Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost main island receives amazing amounts (45 feet on average!) of some of the driest snow on the planet. Many visitors to Hokkaido flock to the famous resorts, which have now become extremely westernized and overcrowded. For the more intrepid and savvy traveler, Hokkaido has dozens of smaller resorts with few people and lots of untracked, easily accessible lines. Skiing/boarding through knee, waist, and even neck deep powder is not uncommon (see video)! Hokkaido is also famous for its excellent tree skiing/riding through beautifully spaced birch and alder forests. We will spend a few days based in the picturesque seaside town of Otaru, which gives us access to Kiroro, Sapporo Teine, and Sapporo Kokusai resorts. A few hours drive North from Otaru is Furano Ski Resort, a large Japanese resort that receives a bit less snow than the more coasterly spots, but is generally even of a finer quality. Furano offers quite a bit of terrain to explore, and the off-piste options are excellent. Within an hour’s drive East of Furano is Daisetsuzan National Park (translates as “Mountains of big snow”). We can do day trips to explore the smoking (active volcanoes) terrain around the Asahidake ropeway, or venture to Tokachidake for some backcountry touring (skinning). In good weather we can access the high alpine area with impressive bowls and steeps that lead into old growth forests. If the visibility is low we can do laps in the trees in the wonderfully light snow.
Apres ski, Japan has a strong culture of bathing in thermal hot springs (onsen) baths. Finishing a day on the mountain with a hot soak surrounded by snow is the Japanese way.