Fall's scarlet and gold was fading from the mountains around Sapporo as I sat with a small group around a heavy wood table with a charcoal grill in the center. We watched a chef cook channel rockfish over the coals. This northern Japanese delicacy is cherished for its meltingly sweet flesh, which takes on a light pink color because of the species' shrimp-heavy diet.
Rendezvous Bowl was icy and windswept in its uppers but softer and more forgiving halfway down. I popped out of bounds, did a couple of hikes, and clicked my skis on in a face-gouging wind. When I got to my drop-in, there were a few inches of snow and a foot of wind.
Dozens of people have died in Japan after record-breaking snowfall blanketed northern regions of the country, while officials warned that warmer temperatures could trigger a new wave of accidents. Authorities said 35 people had died in snow-related incidents across Japan since 20 January, with almost 400 injured, 126 of them seriously. Most of the deaths were among people who fell while trying to clear snow from their roofs or around their homes.
While best known for its minimalist camping gear - the brand's instantly recognizable titanium mug is a mainstay in Pacific Northwest campsites and cramped Brooklyn apartments alike - Snow Peak's lineup of insulated, down-filled and fire-resistant styles is criminally underrated. With perfected silhouettes, low-key Japanese detailing and sparse styling, it's slightly different than you're used to, but all in service of a better (dressed) outdoor experience.
My friend Megumi, a classical musician from Tokyo who really likes to eat, takes trips to Sapporo "just for the food". She is not alone: the route between Tokyo's Haneda and Sapporo's New Chitose airports is one of the busiest domestic flight paths in Japan. Before I visited Sapporo, I called her. "Make sure to bring two stomachs," she advised. The city is the capital of Hokkaido, the most northerly of Japan's main islands, which contains more than 20 per cent of the country's landmass, but only about four per cent of its population. The island's cold waters are home to some of the world's most prized sea urchins and crabs, as well as much of the fish used by top sushi chefs. Fed by mountain springs, its unspoilt valleys are home to remarkably flavourful produce. And with its swathes of grazing land, Hokkaido is also the country's leading producer of beef, lamb and dairy: the last two ingredients are rarely used elsewhere in Japan, something that accounts for the character of eating in Sapporo.
Behind [Mount Fuji's] beautiful landscape is the reality that the quiet lives of citizens are threatened. We have a strong sense of crisis. To protect the dignity and living environment of our citizens, we have decided to bring the curtain down on the 10-year-old festival, he added in his statement. Authorities cited repeated incidents of disruptive behaviour from tourists in the city, which lies to the west of Tokyo.
A massive, six-story reinforced steel and concrete castle in Akabira, Central Hokkaido, has hit the market for a staggering 10,000,000 Yen-approximately $64,000 USD. Built in 1991, this isn't a crumbling ancient ruin, but a modern structural feat totaling 1,571m² of building space on a sprawling 5,045m² freehold lot.
Guidance is most aligned on a moderate midweek refresh, strongest in central Honshu, where many mountains should pick up 10 cm-35 cm, with the wettest favored terrain closer to 25 cm-45 cm.
WeatherJapan is lined up for a busy January 8-18 stretch with multiple snow-producing waves, highlighted by a major weekend dump and several follow-up refreshers before a warmer, windier finish late week. Central Honshu is the headline with multi-storm totals reaching 50″-80″, while Hokkaido's open resorts keep stacking frequent, generally higher-quality snow that adds up to 20″-65″, with periodic wind impacts on the most exposed terrain.
WeatherJapan stays in a very active winter pattern through early next week, with the most reliable snow from Thu night (02/05) through Mon (02/09) and frequent refreshes in Hokkaido. Snow levels sit at or near sea level for much of the period in Hokkaido, and that keeps precipitation as snow even down low while temperatures hold well below freezing. Snow quality should improve as colder air settles in, with SLRs often rising into the 16-19:1 range later in the weekend.
Anyone who visits Japan, whether it's just for sightseeing or for skiing/snowboarding, needs to do some karaoke. In the U.S., most karaoke is done in a bar with everyone watching. In Japan, most karaoke is done in private rooms for just you and your friends. It really takes things to the next level. Skiers and snowboarders at Hakuba Goryu Snow Resort in Japan don't need to go far out of their way to get some karaoke in.
At least 35 people have been killed and nearly 400 injured after an extended period of extreme snowfall dumped up to 6.5 feet (about 2 meters) of snow across parts of northern Japan, with authorities now warning that rising temperatures could trigger dangerous avalanches. According to reporting from the A ssociated Press, The Japan Times, and Sky News, the deadly impacts follow roughly two weeks of persistent snow that has overwhelmed infrastructure
Sun night (02/15) through Tue night (02/17) is the core punch, and many Sierra mountains can stack 20″-50″ in that window as snow levels crash. Expect a lighter start Sunday night, then snowfall rates ramp up hard Monday night into Tuesday with widespread coverage across Tahoe, the central Sierra, and down into Mammoth. Snow levels begin around 5,000 to 5,500 feet early, then fall into the 1,500 to 2,500-foot range by Tuesday and Tuesday night, which helps keep even lower terrain in play for all-snow.
Confidence is highest through Saturday because the individual models agree well on the timing of the Thursday storm and the following break. Southern California's mountains pick up a quick shot of snow on Thursday with strong winds, then dry out into the weekend. Beyond the weekend, the signal stays active, but model spread grows fast on storm timing, snow levels, and wind impacts, so expect meaningful swings from run to run.