Editorial illustration for Culture Trip on guide to skiing in Hakuba, Japan.
With its close proximity to Tokyo, stellar powder conditions, and a hopping nightlife scene, Hakuba is one of Asia’s top skiing and snowboarding destinations. The village offers a dazzling variety of terrains and experiences for beginners through to experts, including ample backcountry and off-piste opportunities.
Hakuba, which is situated in Nagano Prefecture on Japan’s main island of Honshu, played host to the 1998 Winter Olympic Games. While its profile on the international ski scene has only grown since then, it has remained relatively uncrowded and pleasantly affordable – particularly when compared to Niseko, Japan’s other leading ski destination, and destinations in the US and Europe. Home to 11 different ski and snowboard resorts in the Japanese Alps – 10 of which can share a single lift pass – Hakuba has some of Japan’s tallest mountains (many over 3,000 metres (9,843 feet) high) and is renowned for its magical combination of reliable snow dumps and bluebird days. The area also has a huge range of accommodation options, heaps of restaurants and a lively nightlife scene to match.
To help plan your visit, Culture Trip has compiled a guide to everything you need to know about skiing and snowboarding in Hakuba.
Read the full article here.
