Nagano, Japan may be known as the site of ... In particular, Hakuba, Shiga kogen, and Nozawa Onsen are the most well-known ski resort areas, as they hosted winter Olympics in 1998.

"Ski resorts are getting busier and busier ... days indicate this is probably what happened in the backcountry areas of Nagano and Gunma prefectures," he says. "These avalanches can hurtle ...