A summary of public reports, written by Ski in Sky and checked against each source. It is not an official investigation, and it may change as investigations continue.
What happened
On 2 January two people backcountry skiing near the Happo ridge called for help through a phone's satellite messaging, saying they had lost their way on a steep slope and could not move. One of them got down the mountain alone and told police they had been caught in an avalanche. Police and the local mountain rescue association searched for the other skier, but blizzards forced the search to stop. At about 10:30 on 28 April a prefectural police helicopter found a body in Happo-sawa at about 1300 m, wearing ski boots, a white helmet and a mountain jacket; police said its features matched the skier missing since January, and a later report said the body had been identified.
The pair called for help on the afternoon of 2 Jan 2026 (SBC, search result); the Nagano police bulletin for 1-4 Jan lists the Happo-sawa case as missing after an avalanche. The body was found at about 10:30 on 28 Apr 2026 (TSB, opened).
Where
Outside the ski areaHappo-sawa, south of the Happo ridge, Hokujo, Hakuba village, at about 1300 m (TSB).
Known only to the area.
Link to the ski area
Near a ski area, not inside it
Reports describe backcountry skiing (バックカントリースキー) on the Happo ridge; TSB places the body in Happo-sawa in the mountains (山中) at about 1300 m. No report seen names the ski area or gate used.
People
Died1
Injured—Not reported
Rescued—Not reported
Not confirmed
- Whether an avalanche occurred: one report headline says the pair lost their way, others quote the companion saying they were caught in an avalanche.
- Cause of death.
- Which ski area and gate the pair started from.
- The police bulletin (search result) records an avalanche; police wording beyond the bulletin line was not seen.
- The companion said they had been caught in an avalanche (reported statement, not confirmed by police) (reported by SBC Shinetsu Broadcasting (via Yahoo! News); that source could not be re-checked).
Sources
- TSB Television Shinshu (via Yahoo! News) ↗ · 2026-04-28
- SBC Shinetsu Broadcasting (via Yahoo! News) ↗
- NBS Nagano Broadcasting (via Yahoo! News) ↗
- abn Nagano Asahi Broadcasting (via Yahoo! News) ↗
- NTV NEWS NNN (via Yahoo! News) ↗
- TV Asahi ANN (via Yahoo! News) ↗
- NBS Nagano Broadcasting ↗
- Nagano Prefectural Police ↗checked in search results
- SBC Shinetsu Broadcasting (via d menu news) ↗checked in search results
Last checked against the sources on 2026-10-22.