Avalanche safety for backcountry skiing in Japan: local rules, gear, calling 110, and the 10-minute rescue

Japan's deep, light snow draws skiers and snowboarders from all over the world, and many of them leave the groomed runs for the backcountry. Japan's National Police Agency reports that in 2025, foreign visitors were involved in 174 mountain incidents with 246 people, including 6 dead or missing, the highest since records began in 2018. This guide pulls together what Japanese authorities and avalanche professionals ask of backcountry visitors: the local rules, the gear, how to call for help, and what to do in the first minutes after a burial.

The ski area and the backcountry are different worlds

Nagano Prefecture's official tourism site puts it plainly: "As close as they may seem, ski resorts and backcountry areas are completely different worlds." The Japan Avalanche Network (JAN), a nonprofit that works on avalanche safety, says nearly all avalanche deaths inside ski areas in Japan happen in closed or temporarily closed terrain. Hokkaido Police add that the risks outside controlled ski areas are unpredictable, that every action you take there is at your own risk, and: "Do not enter the backcountry areas carelessly."

Japan's National Police Agency says backcountry skiing needs the same knowledge, skills and equipment as winter mountaineering, and asks skiers to check the weather, the snowpack and the terrain, to submit a mountaineering plan, and to carry the necessary gear. In Hokkaido, police statistics show that backcountry skiing accounts for about 80% of mountain incidents in the winter season (November to March), and that in the five seasons through 2025, 203 of the 337 people involved in backcountry incidents were foreign nationals.

Local rules: the Niseko Rules as an example

Niseko, in Hokkaido, publishes the "Niseko Rules." The town's page notes: "Niseko used to have the highest number of fatal avalanche accidents in all of Japan." The rules include:

• "Always use gates when entering backcountry areas."
• "Do not duck boundary ropes."
• "Backcountry skiing/snowboarding is prohibited when gates are closed."
• Never enter off-limits areas, and wear a helmet and carry an avalanche beacon in the backcountry.

"A minimum of 100,000 yen will be charged for search and rescue operations in backcountry areas," and rule violators may have their lift pass taken away. Other resorts have their own rules and gates. Read them before you go, and treat a closed gate as a closed gate.

Gear: beacon, probe and shovel for every person

Nagano's guidance explains the roles: a beacon finds a buried person, a probe confirms the location, and a shovel digs them out quickly. "These three pieces of equipment should be carried by every member of a touring group and their use should be practiced every so often." JAN stresses that each member must carry their own set, and also that this gear does not guarantee survival. Hokkaido Police and the Niseko Rules ask for the same three items.

On the slope, JAN's rule is simple: "Only one person on the slope at a time."

Phones and calling for help in Japan

• Call 110 (police) for a backcountry emergency. Nagano's page says: "Call number 110 to contact the police in case of emergency (English is okay)."
• Bring a phone with a Japanese mobile SIM. Nagano notes that a mobile SIM is needed to contact the police in an emergency: "Data-only plans will not work."
• Leave a plan. Hokkaido Police ask you to make a mountaineering plan and tell family or friends where you are going. For how to file one, see "Hiking in Japan." For devices that work without phone coverage, see "Getting found."
• Expect costs. Nagano says that when a private search and rescue team (ski resort staff, hut staff, guides) is sent out, a fee is billed to the rescued party. Hokkaido Police warn that search costs can be large.

If someone is buried

JAN's guidance is to get to the victim and clear their airway within 10 minutes. After that, the chance of survival drops sharply. Rescuers from outside cannot arrive that fast, so the people at the scene must start the search at once. Nagano's page says: "First, begin search and rescue with whoever is available at the scene. You may contact the police after the initial operation has ended." JAN adds that you should call 110 as soon as possible if the situation is too difficult to handle.

Warning signs and avalanche information

Nagano lists signs including more than 30 cm of overnight snow, a "whumpf" sound when crossing the snow, and sudden rises in temperature. The Niigata Local Meteorological Office (part of the Japan Meteorological Agency, JMA) explains, in Japanese, that slopes of 30 degrees or more are prone to avalanches, with 35 to 45 degrees the most dangerous, and that slab avalanches near the surface show no warning signs beforehand and can reach 100 to 200 km/h (our translation). JMA's local offices issue avalanche advisories, and some areas have their own avalanche bulletins, such as the Niseko Avalanche Information, which the Niseko Rules call the area's official information. Hokkaido Police: "Check the latest weather forecast and avalanche information."

Before your trip (our suggestions)

• Take an avalanche course before buying gear. U.S. resources at avalanche.org, a partnership of the American Avalanche Association and the U.S. Forest Service National Avalanche Center, sum up the basics as getting the forecast, the gear and the training.
• Hire a licensed local guide for your first days in unfamiliar terrain.
• Check the resort's gate rules and the local avalanche bulletin each morning.
• Carry travel insurance that covers search and rescue.

A Japanese version of this article is available: "雪崩から身を守る" (avalanche safety, in Japanese). For staying warm, see "Hypothermia and frostbite."