On the Piste
Just inhaling the crisp mountain air with a view of snow-covered peaks might be just enough to make the heart of any keen skiers beats a little faster, but Niseko, a synonym for perfect powder snow, promises to take it up a notch – it is going to make it throb
The island of Hokkaido located approximately 1200km away from Tokyo is the most northerly region of the Japanese archipelagos facing the tip of Russian Sakhlin Island. It is Japan’s second-largest island known for its magnificent nature and in recent years, for Niseko, one of the top destinations in the region - with new world-class resorts opening to accommodate the surging demand.
Before the pandemic, Niseko, known for its high-quality snow, was always filled with visitors from neighbouring Asian countries, the US, Australia and Europe - attracting likes of Jack Ma and former Olympians - all rushing to slopes as soon as the winter break. During the peak season of mid-January to February, those who visited Iwanai Resort – over 1000 of which are from abroad according to Danny Yoder, the resort’s Marketing Manager – were after cat skiing, what the resort is best known for.
The visitors are brought to the closest point reachable to the summit of Mount Iwanai (1086m above sea level) with a snowcat vehicle in search of the best virgin snow of the season. Breathtakingly beautiful view from the peak is just the icing on the cake, with vast Hokkaido plains, thick forests and icy blue ocean in distance, this is an ultimate paradise for confident snowboarders and skiers. Two vehicles each carrying a maximum capacity of 14 passengers travel up to the summit daily with additional vehicles with more spacious business-class size seats (up to 10 passengers) in toe, with a planned operation from December 2022 onwards.
There are alternative lodgings in the vicinity – HAKU Villas, Zaborin and Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono. All are ideally located with convenient access to the nearby slopes. This area known for hot springs is perfect to rejuvenate after the day in the mountain, but for those who happen to be in the area off-season, the Arai Memorial Art Museum housing over 200 pieces by Picasso’s prints, including some of the foremost works from the Blue Period would be a perfect choice. If lucky, there might well be late-blooming cherry blossoms to complete the picture.
Photography Credit Makoto Ito
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Visit our Hokkaido Guide to read about the special experiences this region in Japan has to offer.
