Intro:

Skiing in Japan was nothing short of luxury! The season is long in the Northern parts of Japan and the conditions are superb. If however you are looking for good Apres Ski, you would be better looking to Europe or Canada. Of all the places I visited in Japan there was not much in the way of nightlife in the resorts. Many are small and after the slopes close local people will normally retreat to their homes.

There is, however the redeaming point of Onsens, natural Japanese hot springs. They are everywhere and after a hard day of boarding and skiing on the slopes there is few things I have found to be better than slipping into one of the numerous natural springs that dott the mountains with a pack of beers and a few friends.

In Japans Northern island of Hokkaido, which is one of the most volcanically active populated islands in the world, you get the best of all worlds. At the reort of Niseko, you get a daily drop of deep fresh snow, you get great nightlife with the numerous pubs and restraunts and there are many, many onsens.

Here are a few links that whould be useful: -

www.niseko-hirafu.com Ben in Hokkaido is a good lad and will look after you well. This is his site. Contact him for any info on the area.

www.skijapanguide.com - An excellent guide for many of the resorts in Japan. Unfortunately, the last time I looked it didn't cover any of the highly reccomendable resorts of a couple of the northern prefectures of Honshu, the seccond most northerly island.