Japan
Japan offers some of the best and most affordable powder skiing you will find anywhere in the world.
Many people have the misconception that Japan is an expensive country to visit, and whilst that might have been true a few years ago, skiing in Japan is now very cheap compared to
Europe,
USA,
Canada and Australia. Lift tickets are generally between AU$28-50 per day, there are many accommodation options for less than AU$100 per night, and cheap meals are available.
Japan is easily accessible from Australia being only about 12 hours flying time from the East Coast and even less from the West coast, and the time zones are fairly close so there are no problems with jet lag. Some of the best benefits of skiing in Japan aren’t even related to skiing at all. The people are friendly and hospitable, the food is delicious and healthy, and virtually all of the resorts have great facilities and accommodation. When you visit Japan for a ski holiday, you have the chance to immerse yourself into the wonderfully interesting Japanese culture.
Skiing or snowboarding in Japan provides you with amazing conditions. Many of the resorts are renowned for being deep, not steep, but there are certainly resorts with steep pitches as well. The weather systems that move across the Sea of Japan from Siberia are responsible for the deep, deep champagne powder.
Niseko is probably most well known for the deep powder, where it can snow for weeks without stopping. See the
resort statistics page for comparisons between the resorts.
There are hundreds of ski resorts in Japan on the northern island of Hokkaido, and the main island of Honshu. Many of them don’t even rate a mention on maps or in tourist literature. If you’re a little nervous about travelling in a foreign land where English is not the first language, there's no need to worry as tourists are well catered for at the popular resorts such as
Niseko,
Furano or
Hakuba. For those wanting to get off the beaten track to get away from the crowds, be assured of fresh tracks, or experience the real Japan, there are many other options. If you are a bit of a Powder Hound, then Japan should be high on your priority list.
For a detailed comparison of mountain statistics for many Japan resorts, download our
resort statistics comparison and also the
Powderhounds resort ratings document.