If Niseko is the crown jewel of Japanese skiing, then Rusutsu is one of its most lustrous, and least known, diamond clusters.
Rusutsu is only 40 minutes away from Niseko by car but still relatively unknown to 'gaijin' - or foreigners - who have fuelled Japan's skiing boom of the past decade.
Its three linked mountains, East, West and Mt Isola, give it more than 200ha of skiable terrain. Rusutsu's snow cover is every bit as good as Niseko's, the most famous resort on the island of Hokkaido, but its comparative obscurity means there are fewer people to share it with. Locals say it's what Niseko was like eight years ago - more untracked snow, few foreigners and few English language signs.
There are few lift lines and most people seem to ski on-piste, leaving fresh tracks for those who want to dive into what Rusutsu and Japan are best known for - powder snow. Run your fingers or ski tips just below the snow surface and they remain visible, showing how light, dry and as transparent as a politician's lies it is.
When there is plenty of it - which is often - it can provide conditions matched by few resorts in the world. The 212ha of groomed runs come highly commended, too.
