Hi,

What is the difference between Hokkaido and Honshu? What is the skiing like on each island? Are there major differentiating features?

Hokkaido is the most northern island of Japan.
Honshu is the main biggest island of Japan.
I'm sure a few simple searches (both on here and generally about Japan) can provide you with lots of info, but here is a map:

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/maps/map-of-japan.html

Those links above will help you too.

Justin,
The best way to get info on here (and on many other forums, in fact) is to trawl through the archives - use the search button at the top(ish) of the page. If you search for Hokkaido, you should get all threads with Hokkaido in the subject line.

The other way to get info about resorts is to take a look at the blue tab at the very top (Resorts).

Knock yourself out! Then ask away!!

I've searched through. I guess I'm just not seeing major differences between Hokkaido and Honshu, except that Hokkaido may be a little less developed and more of a nature destination. It also seems a bit colder.

Does this seem accurate?

Yes.

Although Hokkaido does have several large major cities, it is generally less developed.

Colder? Potentially, but insofar as ski resorts go, not a big difference. The coldest parts of Hokkaido don't have a lot of development and therefore have few ski/board destinations.

As skiing/riding terrain goes, there is generally more steep topography on Honshu.

Justin, glad I didn't put you off

As Ez says, Hokkaido is much more a rural area. Thus there are large tracts of land which, in winter, will seem like big flat snow-covered tabletops. As I've never been there other than in winter, I can only surmise that the summer sees a highly productive cropping area.

Honshu is actually much more mountainous than Hokkaido, with higher and generally steeper peaks. Hokkaido, being further north, is closer to the Sea of Okhotsk and Siberia, so some say that the snow quality is slightly higher than for the resorts on Honshu. Having been both to Hakuba's higher runs in mid winter and Niseko, I'd say that after a good night's dumping, both can be excellent.

Generally temps are lower in Hokkaido though - snow lies widely at sea level from December to April there.