AMAZING — such incredible snow, and chairs varying from the heated six to pizza boxes, lol. The hike to the top was worth it, but a lot of the really sick runs required hiking up or out.
January 25, 2023
Background
Niseko sits on Hokkaido, in the path of storms that pick up moisture crossing the Sea of Japan from Siberia and dump it as some of the lightest, most reliable powder on earth. The resorts ring Mt. Annupuri, with backcountry gates off the ridge that open and close with the avalanche conditions.
If you go
Niseko, on Hokkaido, gets some of the deepest, driest, most consistent snow on earth — Siberian storms dump on it relentlessly, which is the whole ‘Japow’ legend. The lift mix is a time capsule (a heated six-pack next to old two-person ‘pizza box’ chairs), and the best lines are out the backcountry gates off the Annupuri ridge, which open and close with conditions and usually mean a hike. More on Japan.
