Throughout Japan, there are more than 600 ski and snowboard parks and resorts. These resorts typically stay open from December through March and receive an average snowfall of 15 to 20 feet per year.
Nagano, which hosted the 1998 Olympics, has several large resorts throughout the area and is home to one of the largest ski resorts in the world, Shiga Kogen. Hokkaido, in the northern part of the island, is also a popular ski and snowboard destination as it has the coldest winters in Japan. Niigata's ski resorts are popular as they easily accessible by trains from Tokyo.
Matsumoto City, located within Nagano, has snowshoeing and cross-crountry skiing options available. Snowshoeing trails are prevalent in Norikura, located about an hour away in the hills outside of Matsumoto. Matsumoto and Norikura provide several snowshoe equipment rental locations.
Norikura also offers numerous cross-country skiing trails. Free bus rides to the trails are available from Matsumoto. Hakuba, which is about one and a half hours from Matsumoto, features cross-country skiing trails as well.
In Hokkaido, tourists can forget about the cold by taking a dip in one of the local hot springs. At Lake Shikaribetsu Kotan, open air hot springs permeate the ice and guests are encouraged to relax and enjoy the mineral water and its health benefits.
Ice flows and drifting ice are a common winter-time occurrence in northern Japan. Visitors not afraid of the cold can go on a sightseeing tour of the freezing waters in boats that cut through the ice.
Festivals are prevalent year-round in Japan. In December, Furano features the Snow Dome Festival during which large, detailed snow domes are created and visitors can travel through the buildings sampling local delicacies.
Hokkaido is home to snow and ice festivals throughout the region. The Sapporo Snow Festival, Obihiro Ice Festival, Sounkyo Hyobaku Festival and the Abashiri Okhotsk Drift Ice Festival all feature extravagant collections of ice sculptures and snow statues. At the Otaru Yuki Akari no Michi, candles are placed throughout the city and float along the canal. And in Yukigassen, there is the Showa-Shinzan International, a team competitive snowball fight.
