An Australian has died while on a skiing trip with friends at a popular resort in Japan.
The body of David Fitzpatrick, 45, was found in Niseko on Sunday after he apparently disappeared while walking home late at night from a bar.
An employee at local ski hire shop Rhythm Snowsports said the man's body was found in a creek about 2pm to 3pm local time (1600-1700 AEDT) on Sunday.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) on Monday confirmed a 45-year-old man from NSW had died at the resort in Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido.
Mr Fitzpatrick was on a week-long trip with a group of 10 friends who were scheduled to return home on Sunday morning.
He was last seen at Splash Bar at 1am on Sunday, according to a post on an online ski forum.
"They were on their last night together and on the walk home he disappeared," the Rhythm employee said.
"His body was found in the creek the next day."
A DFAT spokeswoman said consular assistance was being provided to Mr Fitzpatrick's friends still in Japan and his family in Australia.
Niseko has become a popular resort for Australian skiers and snowboarders, with Australians comprising most of the overseas tourists, says the Niseko Promotion Board.
The body of another Australian, Scott McKay, was found in Niseko in April 2009, two month months after he left a bar in the town.
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