Japan

Japan is the powder skiing capital of the world: a Siberian airmass crossing the Sea of Japan dumps the world's driest, deepest snow on Hokkaido and the Japanese Alps from December through March. Add tree skiing through Hokkaido birches, soak-in-the-snow onsen culture, ryokan ski-towns, and a service standard the Alps cannot match. Niseko leads the international scene, but Nagano, Niigata and Yamagata hide some of the season's most rewarding mountains.