
If a picture speaks a thousand words, Yuske Hirota’s life is a novel.
Skiing
Aomori Spring
Every winter a growing number of powder seekers arrive on Japan’s shores and then head to the mountain in search of the famous bo...
Hiking
All-Season Outdoor Playground only Two Hours fro...
Enter the all-season world of Shinetsu Shinzekyo in Nagano and Niigata with outdoor professionals
Skiing
The Other Skiers of Japan
You can’t miss them in their style-less camouflage clothes and olive helmets. Their straight white skis, fat white fiberglass poles with monster rings and leather-strap bindings holding in what looks like a light leather mountain boot.
Features
An Interview with 4-Time Olympic Skier Akira Sas...
After over three decades racing, Olympic skier Akira Sasaki returns home to enjoy Hokkaido's backcountry to the fullest
Backcountry Tours
Beyond Niseko with Black Diamond Tours
It’s a chilly winter day in Tokyo, but Clayton Kernaghan is comfortable in a T-shirt, laughing about how warm is the city. After ...