Hakuba

Hakuba is a mountain valley village in Nagano Prefecture, sitting under the sawtooth ridgeline of the Northern Japan Alps. It is one of Japan's great ski destinations, a valley of ten resorts that hosted events of the 1998 Nagano Olympics and now draws powder chasers from around the world.

Happo-one is the marquee mountain, its long runs dropping toward the village, while Cortina and Tsugaike catch some of the deepest snow. In the green season, gondolas lift hikers toward Happo Pond, where the Alps mirror in still water on calm mornings, and paragliders launch from the slopes above the valley.

Deep, reliable snowfall runs through the winter months, and an international crowd keeps the restaurants lively; English is widely spoken. Summer brings rafting and alpine trekking. Buses run from Nagano City, itself on the shinkansen, and most skiers settle in for several nights. Onsen baths finish every day properly.