The internationally-known powder fields of Niseko garner most of the attention in Western Hokkaido, but a bit northeast at similar elevation & downwind of frozen air whipping across the Japan Sea from Siberia creating one of the world`s greatest snowfall zones, are the predominately north facing slopes of Kiroro Snow World.

Larger Niseko might get the big storms first as it`s closer to the sea, but Kiroro makes sure to gather more than its fair share of the world`s finest snow.

Convenient public transport access, quality slopeside hotels, on & off slope enjoyment and terrain for all levels overflowing with what is reported to be Japan`s highest accumulation of light, dry yearly powder snow (15+ meters) make Kiroro a Japanese ski resort worthy of a multi-day adventure.

ShredStory

When you visit a country that speaks a language you don`t understand, smiling and pointing becomes a big part of your communication style.

After meeting Hiroshi and Gen — two friendly local Sapporite shredders — I smiled, pointed to the untouched powder face out of bounds in the distance, made a gesture like pushing the shutter button on my camera, circled my left arm at the three of us collectively, then finished by looking at them like a dog waiting for someone to throw a frisbee. They looked at each other, smiled back, nodded their heads, toured me outside the Kiroro boundary and proceeded to spray some of the lightest, deepest snow in the world all over the place. We obviously added high fives and laughter to our communication style as the morning progressed.

Here`s Gen Onishi flowing by and sending some of Kiroro`s unworldly fluffy stuff in my direction.

The best part about this photo and others from that day is that we accomplished so much without being able to verbally communicate. The second best part about this photo was that after I shot it, I put my camera away and got my own Hokkaido faceshots all morning.

Go to the feature JapanSnowtripTips.com Kiroro Ski Area Ratings & Review