#7: Takayama

Most people don't think Japan when they think skiing, but buried in the heart of the Japanese alps is the well kept secret of Hida Takayama. The city (composed of the characters takai -- high -- and yama -- mountain) is a relatively small city often refered to as Little Kyoto (Kyoto being Japan's cultural and historic centre).

Like Kyoto, Takayama is loaded with temples, old streets, and history; unlike Kyoto, it's a small, sparsely populated (for Japan) area -- as long as you don't try to go during festival weekend in April, when the population of this small city literally triples overnight.

Looming over Takayama is Mount Norikura, known through Japan for its fantastic skiing. There aren't a lot of actual ski resorts, but Takayama makes a great base from which to explore the mountainside: buses run frequently, carrying you up to the mountain's peak. The region receives a great deal of snow during the winter months and can get quite chilly. Japanese skiing enthusiasts flock to Norikura because, unlike Japan's other mountains, it's actually a wonderful natural skiing spot!

Again, Takayama isn't for hardcore skiiers. But if you're looking for a ski holiday with lots of exploration and culture thrown in, it's the ideal spot!