MT writes: Dan Cockburn struggling to breathe at Hakuba Cortina, this day had without a doubt the best conditions of the season – bluebird skies, no wind and enough deep, light, fresh snow to swallow a person whole. Image:: Mark Tsukasov

Mountainwatch | Alex Horvath

This past season in Japan was epic, over 20 m of snow fell on the Northern Island of Hokkaido and further south in Hakuba the pow stayed deep dry and consistent. While other parts of the Northern Hemisphere weren’t so fortunate, you could bet your last dollar on a trip to Japan and remain certain you would score.

As I cast my mind back to the previous few winters in the land of the rising sun, I struggle to remember a bad year, sure there were weeks when it rained, and weeks when it warmed, but really, is there such a thing as a bad season in Japan? I guess it’s all a matter of perspective.

Just so we could reflect on how good this season really was, I put the call out to a few photographer’s in Japan to send me a selection of their favourite shots from 2012/2013. Here are their picks, if you have some photos from your time in Japan these season, flick them up on Instagram with a #mountainwatch, like the shots? Feel free to leave a comment below via Facebook…

Niseko

P: Yasuyuki Shimanuki R: Takafumi Maeda L: Furano, Backcountry

P: Yasuyuki Shimanuki L: Mt.Yotei, Niseko

P: Aaron Jamieson R: Teddy Laycock L: Niseko, Backcountry

P: Aaron Jamieson R: Rachael Burks L: Akaigawa, Backcountry

P: Darren Teasdale R: Yasuyuki Shimanuki L: Niseko, Backcountry

P: Yasuyuki Shimanuki R: Unknown L: Niseko, Backcountry

P: Aaron Jamieson R: Nicholas Cruz L: Niseko, Backcountry

P: Yasuyuki Shimanuki R: Yoshi Mizobuchi L: Asahikawa Backcountry

P: Yasuyuki Shimanuki L: Mt.Yotei, Niseko

Niseko photos are supplied courtesy of Niseko Photography

Hakuba

All Photos and captions by Mark Tsukasov Photography

Charles Rials at Cortina Resort, Hakuba. Endless turns in the forest on the 25th February. The best $28 I have spent in my life. You can pretty much nail all the good stuff in a morning session, then move on to one of the less populated resorts for an afternoon seesion with more of the same. A great day throughout the valley, even if we had to race againsts hordes of Scandinavians who’ve come to know Cortina as a household name in their homeland. A little bit of haste can add to the excitement!

Sam Perry setting off a little avy in a forrest near Otari. It came right at me. It wasn’t a big slide (thank God) but it buried me up to my waist without moving me down the hill. It just goes to show you don’t stand below the fall line in this kind of place. I had posted up on a firm flat spot next to the base of a tree, and as Sam rode out of it and casually noted as he passed my spot… “Avy!” He then kept riding. It was a moment to remember. A few seconds later I was up to my waist in snow.

Charles Rials getting a face shot in a forest near Otari. These forests are steep, loose and demand a risk assesment before a group picks a line. We set off several avys over the three days we were in there. Before we descended to this point we made an initial entry high up the ridge line. I dropped first to get to a spot I liked, but the moment i stopped I set off a 40cm slab that cracked across to about 35 feet away from my tips. It was a hair rasing moment. There was still 20-30cm of power under the slide path. Apparently 90% of injuries and deaths in this area are due to trauma, not burial. The slides rip through the trees with speed and force, leaving you with little to do but pray. But when you get to a nice loose line in the trees like this it’s likely you’ll end up eating fresh deep powder, like my friend Charles is here. The best tree riding I’ve ever seen on a good day, but not for the faint hearted.

Feb 19, near Goryu, Hakuba. Craig Oldring dropping a pillow line above the Hakuba Valley. There were more storms on the way but we decided to try our luck in some out of bounds areas not far from the resort while the visibility was good. We could see some skiiers on a ridge line high above us and later met them in the Subway at the base of the resort. One of them was Sam Cohen, Faction Pro rider, who was filming with friends. He’d set off an avy that looked pretty big from the footage he showed me on his iPhone. As it got further away from their camera it just got bigger and bigger, propagating down the gully and rising up in the ridge as it went. Everyone was stoked at the riding that day, except me (note to self: park skis aren’t a good way to get around in steep, deep powder).

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