The Hokkaido is the northernmost island in Japan and is far less populated than the main island of Honshu. To get to Hokkaido you first need to get a plane to Tokyo’s Narita aiport then get a domestic flight to Chitose international airport, following which you need to bus or train it to the resorts. See our “Getting to Hokkaido” page for more info. If Hakuba is known for the steep terrain and big verticals, then Hokkaido is known for it's powder (though of course Hakuba gets plenty of that as well). In fact if you want deep powder there is probably no better place on the planet to find it, with a seemingly endless supply of the stuff. Hokkaido has nearly 100 ski resorts but unlike Hakuba they are spread out all over the island. So it is best to concentrate on a couple. There is no need to get a package, it is easy to buy lift tickets on the mountains. Just make sure you get your ski accommodation locked in before you arrive. If on the other hand you are an advanced skier or snowboarder, then you should look at doing a guided off piste multiday multi-resort package.