No other place on earth delivers the deep, meditative powder riding of Japan. So in preparation for the goods to come, here’s a little quickie from Hokkaido, featuring Evan Wilcox and Ewan Hutton.

Of course, we can’t discuss Japan without noting the calamity that the country is facing. A devastating typhoon killed 11 people (the death toll so far) and wreaked havoc in western regions. Typhoon Jebi, the strongest the country has seen in 25 years, pummeled homes, sent vehicles flying across the roads, and blasted infrastructure, including the bridge to Kansai Airport in Osaka, stranding hundreds of passengers.

Snowboarding in Japan is a deeply special (many would say spiritual) experience, one that has endeared us to the Japanese people, and today they are in our thoughts.