Overlooked by winter sports enthusiasts only a couple of decades ago, Japan has in recent years muscled onto the global skiing scene – with some of its resorts today held in the same regard as Whistler, Courchevel and Zermatt.

The powder snow in many mountain towns is of such consistently high quality that it has even been given its own name: Ski gourmets call it “Japow!”

And when combined with Japan’s legendary “omotenashi,” impressive accommodation options, a vibrant apres-ski scene and all the convenience and organization of Japan, the outcome is the ideal winter sports destination.

With borders reopening and ski buffs desperate to get back on the slopes, Japanese resort towns are once again welcoming the new arrivals – which makes investing in property in these towns a smart move.

Hakuba

The valley offers a wide variety of terrain, from relatively easy beginners’ slopes to a number of challenging, high-gradient runs, both on and off-piste. As an added bonus, Hakuba has excellent backcountry ski options.

Away from the slopes, the local community is home to a wide range of bars and high-end restaurants, many of which insist on using local, seasonal ingredients and serve seafood landed the same day from the ports of Itoigawa and Toyama.

Accommodation in the valley ranges from relatively simple “minshuku” that start at around Y10,000 a night to high-end hotels that are busy despite a daily room rate of around Y60,000.

With the popularity of the Hakuba Valley, both among Japanese winter sports fans and aficionados from overseas, there is also scope for further developments, with local agents advertising a range of parcels of land. A mere Y15 million, for example, can secure 2,200 square meters of land in Kamishiro, while a 1,171 square meter plot just 50 meters from the lifts at Norikura Ski Resort in Otari village is on the market for Y7 million. (Awaiting adds from agent)

Niseko

If Hakuba is the one of the oldest winter sports destinations in Japan, Niseko is its upstart younger brother.

Just over 100km due west of Sapporo’s New Chitose Airport, Niseko is Hokkaido’s winter playground with a reputation for the best powder-snow in the world. Four resorts are at the base of the towering 1,308-meter Mt Niseko Annupuri, offering more than 50km of slopes of varying degrees of difficulty and 32 lifts.

Niseko receives some of the highest snowfall on the planet each year, averaging 14 meters a season, the majority of which is pure light powder with that perfect moisture content of 4 percent.

Given its northerly location, Niseko also enjoys a longer season than elsewhere, with the slopes typically opening in late November and still operational into early May.

The apres-ski scene in Niseko is legendary, with countless bars and restaurants thronged for the duration of the season. And with the influx of wealthy winter sports fans in recent years – many of whom arrange for a helicopter to whisk them to their accommodation from Sapporo – there has been a similar increase in top-notch dining establishments, with no fewer than 15 restaurants in and around the resort receiving Michelin stars or opened by chefs with stars to their name.

As elsewhere, Niseko has a comprehensive selection of accommodation, ranging from simple self-catering apartments that start at around Y15,000 per night to luxury hotels and high-end chalets that are rented out by their owners – and can command prices in the thousands of dollars per night.

The explosive popularity of Niseko has driven prices in the most sought-after parts of the town. With a number of luxurious developments scheduled to open over the next few years, coupled with the continued increase in visitors, it would strongly suggest that pricing is unlikely to abate in the foreseeable future.

Written by Julian Ryall
Image Source: Person in Orange Jacket and Black Pants Riding on Snowboard, Kirill Lazarev
Image Source: Landscape Photo of Mountain Filled With Snow, Eberhard Grossgasteiger