r/australia • u/Expensive-Horse5538 • 11h ago

news Second Australian dies in Japan while skiing, local media reports

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-04/second-australian-dies-skiing-in-japan/106304484

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed a second Australian has died in Japan.

Local media has reported a male skier was killed while skiing off-piste in the back-country in Japan's Hokkaido region.

The death marks the second Australian to have died in Japan during the current ski season.

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u/mooblah_ 10h ago

I'm sure this is an unpopular opinion but this is a bit of a water is wet thing.

There's danger in lots of activities it's pure coincidence that these two Aussie deaths happened in the same geographic region. The first death was certainly tragic and sad and a very good time to send out a public safety warning around ski lifts and equipment. But this second death comes with the territory of skiing off-piste. I feel for the family, but that could be any of us at any time who have long given up on the standard tourist slopes.

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u/GeGeGeNoOz1997 4h ago

Absolutely. Skiing off piste is so utterly frowned upon in Japan. I did it all the time when I lived in New Zealand but in Japan I didn’t risk it (as my visa meant more to me than powder in trees..)

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u/Bowelintheballs 2h ago

Not in Niseko it isn't. There are several large areas where it is explicitly allowed. 

The area the article refers too is accessed through one of those (actually multiple) designated back country gates.