I seem to have the whole mountain to myself. The vast majesty of Fukushima Prefecture spreads out below me, all around. Up here, skiing on powdery snow, zigzagging through challenging moguls, it's easy to forget about the nuclear reactors 120 km away.

Say what you will about radiation, but Fukushima is no less beautiful than it was before the reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant kicked off the region's ongoing man-made tragedy in March 2011.

Below me, a distant frozen lake sits in the lap of tree-studded hills, sheltered by towering peaks and ridges along the roof of Japan. The undulations, together with the blue sky and white snow, put me in a kind of rhythmic trance well known to skiers. At 4 p.m. on a sparkling winter day, a sun dog appears, reminding us that God and supernatural forces did not flee the area after March 11.