Cold air over the Sea of Japan drops some of the world's deepest, lightest snow on Hokkaido and the mountains of Honshu, which is why skiers fly in from around the world.
You don't have to ski: there are ice sculptures in Sapporo, thatched villages under snow at Shirakawa-go and monkeys bathing in hot springs near Nagano.
When to goDecember to March. February has the snow festivals and the most reliable snow.
Where to go
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Niseko and SapporoHokkaido · 北海道Famous powder and the Sapporo Snow Festival in February. -
Hakuba and NozawaNagano · 長野Big Alps ski areas and the snow monkeys at Jigokudani. -
Shirakawa-goGifu · 岐阜Thatched farmhouses under deep snow, lit up on winter evenings. -
ZaoYamagata · 山形Snow monsters: trees frozen into strange shapes. -
YuzawaNiigata · 新潟Ski slopes straight off the shinkansen from Tokyo. -
HakkodaAomori · 青森Deep backcountry snow and remote onsen.
Good to know
- Rent skis and clothes at the resort and send bags ahead by luggage forwarding.
- Book Sapporo hotels early for Snow Festival week.
- Trains are reliable in snow, but leave slack for buses in the mountains.