We wanted to begin the Lunar New Year in style and speed, so Niseko seemed to be the obvious destination for one reason: powder! It advertises itself as having some of the best powder ski in the world and it’s just next door – what else could we look for?
We packed heavy – fleeces and socks galore, balaclavas, masks – but didn't get to wear half of it. Siberia tricked us big time, and instead of having a big mass of cold air, we got sunshine and rising temperatures instead. First time I cursed against a clear sky!
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| Annupuri Ski Resort |
Niseko is made of 5 different ski resorts: Annupuri, Higashiyama (aka Niseko Village), Hirafu, Hanazono and Moiwa. All of them are linked but only the first four are included in the All Mountain Lift Pass. We stayed in a lodge right off the slopes of Moiwa, but spent only one day skiing there. The rest of the time, we skied in Annupuri and Niseko Village.
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| Moiwa Ski Resort |
Some who had skied there before were praising the weather and the mountain top being open. Others, like the powder-hungry skiers in our lodge, were disappointed with the icy snow and simply stopped skiing. We embraced the dilemma, and enjoyed some powder-less skiing with a powerful sunshine. The downside of it all was the dangerously icy sidewalks – our legs flew in mid-air a couple of times.
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| Annupuri Mountain top |
There’s little Japanese in Niseko in general. The place is so popular among Australians, Singaporeans and European expats, that it becomes a real challenge to hear any Japanese on the slopes, except for the staff managing the chairlifts and gondolas. This could be the toughest level of the “Marco Polo” game, ski slope version. Hirafu is the most international area, where the most restaurants and bars are also located. If not staying there, be sure to arrange transportation back to your hotel. Taxis are limited and normally take at least 20 minutes to arrive after calling.
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| Mount Yōtei |
We were kind of suspicious when we heard some people saying that they had booked restaurants already in November! We took a Portuguese approach and never booked anything. The only time we had a table booked was in Hirafu and we had called the restaurant one hour before – pure luck, ok, but we proved wrong the pessimism of our front desk staff... at least once, yeah!
There is a restaurant though for which you REALLY (but really!) need to book in advance: Sobatei Rakuichi, in Annupuri. The place is tiny, only with seats at the counter, but it serves the best soba in the area, which by the way is kneaded and cut in front of you. They only accept reservations for dinner which means that you can still try your luck and queue up at lunch time – expect a 30 to 45 minutes wait, unless you have some kind of lucky charm. They open at 11:30 for lunch.
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| Sobatei Rakuichi |
In the future, if someone asks us what’s better, powder or sunshine, we say: hot soba!
Since we were staying in Moiwa, we took the opportunity to try the mixed onsen of the Niseko Grand Hotel. It’s the only mixed onsen in the area. You pay 800 yen per person at the hotel reception and then head toward the locker room. Small and bath towels are also available for a small price at the reception and women can also rent a yuami – a special garment to wear in the mixed onsen. Besides the mixed open-air onsen, there are also women-only / men-only hot bath areas. It was one of the few places in Niseko where we could remind ourselves that we were still in Japan! The majority of the people there were Japanese men, accompanied by their longtime friend, the Asahi beer can.
We spent the last two days of our holidays in Sapporo, which might not seem so captivating at first glance, but as soon as you discover that beer is sold at 200 yen in the Sapporo Beer Museum, well... it just gets a tad more interesting! Sapporo may not be the nicest Japanese town, but the river Toyohira cutting it in half and the surrounding mountains create an exceptional natural environment, and spectacular views! It's still possible to spot foreigners, but not as easy as in Niseko.
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| Sapporo |
Japan never ceases to surprise us: albeit its fast-pace, innovative society, traditions are still paramount, at the table or at the onsen. This was quite obvious during this trip. And, who could expect to find the most international place of all Japan on the farthest-north island of the archipelago? Were we disappointed? No way! Despite some thorns, Japan still makes our curiosity bloom.
