MURORAN, Hokkaido—Visitors from around Japan and overseas continue to flow into the municipal Muroran Aquarium here for a look at Satsuki, a seal that bangs on a plastic pail to beg for food.

If it was not the presence of the pouting influencers – striking a pose on the slopes in front of a yurt designed by luxury brand Louis Vuitton, no less – that had us convinced that a new era ...

powderhounds from across the globe flock to Hokkaido eager to experience its mythical snowfall. At the center of this wintery universe are towns such as Niseko, where luxurious resorts draw ...