[skibum]

Ski Japan for perfect powder.


With mountains running its entire length, Japan has more than 600 ski resorts but is rarely visited by British skiers and snowboarders.

That could be about to change, however, as more tour operators are opting to include the likes of Rusutsu and Niseko in this year's travel brochures.

Niseko-Hirafu is located on Japan's northernmost island, Hokkaido, and benefits from top-quality powder snow formed by the icy winds that blow eastwards from Siberia.

Although it is at a fairly low altitude, Niseko-Hirafu is blessed with good snow for the whole season but can get bitterly cold, so make sure you pack your balaclava and some extra thermals.

Compared to Alpine or North American resorts, Niseko-Hirafu's ski area is fairly small, although its 47 kilometres of slopes should keep all but the most demanding skiers happy.

The resort overlooks the volcano Mount Yotei and the village itself offers all the amenities you'll need. A variety of South Korean, Japanese and Western cuisine is available from the many restaurants.

And don't worry if your Japanese isn't quite fluent – there are lots of Australians here and English is widely spoken.

[davidM]

600 ski resorts exist in japan?!??!!? That cant be right. Never would have guessed they had great powder skiing, it must be like sierra cement, they dont have high altitudes at their resorts. Do they?

Anyone ever ski in japan???

[joeatomic]

I never had a reason to visit japan until now. That looks pretty awesome. Ok, I know my company has some offices over there. Now I just gotta figure out how to setup a biz trip , haha!

I wonder what time of year is best for skiing in japan????