# Allure of Japan’s powder snow a growing danger as more tourists ski backcountry Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2023-02-07 Category: NEWS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news Meta Title: Rising Backcountry Accidents Among Foreign Skiers in Japan Meta Description: Experience the allure of Japan's pristine backcountry slopes, but stay safe - rising backcountry accidents warn of the dangers. Book your adventure now! URL: https://financedigest.com/allure-of-japans-powder-snow-a-growing-danger-as-more-tourists-ski-backcountryhtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2023-02-07t085204z1lynxmpej160dlrtroptp4japan-skiing-inbound-1736814480188-compressed.jpg) By Mariko Katsumura and Elaine Lies TOKYO (Reuters) – The popularity of Japan’s crisp powder snow among foreign skiers, surging back into the country, is luring more to seek the thrill of pristine backcountry slopes – sometimes with deadly impact. A rise in backcountry accidents comes as the Japanese government heavily promotes inbound tourism post-pandemic, having opened its border fully late last year for the first time since early 2020. Japan’s snow, prized among skiers for dryness caused by local atmospheric conditions, is a big draw. There is no [national data](https://www.financedigest.com/onespan-joins-national-cyber-security-alliance-data-privacy-day.html "OneSpan Joins the National Cyber Security Alliance on Data Privacy Day"), but in the popular ski prefecture Nagano, in all of 2019 some 22 people were involved in accidents in backcountry terrain outside designated resorts, none of them foreign. [Last month](https://www.financedigest.com/monkeypox-emergency-could-last-months-with-window-closing-to-stop-spread-experts-say.html "Monkeypox emergency could last months, with window closing to stop spread, experts say") alone, eight foreigners were involved in accidents in Nagano. In one incident, an avalanche claimed the life of U.S. [World Champion](https://www.financedigest.com/snowboarding-british-teenager-brookes-becomes-the-youngest-world-champion.html "Snowboarding-British teenager Brookes becomes the youngest world champion") freestyle skier Kyle Smaine and a second skilled foreign skier. Another visitor died in a different accident in Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island. Skiers, police and officials cite a combination of factors: a lack of [safety information in English; the dearth of a national safety system](https://www.financedigest.com/automotive-active-safety-system-market-2015-scope-of-current-and-future-industry-2025.html "Automotive Active Safety System Market 2015 | Scope of Current and Future Industry 2025"), including regulating overseas guides; and the unwillingness of some visitors to follow safety advice. Tomohiro Kushibiki, who heads the Nagano police’s mountain safety division, said while the influx of inbound skiers was good for the local economy, “the sad reality is that safety awareness for foreign skiers is not keeping up. In fact, it’s being [left far behind.”](https://www.financedigest.com/click-and-collect-or-get-left-behind.html "Click and Collect or get left behind") The head of Japan’s [National Governors Association last week said a national system of safety measures](https://www.financedigest.com/national-cinemedia-releases-first-cinema-attention-measurement-study-conducted-by-lumen-in-collaboration-with-dentsu.html "National CineMedia releases first cinema attention measurement study, conducted by Lumen in collaboration with dentsu") is now essential. A ski lift operator at one resort in Nagano, [home of the 1998 Winter Olympics](https://www.financedigest.com/olympics-belarus-sprinter-leaves-tokyo-for-vienna-after-refusing-to-go-home.html "Olympics-Belarus sprinter leaves Tokyo for Vienna after refusing to go home"), described dealing with non-Japanese tourists as “a game of cat-and-mouse. Every [day people](https://www.financedigest.com/over-a-third-of-uk-people-think-thomas-whitmore-from-independence-day-will-be-joined-by-donald-trump-in-disneys-hall-of-presidents.html "Over a third of UK people think Thomas Whitmore from Independence Day will be joined by Donald Trump in Disney’s Hall of Presidents") are ignoring the ‘keep out’ signs or ducking under the barrier ropes – and almost all of them are non-Asian foreigners,” he said. “We tell them ‘no skiing’ and they say ‘we’re pros, it’s okay’.” BACKCOUNTRY CULTURE The reputation of Japanese snow took off after the Nagano [Olympics](https://www.financedigest.com/chinese-envoy-to-japan-calls-on-tokyo-for-support-of-beijing-olympics.html "Chinese envoy to Japan: calls on Tokyo for support of Beijing Olympics"). Backcountry skiing grew too, despite the dangers of avalanches and steep mountains – [risks some international skiers are willing to brave for the excitement of skiing on fresh snow in locations well](https://www.financedigest.com/fed-keen-to-be-well-positioned-to-act-on-inflation-other-risks-minutes-show.html "Fed keen to be ‘well positioned’ to act on inflation, other risks, minutes show") away from sometimes crowded resorts. “We were not intentionally marketing backcountry … as more foreign skiers from countries with a longer history of backcountry came to Japan, they brought this culture with them,” sad Hideaki Yoshimi, an official at the tourism authority of Nagano prefecture, in the Japan Alps. Nagano police have [issued English warnings](https://www.financedigest.com/heatwave-scorches-europe-health-warnings-issued.html "Heatwave scorches Europe; health warnings issued") and guidelines in flyers. The Japan Avalanche [Network has daily information](https://www.financedigest.com/more-than-half-52-of-cisos-are-prioritising-gdpr-compliance-over-the-next-12-months-new-data-from-the-2017-financial-services-information-security-network-shows.html "More than half (52%) of CISOs are prioritising GDPR compliance over the next 12 months, new data from the 2017 Financial Services Information Security Network shows") online, but English is limited as the site is still under development. By contrast, signs at the entrance to some backcountry [routes in the United States have a QR code](https://www.financedigest.com/a-fast-track-route-to-updating-legacy-system-code.html "A Fast-Track Route to Updating Legacy System Code") allowing skiers access to the latest safety information. Calls are rising for more to be done, whether through enlisting [hotels to pass on safety information or to more rigorous control of foreign](https://www.financedigest.com/foreign-business-travel-missing-ingredient-for-irish-hotel-recovery-dalata.html "Foreign business travel missing ingredient for Irish hotel recovery – Dalata") guides. Japan wants to welcome foreign skiers, but they need to [know the reality of the risks](https://www.financedigest.com/preventing-an-operationally-crippling-ransomware-attack-do-you-know-where-your-risk-exposure-lies.html "PREVENTING AN OPERATIONALLY CRIPPLING RANSOMWARE ATTACK – DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR RISK EXPOSURE LIES?") involved, said Kenji Kubota, a researcher with the Japan Rescue Organization. “It’s not just about snow monkeys in a hot spring or shiny slopes,” he said. [(Reporting by Mariko Katsumura and Elaine Lies; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)](https://www.financedigest.com/lies-damned-lies-and-seo-statistics-what-should-seo-be-reporting-to-the-board.html "Lies, damned lies and SEO statistics – what should SEO be reporting to the board?") --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---