Shizuoka, Japan

Capital City: Shizuoka
Closest Airport: Chubu Centrair International Airport
Population: 3,792,500
Resort Area: Akaishi Mountains
Snow Season: Oct - March
Main Language: Japanese
Currency: Yen

They say Shizuoka has it all: a rugged coastline, beautiful rivers, mountain ranges and spectacular views of Mt Fuji.

And in the summer months, they're right. The beaches are an active playground for surfers, water-skiers and sunbathers. You can also go white water rafting on the Fuji and Shiba rivers.

By the winter however, the variety is a little disappointing. Shizuoka does boast several mountain resorts, but they're all fairly small, with short runs and inconsistent snow cover.

You can get some early season action (as early as October) at Snow Town Yeti Resort. However this is down to large machines that crush large ice particles from the higher regions of Mt Fuji rather than nature's finest.

Technologically advanced it may be, but it doesn't quite fit our idea of Japanese powder ...