Winter is approaching fast and with it Japan becomes a bucket list destination on the mind of any skier and snowboarder, with fresh powder snow and Etch A Sketch skiing conditions.

While skiing in Europe and North America is primarily associated with long, steep runs and a hard snowpack, Japan's mountains are generally much gentler and offer some of the world's best conditions for powder and tree skiing.

The resorts here are typically much lower in height than their international counterparts, and most top out at under 2,000 meters. Compare this to many resorts in the European Alps that extend to well above 3,000 meters. Lower altitude (and warmer average temperatures) means that the trees that grow on the slopes tend to be deciduous rather than coniferous, and grow further apart, allowing for easy tree skiing.