The most astonishing difference visiting skiers to Japan will encounter is the absolute consideration and politeness of the locals. You could actually make a wrong move and send a downhill skier tumbling downwards to land with his face in the snow and his skis in the trees, and he would raise his head, look you straight in the eye and apologize. Barring the politeness factor, not much else is different.
Japan is one of the snowiest places in the world at sea level.
Storms that develop in Russia and China pick up moisture when crossing the Sea of Japan and then dump on the west coast of Japan and the Japanese Alps. It is not uncommon for resorts at only 100 feet above sea level to receive several feet of snow in one day. With a strong maritime climate, and a latitude equal to the south of France, Japan's snow conditions can be quite changeable, varying from wet and clumpy to dry, fine powder. As can be expected from one of the most populated countries in the world, weekends and holidays can be extremely crowded on the slopes of Happo One, and one of the downfalls of this is that management relegates snowboarders to only a small portion of the mountain. For skiers, however, Happo One is truly a great experience, and one not to be missed when visiting Japan.