Niseko, Japan - The real powder playground
Written by Kemble a Skier from Manly, Australia
31/3/2010
Do you want the guarantee of great snow, great food, reasonable prices and great local people? Then look no further and book Niseko in Japan for your next ski holiday.
Niseko is a must do for ski enthusiasts and beginners alike, and Travelplan will get you there, look after you on the ground, and get you back home, without any hassles. 2010 was our fifth trip to Japan booked through Natalie at Travelplan, and each trip has been outstanding and problem free.
Niseko, on the north Island of Hokkaido is located in a region that receives the most consistent snow fall and driest powder snow in Japan, if not the world. The average annual snowfall is 15 metres of powder snow.
In January and February you can expect fresh snow everyday that means light dry first tracks for everyone. It snows a lot, its cold and don’t expect to see the blue sky, but you can count on unlimited, uncrowded runs, no lift lines and you will ski or board in the majesty of Mt Yotei, a stunning extinct volcano which stands proudly above the valley looking down over Niseko, so have the camera handy.
The best time to visit Niseko in my opinion is Late December through to the end of February when you can expect consistent snowy days and nights, and lots and lots of powder snow (Konayuki) off piste.
The best way to get there is an eight hour flight to Tokyo with a one hour connecting flight through to Sapporo, followed by a two hour bus trip up to the resort of Niseko. Sounds like an effort, but I promise you it’s worth it! Natalie at Travelplan organises everything to run like clockwork and an on-ground representative of Travelplan in Niseko will meet your family on arrival. The Travelplan representative even had our ski tickets ready for us, a map and some really useful information about the town and its attractions on hand. After a quick orientation of Niseko and advice on where to hire skis, book ski school, suggested favourite restaurants and the location of the local grocery store we already felt at home. We were given her contact number and encouraged to call if we needed anything from baby sitting arranged, to booking the Travelplan in-house ski guide through to making reservations at restaurants. That was service.
The best accommodation in Niseko is The Vale. It’s new and located right at the base of the family lift. The Vale has its own indoor and outdoor Onsen (hot springs), an indoor pool, a great family restaurant and of course a great bar. And a word of advice, in that order at The Vale every afternoon is the way to go big time. Michael, Lisa and the staff of the Vale are fantastic, and will look after everything you could possibly need.
Another recommendation is Setsumon which is located in the main street, 100 metres from the base of the family lift, and central to the delicious Niseko bakery (Abu Cha), the grocery store (Seikomart) and a stack of great restaurants to suit everyones taste. . Others high on the list of quality accommodation are Yotei tracks and First Tracks, like the others all in great locations, modern, clean and comfortable
Lift tickets in Niseko are about A$55 per day per adult, which is outstanding value, and can be pre-arranged by Travelplan before you even leave home. If you are hiring your skis and boots then go nowhere else but Inski in Niseko. Inski have a store right at the main intersection of town and offer the widest range of best quality ski’s in Niseko for the conditions you will ski and for your ability on the slopes. We even pre-booked from home by contacting Paul Ford at Inski in Sydney, who will have you professionally fitted and have your gear ready to go on arrival in Niseko.
My big tip is to book the Travelplan in-house ski guide early on your holiday. We booked Pete Ilinsky twice on our last trip and we could not recommend him highly enough. He led us to some incredible places on the mountain we simply would never have found or experienced on our own. Pete orientates you if you are new to the resort, provides instruction in the powder if necessary, or you can just follow him as he shows you secret powder runs that no one else knows about. You just can’t beat local knowledge when it comes to the mountain.
Ski school in Niseko is run differently to Australia and there are several who operate in the resort. . We used NBS this year, located at the base of the Family lift. NBS offer a full range of services from half-day child group lessons, to the full-day adult private lessons. We found the prices reasonable and the service great. Our kids had a ball everyday.
The skiable terrain around Niseko is connected by four resorts: Annapuri, Higashiyama, Hirafu and Hanazono, and your lift ticket gives you access to all four resorts.
The Ski run must do’s –
Every powder trip to Niseko after a dump must include the hike to The peak, East ridge. Firstly for the incredible view of the valley and the Volcano, and secondly for the long powder and gully runs down to Hanazono. These areas catch heaps of snow and provide natural protection from any wind. This area can be very deep and full of dry powder, what more could you ask for?
The next run is up the Swinging Monkey double and off through the trees which hold some of the best snow on the mountain. There are three or four faces to choose from which all end up at the Hirafu gondola. On a good day there are face shots on every turn.
For the groomers there are plenty of runs to choose from, however, the long run from the top of Hirafu hooded triple down to Higashiyama Hilton hotel for a hot chocolate followed by a recovery gondola trip back to the top would be the pick for me.
On any ski trip you need to eat well and the food in Niseko, and Japan in general, is outstanding. Forget the mid station lunch of pizza, pies, or chips and gravy. Japanese is real food to give you energy to get you back on the mountain and back into the powder. If your are in Niseko and you want to embrace, then its Miso Ramen noodles, Crab Ramens, Katsu Curry’s and rice and it’s sashimi, it’s sushi and it’s chicken yakitory sticks. Niseko also has several western resturants for Italian, Indian and Australian cuisine too. The food is relatively cheap and it’s very healthy. The pick of the resturants in town is called RIN located in the lower part of the village and it’s the full Japanese experience. Others worth mentioning is Abu Cha1 and 2, Bang Bang, Fujiyama and the Vale Bar and Grill.
If you ski Niseko once, you will keep going back. I guarantee it.
KC