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Snowboard in Niseko

A place: Japan

Cold air comes off the Sea of Japan, picks up moisture and dumps it on Hokkaido as snow so dry it squeaks. In January it can snow most days. Falling over hurts less than anywhere else you will ride, because you land in something closer to flour than ice. Night riding on lit runs goes on until half past eight. Afterwards you sit in an outdoor hot spring with snow collecting in your hair and a bowl of ramen waiting at the bottom of the hill.

Practical

Cost
$2,000–4,000 a week, with flights
Best time
Mid-December to March; January is deepest
Difficulty
Moderate
Time it takes
A week
What people get wrong
Going in March for cheaper lifts and missing the powder, which is the whole reason to go.
With
A group

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