Just two hours from Tokyo lie Japanese Alps, offering the promise of an exotic ski adventure. Powder snow, stunning slopes and monkeys in hot springs – the region is a winter paradise in the Land of the Rising Sun.<br /><br /> “In one word, the snow quality in Hakuba: extraordinary,” said one enthusiastic snow boarder we spoke to. <br /><br /> “Because we have lots of fresh snow here, we call it snow paradise, “ added his friend, a local ski instructor. <br /><br /> “In Hakuba the landscape looks like a painting. With the mountains around us you feel immersed in nature, and I think that’s magnificent,” the third of the trio of skiing friends told us.” <br /><br /> They live in Hakuba, in the northern part of the Japanese Alps<br />, which are also known as the ‘roof of Japan’. They spend every day on the slopes, training and indulging their passion. <br /><br /> Majestic mountain ranges as high as 3,000 meters surround the valley. <br />It was here that downhill skiing legends such as “Herminator” Hermann Maier made history during the Winter
