Instead of trying to trick the public with some humorous fake news, the ski area set up small obstacle courses in the lift lines, forcing skiers and snowboarders to put in a little bit more effort to get on the slopes.
The 2025-26 winter saw extreme weather, with the eastern half experiencing consistent cold and heavy snowfall, while the western half endured record warmth and a lack of snowfall.
Runaway snowboards were a cause of great concern in the early days of snowboarding as snowboards don't have breaks like skis. This concern was justified in many ways as proto snowboard bindings much less secure and reliable than modern systems using simple straps, rubber components, or basic buckles that could loosen or fail more easily during a crash.
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.
You don't have poles, and it's going to be really, really, F*ing hard for you, man. The patroller questions the decision, pointing out the obvious logistical flaw: without poles, how exactly is this skier planning to get out of a flat section?
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.
This video serves as yet another reminder of how important it is to ski or snowboard with a buddy if you're planning to head off trail, even just to pop into the woods. While trail hazards might be well marked at some resorts, you can run into hidden rocks, trees, or even holes no matter where you are. That's especially true outside of the country, where off-piste terrain isn't necessarily mitigated like it is in North America.
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
Industry NewsThe incident occurred around 9:15 a.m. on Friday morning when the woman disembarked the Tsuga No. 2 Pair Lift near the summit of the resort in Otari Village in the Nagano Prefecture. According to a statement by the resort's CEO Tsuneo Kubo, a strap got caught as she reached the top station. She was dragged around the top station by the lift and was left hanging in midair at which point lift attendants hit the emergency stop.
Just recalling this wild video out of Niigata Prefecture in central Japan where a boar attacked a snowboarder on the slopes of Alpen Blick Snow Resort in Myoko City back in 2023. After taking one snowboarder to the ground, the boar switched directions targeted another man who was able to defend himself by swinging his snowboard at it. NHK reported resort officials and police estimated the animal was 1-meter long.
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