Allure of Japan's powder snow a growing danger as more tourists ski backcountry

A sign prohibiting entry is pictured at a ski resort on Mt. Yokote in Shimotakai district, Nagano prefecture, Japan February 5, 2023. REUTERS/Mariko Katsumura

TOKYO (Reuters) - The popularity of Japan's crisp powder snow among foreign skiers, surging back into the country, is luring more to seek the thrill of pristine backcountry slopes - sometimes with deadly impact.

A rise in backcountry accidents comes as the Japanese government heavily promotes inbound tourism post-pandemic, having opened its border fully late last year for the first time since early 2020. Japan's snow, prized among skiers for dryness caused by local atmospheric conditions, is a big draw.