Japan's snow conditions made famous by Niseko is actually prevalent throughout the country. Home to over 500 ski areas, spread throughout the mountainous interior of the country the best of these resorts is Hakuba. Located an hours drive west of the 1998 Winter Olympics host city, Nagano and 350kms north of Tokyo it has an average snowfall of 10 metres. There are 14 ski areas, all of which are joined in various ways to create six large resorts and a few smaller ones. A total of 137 lifts makes for less crowds than most resorts. Hakuba, meaning 'Whitehorse', offers a wide range of accommodation including backpacker, pension / lodge, self contained chalet / condominium and hotel style. Many are ski in, ski out accommodation. A great place to invest or enjoy for a holiday.

Snowboard and skiing enthusiasts alike will not be disappointed in the terrain which has varying levels of challenges from the more basic to back country thrills. There are also a number of Kids Parks for family travel holidays. Not only will your next skiing vacation be a cultural and snow winter wonder you could add a side trip to your travels to many other destinations including Tokyo, Kyoto, Mt Fuji, Hiroshima and many other exciting places to get a real taste of Japan’s culture.

The the best part!: Japan is not expensive, just compare it to your local or international ski holidays and ski resort real estate and you will be very pleasantly surprised how far your money goes!