In January 2018, a member of Japan's Self-Defense Forces was killed and 12 injured after an eruption set off an avalanche in the Kusatsu area in Gunma Prefecture. Later that month, a snowboarder was killed in the Mount Korenge region of Niigata Prefecture after being buried by an avalanche. On Jan. 27, 2019, a snowboarder was lucky to be found alive in the backcountry of Nagano Prefecture's Hakuba Happo One resort, after being buried there.
Though infrequently talked about and with statistics hard to come by, avalanche ("nadare" in Japanese) is a serious risk to those visiting Japan's abundant snow country. As Japan becomes better known for its skiing, more and more people are taking to the backcountry in search of untouched snow, exposing themselves to more dangerous terrain.
[video_embed number="1"]