GoNative,
Thanks for sharing pics.
I'm out of my hometown on business but my friends have already logged over a dozen back country ski days since late September.
Do you have any info regarding ice climbing in Hokkaido? I'm sure that there are hundreds, if not thousands of frozen waterfalls just begging to be climbed out there.
One day, I'll fly over in the middle of winter with a book on Hokkaido waterfalls and scout them out...