Niseko: experience the magic of skiing in Japan
Hokkaido’s fabled powder snow puts a visit to Japan’s northern main island right at the top of the wish list for many skiers and snowboarders.
For those lucky enough to make the trip, a 90-minute connecting flight from Tokyo and two-hour transfer to Niseko Village is well worth the wait.
The resort’s luxury hotels and apartments are the perfect location to let you explore more than 47kms of slopes set against the stunning backdrop of the snow-capped Mount Yotei volcano.
To reach some of the highest pistes you’ll need to take a white-knuckle ride on the single seater chair lifts, which resemble an exam hall chair at altitude.
But the payoff is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience the legendary ‘champagne powder’ on mountainsides around Mount Niseko Annupuri that are buried under up to 15 metres of snow across the winter season.
Our first hotel stop was the Hinode Hills with its roaring fires, family-friendly apartments and ski-in, ski-out access.
From there we set off on a picture perfect snow-shoe trek through the pristine woodland of the surrounding national park.
Despite the best efforts of our guide we never managed to spot one of Hokkaido’s famous brown bears, a Northern Pika ‘Crying Rabbit’ or even a flying squirrel.
With the local wildlife proving elusive, an hour-long snowmobile tour around the countryside offered a lower effort, higher octane sight-seeing experience.
To help recover from all that activity, a traditional onsen hot spring bath offered the ideal way to soothe any bumps and scrapes suffered on the slopes.
Many of the outdoor onsens in Niseko let you enjoy sweeping views of the mountains as you unwind.
This was certainly true at our next stop, the Ritz-Carlton’s Higashiyama Niseko Village, with the silhouette of Mount Yotei looming large in the background.
That evening we planted ourselves on the stools of the hotel’s renowned Sushi Nagi restaurant, where the highly-skilled Itamae led us through an unforgettable omakase experience.
After that we managed to make the short walk to the hotel bar, with its fine selection of Japanese whiskeys, followed by a final onsen before collapsing into bed.
But if it’s après you are after, the lively Niseko-yo area at the heart of the resort offers a range of restaurants where you can pause for lunch or end your day with drinks and dinner.
Whether it’s spicy ramen at Gogyo, fresh winter crab at Nani Kore Kani or grilled Shiraoi Wagyu beef at Hokkaien Yakiniku, there are plenty of reasons to come back day after day.
For all these reasons and more, Niseko and skiing in Japan easily justify the hype. Any time spent in the shadow of Mount Yotei will be a holiday you never forget.
The details
Hinode Hills - nightly room rates start from around £500 for a 1 bedroom Suite. hinodehills.com
Higashiyama Niseko Village – nightly room rates start from around £596. ritzcarlton.com/higashiyamanisekovillage
British Airways flies from London Heathrow to Haneda, Tokyo, from £928 return, including taxes and fees. ba.com/tokyo
