The snow engines are firing up and while some resorts have been affected by a bit of rain this week, this weekend promises to be the start of a sustained period of snow across most regions.

It’s not quite summer yet in Australia, which means it’s still autumn in Japan but that hasn’t stopped snow from falling!

The Snow Concierge was one of the first international visitors to realise Hakuba’s huge potential while working for a US television network during the Nagano Winter Olympic games, and it has been a fast favourite ever since. 

Here’s a breakdown of what we love about the five most popular resorts on the Japanese mainland of Honshu

Hakuba is perfect for families, with heaps of skiable terrain and no end of things to keep you occupied on rest days.