Niseko - Japan
Website: http://www.nisekotourism.com/en/
The most consistent powder in the world and an easy introduction to Japan!
There’s a reason why Niseko is so well known, a holiday here really is special. Even among Japanese, Niseko is considered the powder capital of Japan. Niseko is the second snowiest resort in the world and the powder here is amazing, that said, it’s also got some pretty good terrain parks and an FIS pipe as well. Pow or park, trees, steeps, or groomers - whatever you’re looking for you can find it here.
Although Niseko is Japan, at times you’d almost forget as English is very widely spoken making everything a little easier. Niseko does have a traditional side if you go looking for it but the whole island of Hokkaido is relatively recently Japanese so if you’re looking for thousand year old castles & shrines you will be disappointed… Instead spend a few days in Kyoto or Nikko (near Osaka & Tokyo respectively) on the way up here and get your fill of World Heritage culture & history.
Niseko United is actually four independent resorts that you can ride on the one lift pass and is an extensive resort with a good lift system, including an upgraded 8 person Gondola this year. Having the combined terrain of four resorts means there really is something for everyone and enough runs at each level so you can still be skiing new runs every day. Not only are the lifts linked, but there’s also a good bus system linking all the resort bases and that’s included in your lift ticket price.
From early January through to March there’s always at least one pro crew in town filming for this seasons’ new movie, and there’s a reason they come here: amazingly consistent powder, solid terrain, and a great all round experience. While inbounds terrain is often pretty mellow, hook up with a decent guiding company and they’ll show you the kind of terrain that keeps legends like Terje, Shaun White & Nicolas Muller coming back year after year.
And nowadays the killer snow is supported by Japan’s broadest range of accommodation & dining options - you can slurp cup noodles in a cheap-and-cheerful backpackers or enjoy fine dining before you retire to your multi-million dollar condo. Whatever works for your tastes & budget! Niseko offers a solid range of restaurants too - and at very good prices compared to Australian resorts. A good lunch can be had for under AUD$12.00 (1000 yen). Try Tsubara Tsubara (Japanese Soup Curry) Graubunden (Sandwiches & killer cakes) or Asahikawa Ramen (Ramen Noodles).
In short: While you’ll spend a fair bit on flights, on ground costs are cheaper than you’d imagine for a resort of this scale - certainly cheaper than say Australia or big North American resorts. Of course you can spend up big if you want - but the difference is in Niseko you have the choice.
Trail Map here.
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Getting There and Getting Around
You’ll fly into Sapporo, but nowadays direct flights into this northern Japanese city from Australia are gone. You will have to change planes at least once - the big question is where. Osaka is pretty easy but Tokyo can be a real pain if you have to change airports and negotiate a domestic transfer dragging board bags around. Be sure to check the deals through carriers like Cathay or Korean. They’ll fly you into Sapporo via Hong Kong and Seoul respectively. Both are good airports, your luggage will be checked all the way through, and it can sometimes be both cheaper and faster than flying through Tokyo! Definitely worth a few minutes on the net searching for deals.
From the airport:
Trains run, but buses are faster, easier & cheaper. The regularly scheduled airport transfer bus will take just over two hours and cost around 2,300 yen ($25 Aussie) each way. The standard bus will drop you at the central “Welcome Centre”, but if you’ve advised your accommodation provider of the bus company and arrival time they should be waiting right there to take you and your gear straight to your accomm. Other operators offer a door-to-door service for about double the cost. If you’re arriving late and tired the convenience might be worth the extra cost, but it isn’t going to save you any significant time.
Getting around:
While Niseko’s four resorts are linked at the top they’re actually pretty spread out around the base of Mt Annupuri. There are interlinking buses though that make it pretty easy to get around if say the top of the mountain gets closed due to high wind. And the buses are free with your lift pass. There are also scheduled buses down to Kutchan for that once-a-week grocery shop for all your essentials. If necessary you can jump in a taxi to get around as well, but while they don’t come cheap they’re not outrageous if it’s late and you’re splitting the bill a few ways.
Statistics
Base Altitude: 260m
Peak Altitude: 1308m
Vertical Rise: 1048m
Riding Terrain: 2100 acres + backcountry
Number of Lifts: 31
Longest Run: 5.6 km
Snowmaking: All natural
Average Snowfall: 15m +
Type of terrain: Groomers, open powder fields, and trees
Beginner: 30%
Intermediate: 40%
Advanced: 40%
Access: 2.15 hrs from New Chitose (Sapporo) International Airport by bus, 3.30 hrs by train (includes two changes of train).
Slackcountry, Trees & Night Riding
Slackcountry:
Lift-accessed or easily-accessed back country is what really sets Niseko apart from the rest of Japan. A progressive (for Japan) system of gates allows access to an endless playground of deep pow and natural hits. There are trees, steeps, chutes, drops, pillow lines and most of all bottomless powder. Lots of people will ride a board ten cms or more longer than their typical setup to give them the float they need in the soft stuff. If you are riding shorter board, at least set your bindings back on a big pow day!
Trees:
You don’t have to step out the gates to get amazing tree runs at Niseko… head to runs like Miharashi and you’ll find super deep snow and just enough space to let you go bombing through at speed. They trees also give a bit of contrast on bad light days (Niseko gets lots of these during peak powder season) making them a great place when the cloud base is low.
Night Riding:
A huge amount of Niseko is lit at night until 9:00pm (last ups at 8:30) and it’s definitely one of the things you have to do on a visit - best not wait till the last night of your trip either or you will be kicking yourself! Fresh snow and an incredible lack of people means you and your buddies will feel like you’re on your own private hill. You’ll find you can often see better at night, and because daytime temps are always well below freezing there’s no issue with the snowpack hardening up.
Be aware that this hill gets lots more snow than many other places and even low angles can get loaded up incredibly - just because it isn’t crazy steep doesn’t mean it won’t slide. If you are heading out the back carry a beacon, probe, shovel, obey the Niseko local rules and keep a lookout for your buddies.
Terrain Parks
Niseko has a solid collection of parks and a couple of halfpipes making for good freestyle options if the powder is tracked out.
The two pipes are at Hirafu at Hanazono (FIS standard & very well looked after) while there are terrain parks at all four of the Niseko United resorts (Annupuri, Niseko Village, Hirafu & Hanazono) If you’re chasing freestyle action, check out “Hano” first. The weather can sometimes hit Hano pretty hard but if it’s open then it rocks. Hano is also home to Japan’s only BagJump - the softest landing air bag out there this is a great place to dial your moves!
Season 2011 / 2012 Highlights
The major highlight will be the snow - even an ordinary season at Niseko brings more than a record season at Whistler. And it’s Utah light. There’s the new Gondola, upgrading from an older 4 seater to a state-of-the-art, fast 8 seater. There’s also a new base centre at Hirafu and more new bars, restaurants, and accommodation.
Calendar of major Niseko Events:
- FIS Snowboard Japan Cup (Late January)
- BagJump Mania (Late January)
- FIS Halfpipe Hokkaido Championships (February)
- FIS SBX Hokkaido Championships (Late March)
- FIS SBX Japan Championships (Late March)
Plus monthly slopestyle, straight jump, rail comps and more!
Other events close to Niseko and worth checking out:
Time it well and you can tie two of these together into an epic night.
- Susukino, Sapporo. For a great last night party, head to Sapporo and check out the entertainment district of Susukino. A sprawling array of restaurants, bars, clubs and all kinds of after-dark entertainments… If you’re asleep before the sun comes up then you really weren’t trying!
- Sapporo Snow Festival Features a collection of massive snow sculptures that also has a snowboard comp - right in the middle of the big city of Sapporo!)
- Toyota Big Air Huge FIS straight jump Invitational comp in suburban Sapporo. Past winners include Shaun White, Piitu Piroinen, Eero Ettala, Nico Muller & Kevin Pearce.
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