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Hakuba: Winter Sports Wonderland The village of Hakuba stretches along the Shirouma range--part of a chain of beautiful 3,000-meter (9,800-ft) peaks that have been christened the Japan Alps for their resemblance to the European Alps. With a population of some 9,300, it is a small resort village lined with rows of vacation homes and inns. From spring through autumn, it greets many mountain climbers and tourists. In winter, it is as popular a skiing area as Shiga Kogen.
The thrillingly steep and bumpy slopes have given the Happo'one peak, to be used for Alpine skiing, a name among top-class skiers. In addition to Alpine skiing, Hakuba will also host ski jumping and Nordic combined events.
