Niseko

For the best skiing in Hokkaido, head for Niseko's Grand Hirafu, Annupuri, Niseko Village, and Hanazono runs. Popular with Japanese skiers in the 1970s, Niseko had another major boom three decades later when Australian tourists made this a favorite winter destination. Asia's economic downturn and the high exchange rate cut the number of foreign travelers, but now the Chinese have rediscovered the place.