Japan is widely seen as one of the world¡¯s safest countries. But that image doesn¡¯t always hold up in the outdoors.
In March, while on a trip to enjoy Japan¡¯s famed powder snow, Canadian freeskier Kai Smart died in an avalanche in Hokkaido. The 23-year-old from Whistler, British Columbia, was no stranger to the mountains, but even he was not spared the risks of Japan¡¯s backcountry ¡ª unpatrolled terrain outside ski resort boundaries.
¡°We understand there are always risks involved in skiing (Japan¡¯s) beautiful snowy mountains and are just deeply sad and shocked that we had to lose our beautiful son so early,¡± his mother, Julia Smart, tells The Japan Times in an email. She and her husband, John, are both former Olympians.
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