Pursuing forgotten powder trails in Hokkaido's 'backyard' ski areas

HOKKAIDO, Japan -- It is every skier's dream, cutting through knee-deep powder in virgin, untracked snow. I float down the mountain smiling, whooping and bouncing from one turn to the next in a rhythmic trance. At the bottom of the slope I feel exhilarated, ready to go back up for more.

Hokkaido's international ski resorts, such as Niseko United and Furano, draw crowds from around the world to their special light powder snow, known as JaPow. But many smaller ski areas are struggling to survive as Japan's population ages and declines. At least 25% of resorts have disappeared since the early 1990s.