Niseko is Japan’s most famous and popular ski resort, known for its plentiful, high-grade snowfall. Its popularity with visitors from abroad has also made the resort a highly accessible area for foreigners, with many restaurants and accommodations as well as the resorts offering service in English. Open from late November or early December to early May, the entire mountain comes alive with skiers and snowboarders carving their way down from early morning into the evening.
Location of The Resort
The action is located at Mount Niseko, about a 15 minute bus ride from the town of Niseko itself. At the mountain, there are three main ski resorts: Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village, and Annupuri. Each of these features a lodge at its base from which visitors can buy lift tickets as well as rent equipment. The prices at each are comparable, though differ slightly, with Grand Hirafu normally the most expensive.
Grand Hirafu
The largest of the resorts, Grand Hirafu offers 24 slopes. Hanazono, an additional base located to the east, offers 8 slopes and is considered part of Grand Hirafu. It can be accessed by those holding passes to Grand Hirafu and also features a snowmobile park and a training slope for beginners. At Grand Hirafu’s base is a collection of hotels and restaurants creating a makeshift community called Hirafu Town. This is a convenient location to stay overnight, as well as to enjoy some nightlife.
Lodging near Grand Hirafu
Yukon Apartments (Luxury) - 6 min walk from ski lifts
Nichigo (Luxury) - 5 mins from lifts
Alpine Central (Budget) - 18 mins from lifts, but located right next to a shuttle bus stop
Niseko Village
Niseko Village has 27 slopes, ranging from beginner to advanced. Townhouses, hotels, and some restaurants and shops make up the area around the base of the Village. This is also a convenient location from which to begin and end one’s day.
Lodging near Niseko Village
Hilton Niseko Village (Luxury)
Kasara Townhouses (Luxury)
Both are located right next to the base.
Annupuri, the westernmost base, features 13 slopes. While there are also accommodations nearby, there is limited dining in this area. Additionally, it might prove difficult to find things to do late at night.
Lodging near Annupuri
Niseko Northern Resort Annupuri (Luxury) - Hot spring resort located 11 min walk from ski lifts
The All Mountain Pass
The three resorts join each other at the summit of the mountain. By riding the lifts all the way up, it is possible to pass between them and enjoy the entire mountain. This makes the Niseko All Mountain Pass a great deal for the skier or snowboarder wanting to tackle all the trails. Those who purchase the All Mountain Pass additionally have access to all the amenities in each of the resorts as well as to the shuttle busses running between them. There is a great map of all the trails as well as lifts available on the Niseko Ski Resort website:
Mountain Cabins
Due to the size of the mountain as well as length of the trails, rest-stops in the form of wooden cabins are scattered around two-thirds up the mountain. Inside, frozen skiers can warm up and enjoy some food and drinks.
The cabin on the Niseko Village portion of the mountain is called Lookout Cafe. Grand Hirafu features 1000m Hut, King Bell Hut, and Rest House Acehill.
From 16:30 each day, evening settles over the mountain. For some this means it’s time for a warm bath and some refreshments. But for others, the setting sun signals the start of their next adventure. Each night until 9:00pm (8:30pm at Grand Hirafu), skiers and snowboarders have the chance to carve the floodlight illuminated trails with substantially fewer crowds. There are even lift passes available only for the evening, for around half the cost of a regular day pass.
Transportation
Between December and March, various bus companies offer direct passage between Sapporo City and Niseko, stopping at each of the three main resorts. The journey from Sapporo takes around 3-4 hours.
Trains run between Sapporo and Kutchan Station, however they will most likely require a connection in Otaru. Kutchan Station is located in the town of Kutchan, from which hourly buses depart to the three resort locations.
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