Sapporo is Hokkaido’s capital and one of its newest cities (in 1857 it had a population of seven, now it’s two million) that has five ski areas nearby, all famed for their powder.
Teine Highland is the largest, and closest, with six lifts, 450-metres of vertical, and some of the best and steepest tree runs on the planet.
Which is crazy given it’s just a 45 minute train ride from central Sapporo. A bit further out is Kokusai, which handles a massive 18-metres of powder per season, and whose off-piste remains largely untouched by the locals.