Early morning while visiting Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan, I awoke to an early winter snow storm. The sky was dense with fluffy clumps of snow, gently felling from above, accumulating quickly across the region as people slept in their mountain homes. I grab my camera and hopped into my car, knowing that I would be the first on the road to witness a snow fall I haven’t experienced for more than a decade.

Marek Okon

a snow covered mountain at night with the moon in the sky

group of people on snow covered mountain during daytime

backcountry prep near niseko grand hirafu 

Jasper Wilde

brown wooden bench on snow covered ground under blue and white cloudy sky during daytime

On the northern island of Japan lies the Niseko resort and surrounding mountains. Growing up and skiing in the Sierra Nevada mountains, traveling to Japan with your gear felt odd in the beginning. After we got settled in, we discovered some of the best snow we've ever experienced and didn't want to leave the island.

Eric Ward

rule of thirds photography of person on white snow

Oliver Dickerson

a group of people walking across a snow covered street

The wintery streets of the area thanks to large amounts of snowfall each year. The town has heated one of its main streets and has a very modern and efficient snow clearing crew. 
