by Quyen Phan
If you're into winter sports, you'd be surprised to know Japan is actually a great place to ski and snowboard. There are over 500 ski resorts in total and we all live within a couple of hours of one - so there's no excuse not to go!
The ski season is form December until the end of March. For those of you searching for serious powder, then Hokkaido is the place for you. It is the coldest and most northern island in Japan; therefore it gets amazing deep powdery snow similar to what you can find in Europe. The terrain is challenging and you get some good off-piste runs. It's only an hour's flight away and you can get some good 2-3 day package deals for as little as 25,000 yen.
Hokkaido's main resorts are:
Niseko: It has a lively nightlife and plenty of places to stay.
Furano: A picturesque resort with gorgeous scenery.
Kiroro: A modern resort opened in 1992, the main attraction is its breathtaking views of the Japan Sea on one side and white snow-covered peaks on the other.
Niigata is another popular destination because of its proximity to Tokyo. One of the most convenient resorts is Yuzawa. The Joetsu Shinkansen from Tokyo station takes you right into town at the Echigo Yuzawa Station and the journey is about 80 minutes. From here you have a choice of over 20 resorts, some of which are accessible by free shuttle bus.
Mt. Myoko is the other main resort in Niigata and it has the added advantage of being located close to the border of northern Nagano prefecture, so it can be easily reached from Nagano City.
Nagano hosted the 1998 Winter Olympics and therefore offers some excellent skiing facilities. The main resorts are:
Hakuba: The Hakuba mountains have also been nicknamed the Japan Alps and they are truly spectacular.
Shiga Kogen: It's the biggest ski area in Japan and has some good late-season skiing and snowboarding.
Nozawa Onsen: A large resort with a traditional Japanese village feel and a good, friendly atmosphere.
For more details, check out Ski Japan Guide. It's an excellent website with tons of stuff on accommodation, travel, weather reports and resort information.
So what are you waiting for???? Go hit some powder!