The Traveller's Guide To: Japan in winter

ISN'T JAPAN JUST THE LATEST NOVELTY SKI DESTINATION?

Hardly. Over 80 per cent of this volcanic country is mountainous and the land of the rising sun has more resorts per capita than in any other nation - approaching 700 by some estimates. Not all are very big: many are simply different lift systems clustered around the same village. But from the large north island of Hokkaido, through central Honshu, right down to Kyushu in the south, the choice is extensive and the quality of skiing high: modern lifts, well-groomed slopes and great conditions.

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DO YOU HAVE TO BE AN EXPERT?

Not at all. Like many American resorts, Japanese ski hills lack the vertical of the Alps. Much of the terrain is mellow: ideal beginner and intermediate cruising grounds. The extreme reputation stems from the off-piste conditions. Powderhounds spearheaded the western invasion, drawn by tales of bottomless turns and magical pillow lines through spectral groves of silver birch. The less adventurous soon followed: Australians and New Zealanders are less than 10 hours and a couple of time zones away; Hong Kong expatriates, Koreans and the mad-for-it new breed of wealthy Chinese even closer. During the 2001 ski season, under 79,000 foreign tourists visited Hokkaido, according to official figures. Last winter there were almost 190,000.

Most popular with foreigners is Hokkaido's Niseko (www.niseko.ne.jp), a pretty village in the shadow of a shimmering white volcano, which boasts easily accessible tree skiing, wide beginner slopes and miles of well-groomed intermediate pistes. Like many Japanese resorts, much of the mountain is lit at night; and because Hokkaido winters are so cold and snow conditions are so good, night skiing is actually enjoyable, rather than an icy endurance test. Restaurants and bars are plentiful and of a very high standard; accommodation ranges from hostels to grand hotels.

CAN WE AVOID THE CROWDS?

With 127 resorts in Hokkaido alone, there's still plenty of terrain to be explored. The largest ski area on the north island is family-orientated Rusutsu (www.rusutsu.co.jp), which has one purpose-built hotel but three peaks of pistes and a wide selection of non-ski activities, from dog-sledding to potato cake making. Furano (www.skifurano.com) is another resort keen to capture the English-speaking market; the World Cup host sits above an arty small town known for its food and year-round festivals, and makes a good base from which to visit other central Hokkaido mountains.

WHAT ABOUT RESORTS ON THE MAIN ISLAND?

The Japanese Alps run through the prefecture (a regional division similar to our counties) of Nagano, host of the 1998 Winter Olympics. Down here, where the snow is less consistent but the slopes within a couple of hours bullet train ride from Tokyo, weekends see packed slopes and long liftlines. During the week, however, the miles of cruising terrain and expertly-built terrain parks are practically empty. Going off-piste is frowned upon, but piste-bashers will appreciate steeper expert slopes than in Hokkaido. Nagano's Hakuba village (www.vill.hakuba.nagano.jp) is perhaps the most popular area, home to more than a dozen lift systems.

WHERE ELSE?

With resorts in almost every prefecture, you're never more than a couple of hours from the slopes. The third most populous prefecture is Niigata, with 68 resorts to neighbouring Nagano's 106; less than 90 minutes from Tokyo, the busy town of Yuzawa (www.town.yuzawa.niigata.jp) is the gateway to over 20 of them. Further north, the small, purpose-built resort of Alts Bandai has gained international recognition as the home of the annual Nippon Open snowboarding competition (www.nipponopen-snowboarding.com; 20-27 February).

BUT WAIT - ISN'T JAPAN SUPPOSED TO BE EXPENSIVE?

It's cheaper to ski in Japan than in the Alps. The average price of a day ticket is ¥4,500 (£19), with weekly passes around £150. A large bowl of noodles or plate of "curry-rice" at an on-mountain restaurant costs about £5, and the three-hour bus transfer from Sapporo airport to Niseko is under £20 return.

WHAT ABOUT ACCOMMODATION?

At many purpose-built resorts - including Niseko Higashiyama and Rusutsu - you won't have an option: the large, comfortable, but rather soulless hotel complex at the base of the slopes is all there is. Much more interesting are the minshuku (B&B) and pensions dotted all around the larger villages, family-run guesthouses that range from drafty mansions redolent of school trips to cozy, boutique hideaways. The former typically has Japanese bed and bathrooms, while pensions are Western-style. Either way, expect communal hot tubs, multi-course breakfasts and dinners, and the cultural experience of staying with hosts, not hoteliers. At the intimate Woody Note in Niseko Hirafu village, the owners are big fans of jazz (00 81 1 3623 0177; www.woodynote.com; from ¥7,500/£31pp, half-board); at the worn-in but comfy Grove Inn Skala (00 81 261 72 4325; www.janis.or.jp/users/skala/; from ¥5,650/£24, half-board) in Hakuba village, Miwa-san will greet you like a lost child. Minshiku cost from ¥5,000 - ¥11,000 (£20-£50) pp, with half and full-board options. Budget travellers will find hostels throughout Japan's mountains: in Niseko, contact the friendly Shizenkan Lodge and Backpacker (00 81 136 234 351; www.niseko-backpacker.com, from ¥3,200/£13); in Hakuba, the Aussie-owned Snowbeds (00 81 261 72 5242; www.snowbedsjapan.com; ¥3,000/£12.50).

I'D LIKE TO TRY A RYOKAN

Though many ski areas have modern concrete ryokans, complete with tatami mat floors, futons and sliding screens, you're most likely to find the original wooden inns at resorts also revered for their hot springs. Small, elegant and with beautifully landscaped indoor and outdoor private tubs, Nozawa-Naraya Ryokan (0 00 81 269 85 2011; from ¥10,000/£43pp, full board) is located in Nozawa Onsen (www.vill.nozawaonsen.nagano.jp), a bathing hotspot since the Edo period. Though the mountain is now covered in lights for night skiing and hosts ski and snowboard competitions, the village was the first place in the country to install ski lifts and works very hard to remain a bastion of "traditional atmosphere".

CAN I TRAVEL WITH A UK TOUR OPERATOR?

This year, both Crystal (0870 405 5047; www.crystalski.co.uk; seven nights from £1,199, passes included) and Inghams (020-8780 4433; www.inghams.co.uk; seven nights from £1,067, half-board, lift passes not included) have added Niseko and Rusutsu to their brochures. Both offer the option of two-centre holidays, with a week in Tokyo, Kyoto or beyond. Japan Airline's Jaltour (0870 111 8830, www.jaltour.co.uk) covers the most popular resorts in Nagano and Niigata: seven-night packages start at £999, with railpass and city accommodation bolt-ons from £178. Oxalis Adventures (020-7099 6147; www.oxalis-adventures.com) has a six-night tour steeped in tradition: skiing and snowshoeing at Nozawa Onsen, plus snow-monkey watching, sake drinking and arts and crafts appreciation. The price tag of £1,150 includes all domestic transport, halfboard accommodation, ski passes and rentals and entrance fees; flights are not included. Inside Japan (0870 120 5600; www.insidejapantours.com; 11 nights from £1,040) features pension accommodation in Niseko or Hakuba and two days in Tokyo and Kyoto. Furano is served by the Japan Travel Centre (0870 890 0360; www.japantravel.co.uk; seven nights B&B from £989). Operators offering tailor made ski tours include Into Japan (01865 841443; www.intojapan.co.uk) and Asia Fare (020-7038 3945; www.asia-fare.co.uk).

WHAT'S THE BEST THING ABOUT SKIING IN JAPAN?

The baggage delivery services at all the major airports. Dump your luggage at the desk, and those heavy ski and board bags will appear, as if by magic, at your final destination. No need to haul them across Tokyo from Narita International to Haneda (Sapporo flights leave from the latter); no rush to cram them onto the bullet train to Nagano. Save your back for a piffling £15. Then again, it could be the toilets. You'll have heard about the toilets in Japan, electronic marvels that double as bidets and sing to cover up any embarrassing noises. It's only when you have the opportunity to use one up a mountain, however, that they stop seeming a little over the top, and become the best invention to hit the slopes since parabolics. Heated seats? Hot water? All the luxuries of Aspen and Klosters are nothing by comparison.

I WANT TO SEE MONKEYS!

Soaking in a hot spring is the classic Japanese après-ski activity. At the Jigokudani Monkey Park in Yamanouchi, Nagano (00 269 33 4379; www.jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp; ¥500/£2), so-called "snow monkeys" (Japanese macaques) like to get in on the act. Their hot spring habitat is a rather dirty pool in Hell Valley, close to Yudanaka and Shibu, and Nagano's large Shiga Kogen ski area (www.shigakogen.gr.jp). Monkey fans be warned: there are no monkeys in Hokkaido. And as the brochures say sternly, "Do not stare them in the eyes". Scary stuff.

WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE?

Comprehensive and comprehensible, www.snowjapan.com has been providing English-speakers with information on Japanese ski resorts since 1999.

THE SAPPORO SNOW FESTIVAL

Sometimes it seems like every chairlift in Japan is graced with its own giant snow sculpture, a Totoro or other anime character watching over the queuing skiers. The art is taken to great heights - literally - at the annual Sapporo Snow Festival. Two million people flock to Hokkaido's capital city, where this year 19 teams from around the globe will get creative for the 34th International Snow Sculpture Contest. Concerts, ski marathons and the Tokyo Big Air event add to the spectacle.

58th Sapporo Snow Festival, Hokkaido, 6-12 February 2007, www.snowfes.com

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