Niseko, Hokkaido: Australian man dies after reported avalanche in Japan’s north

An Australian man has died after being buried by an avalanche while backcountry skiing at a popular resort in Japan’s Hokkaido region.

According to a local news outlet, the man, believed to be in his 20s, was skiing off-piste with a group of seven friends between Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort and Niseko Annupuri International Ski Resort on Monday, February 2 (local time).

He was reportedly skiing at the back of the group when he became separated partway down the slope. When his friends retraced their route to look for him, they encountered another group of skiers already administering CPR.

One of the seven raised the alarm around 3pm, contacting his supervisor at the ski resort where he was employed.

Emergency crews managed to retrieve the man from the snow, but he was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it is providing consular assistance.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian who died in Japan. We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time,” a DFAT spokesperson said.

“Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment.”

The man’s identity has not yet been released.

The tragedy comes just three days after an Australian woman was killed in a freak accident at a popular ski resort west of Tokyo on Friday.

The woman was at the Tsugaike Mountain Resort in Otari, Nagano Prefecture, when she got caught in the ski lift at around 9am.

It is believed that the woman’s backpack had become entangled with a lift buckle as she attempted to get off the lift.

She was then dragged along the snow and then suspended mid-air as the lift kept moving, before staff managed to stop the lift and the woman was rescued.

The woman reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest, and was taken to hospital in a critical condition.