Big mountains and lots of snow

A question I get asked quite often. Why Hakuba? Originally I was told to come here by a friend of mine who had travelled as a photographer to 100’s of ski resorts around the world. I asked him where his favourite resort was and he said Hakuba so I thought I better come and see why.  The moment you step off the plane at Narita you feel that Japan is something different to anywhere else. The people, the cleanliness, the order in Tokyo Station is akin to a bee hive. Organised chaos.  Glimpses of Fuji from the bullet train confirm where you are. The excitement builds as you head out to Nagano and begin to see the snow accumulation and the mountains start to rise.  When you finally cut through the hills and into the Hakuba Valley you will understand why I live here however that is only a part of it. The big mountains that rise from 750 meters to 3000 are awe inspiring. When you throw on an average yearly snowfall of 11 – 12 meters it makes it a skier and snowboarders paradise. 9 resort areas, 200+ lifts and easy access backcountry all contribute to my obsessive snow requirements. There are many places throughout the world where they have similar mountains and snow however when you throw into the mix the onsens, the food, the culture and most of all the Japanese people, you will then start to understand why I have made Hakuba my home.