EXPERIENCE
VOL. 3 SUMMER 2017
experienceniseko.com
NEW SUMMER EATS
Into The Mountains Where to Hike and What to Bring
SUMMER ESCAPE
ADVENTURE STARTS HERE Action-packed activities
YOTEI’S HARVEST Where to buy local produce
A Long-Stay Experience in Niseko
SUMMER ROTENBURO
The Magic of Outdoor Onsen
PLUS! EVENTS, FESTIVAL GUIDE
& MORE
EDITION
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Editor’s Note It doesn’t take a lot of time to discover how special Niseko is. It is a place unlike any other in Japan. The Niseko area brings in hundreds of thousands of overseas travellers, and yet still retains all the charms of the Japanese countryside. With so many visitors coming each year, it is no surprise that Hokkaido and Niseko have garnered a number of major international awards over the past two years. In 2016, Hokkaido was crowned as the best Asian destination by The Lonely Planet and Niseko, Hokkaido was named the second best place to experience the great outdoors by National Geographic. With many of Hokkaido’s most iconic natural features here in the Niseko area, there is no better place to enjoy nature. Most recently, Kutchan Town was ranked the third best destination in Japan by Trip Advisor’s Traveller’s Choice Awards after Tokyo and Kyoto. Encompassing the Grand Hirafu and Hanazono ski resorts, Kutchan Town outranked many other well-known tourist hot spots across Japan. Already recognized as one of the world’s best international ski resorts, the warmer seasons have gained plenty of attention due to the great hiking, cycling, mountain biking and watersport scenes that have taken off over the years. Niseko is a place where you can fill your days with all kinds of adventurous activities, or come and experience that cottage country kind of relaxation with lazy days, beautiful views and an amazing food scene. In this latest edition of Experience Niseko, our first ever publication solely celebrating the spring, summer and autumn seasons, you will find the complete guide to the warmer months here in Niseko. Read through recommendations from the colourful community that make up the area, learn about Niseko’s food and farming scene and gain real insight into many of the wonderful ways you can spend your time here. I hope you enjoy reading through this new edition and take your copy home to share with friends and family. Any time you need a reminder, simply flip through the pages and relive your experiences here in Niseko. MATT KAISER
EXPERIENCE NISEKO Vol. 3, Summer 2017 www.experienceniseko.com Published by HTM KK, 91-1 Aza Yamada, Kutchan-cho, Abuta-gun, Hokkaido 044-0081, Japan International Editor: Matt Kaiser Advertising Enquiries: contact@experienceniseko.com Cover Photo: Hidde Haggeman
DISTRIBUTORS We would like to extend a big thank you to all of the Niseko-based and international businesses and individuals who stock and support Experience Niseko. Without everyone’s effort and contribution, Experience Niseko wouldn’t be the publication that it is today. While we would love to list everyone who has contributed, there are simply too many to do so! If you or your business, in Niseko or abroad, would like to help spread and share Experience Niseko, please contact us regarding distribution of our free magazine or refills when you run out. Email: contact@experienceniseko.com FOLLOW US experienceniseko
This magazine was published with the assistance of a national government grant from the Ministry of Tourism’s program supporting regional tourism brand development.
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In Japanese, it’s called unkai (sea of clouds) and there are a number of mountains around Niseko where you can get above the cloud line to find stunning sunrises like this! Photo: Koichi Matsuda
CONTENTS Niseko News 6
Summer Lovin’ 44
New Summer Eats 8
Balancing Work and Play 45
Event Guide 10
Summer Stargazing 46
Traditions Come To Life
Niseko Classic 47
Exploring Japan’s Summer Festivals 14
Living By The Seasons 16 Yotei’s Harvest
Where to Buy Local Produce
Feeling Hungry?
20
Local favourites for where to go
22
Spring Smiles 30 Full Bloom 32 Into The Mountains
Where to Hike and What to Bring 34
Fueled by the Winter Melt 38 Beyond the Borders 40
Our Summer Escape
A summer long-stay experience in Niseko 48
Saddle Up 51 Adventure Starts Here 52 Calling All Explorers Where To Spend The Day 54 Autumn Splash 62 A Walk in the Park
A day out exploring Fukidashi Park 64
Art and Culture 66 Rotenburo – The Magic of Outdoor Onsen 68
EXPERIENCE NISEKO
5
Niseko News A brief digest of what’s making headlines in Niseko.
A Top Destination in Japan The biggest news unveiled this spring was Trip Advisor’s Traveller’s Choice Awards ranking Kutchan Town as the third most popular destination in Japan! Kutchan Town, which encompasses the Grand Hirafu and Hanazono resorts, beat out popular destinations such as Osaka and Hiroshima.
Hirafu Flow Trail Tokyu announced that they will be creating a Hirafu flow trail this summer. The course will run from the Ace Quad Lift (Centre 4) down to just in front of the Hotel Niseko Alpen. The flow trail is expected to open in early July when the summer gondola begins operation.
The Pavilions Niseko Set just outside the main Hirafu Village in GintoHirafu, The Pavilions Niseko will be home to a boutique hotel, Ginto Residences and a shopping village. The hotel will feature suites and unique tree houses nestled among the woods. The Pavilions Niseko begins construction this summer and opens in 2019.
NEW BOUTIQUE HOTEL The Nest is a new expansion coming to The Trees, which is located between Grand Hirafu and Niseko Village. Complete with a restaurant and onsen, the lodge-style hotel is under development by the same Singaporean team behind Nozomi Views in the Hirafu Village. Sin Heng Chan Group plans to begin operation in December 2017.
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SUMMER EXHIBITIONS The newest art gallery in Niseko, Kiyoe Gallery Niseko has finished its first winter season. With a steady line-up of exhibitions featuring artists from around Hokkaido and Japan, the gallery is set to continue to rotate through a number of showcases and events throughout the year.
Meet SkyExpress Skybus and Sprint Taxi were bought by one of the largest management companies in Niseko. Skybus has provided transfer services for 10 years and will be rebranded as SkyExpress, with plans to increase service options between the airport and the Niseko area. Sprint Taxi is a local taxi service and can now be used through the Taxi Caller app, which can be downloaded onto smartphones for quick and easy ordering.
NISEKO JAPAN
New Summer EATS
Musu
Here are a few new options for great eats across the Niseko region to look out for this spring, summer and autumn. Koko and Musu, two of the most recent winter additions to the Grand Hirafu resort area, have announced year-round operation. They are conveniently located in the centre of the Hirafu Village in Odin Place. Burger Boss will be staying open for lunch year-round now that it has finished its second successful winter season. The popular burger joint offers fully customisable burgers as well as some recommended combinations. Oka no Ue means over the hill, which is exactly where Oka no Ue Restaurant Pomme is on the southern-side of Makkari Town. This year-round restaurant serves western-inspired and Japanesestyle dishes made with local Makkari produce.
Secretly located just behind Niseko Pizza in the J-Sekka building, The Bar opened last winter season and was well-received with the rich, warm vibe created by its handmade furniture, the scenic birch forest view and the quality cocktails. Re-opening mid-July, The Bar will be serving up Japanese inspired cocktails, craft beers and a summer-only charcoal-grilled burger menu from 9pm until late evening. Sushi Shin is Chef Masaki Miyakawa’s first branch restaurant and features the same menu as his renowned three Michelin starred Sushi Miyakawa in Sapporo. For Miyakawa’s team it is always a delight to introduce guests from all over the world to a quintessential Edomae sushi experience. Enjoy exquisite sushi made from the finest seasonal ingredients in the heart of Niseko’s Annupuri Resort. A new branch of Sapporo’s Susukino Naniwatei, Robata Niseko Naniwatei offers a luxury Japanese dining experience. The Niseko location is headed by Tetsumasa Fujita who has trained under a number of Michelin star chefs across Japan over the last 15 years of his career. Robata Niseko Naniwatei is located along Route 343, between Grand Hirafu and Niseko Village.
The Bar
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Sushi Shin
Burger Boss
Event Guide Regardless of which season you visit, there is always something exciting to do in Niseko! Find out more online at experienceniseko.com/events Niseko Village Golf Course
WHAT’S ON IN SPRING Skiing Ends, Rafting Begins With the winter snowmelt starting in April, rafting companies around the Niseko area open across the month depending on the conditions. As May rolls around, the ski resorts stop lift operation at the end of the Japanese Golden Week holiday. WHEN: April and May
Toyako Anime and Manga Festival
Asahigaoka Flow Trail Opens
The Lake Toya area will be packed with anime cosplayers over this two-day festival. Wander around the town in costume yourself or just admire others. Event line ups include original art displays, voice actor panel discussions, music concerts and more.
The popular mountain bike flow trail will be back up and running this summer. Whether you are an expert rider or it’s your first time, the Asahigaoka Flow Trail is sure to get your adrenaline going!
WHEN: June 24 - 25 WHERE: Lake Toya Hot Springs Area
Fore! In mid-spring, golf courses across Niseko re-open. The exact timing varies each year, but by the end of May every golf course in and around Niseko will be operating. Driving ranges typically open earlier in preparation for the coming golf season. WHEN: May until November
Mountain Trails Open Throughout June, hiking trails across the Niseko area open for the summer season. Remember to follow local rules and guidance. WHEN: Early to mid-June WHERE: Niseko-wide Asahigaoka Flow Trail
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WHEN: Early summer WHERE: Asahigaoka Ski Resort, Kutchan Town
WHAT’S ON IN SUMMER Chinowa Kuguri This event is held at many Shinto shrines around Japan. Chinowa kuguri are made from grasses wrapped around a large bamboo ring and walking through the chinowa is said to remove defilements. WHEN: June 30 WHERE: Iwanai Shrine
Iwanai Shrine Reitaisai Festival This festival is culturally rich with a history of over 200 years. Two mikoshi (portable Shinto shrines) are carried throughout the town by local volunteers. The heavy mikoshi are taken through the streets to wish good luck to homes and businesses. At the end of the day, they are loaded onto fishing boats which sail through the harbour. WHEN: July 7 - 9 WHERE: Iwanai Town and Port
Niseko Classic
Niseko Classic
Strider Niseko Enjoy Cup
Cyclists from around the world are invited to participate in this annual event in Niseko. This is the second year the Niseko Classic has been officially recognised as a qualifier for the UCI Gran Fondo World Series and the fourth time that the event has been held.
Calling all striders! This friendly competition is for children who have learned to ride and own one of the popular strider push bikes. Sign your child up and swing by for a day of adorable competition, fun, games and plenty more!
WHEN: July 8 - 9 WHERE: Grand Hirafu Resort start REGISTRATION: Closes June 18 INFO: www.nisekoclassic.com
WHEN: July 16 WHERE: Grand Hirafu Resort
Yotei Fun Ride
The Hirafu and Annupuri Gondola are the easiest way to get up Mt Annupuri in the summer months. Bring your camera and snap a photo of Mt Yotei from the Annupuri peak.
Don’t miss out on the fun of cycling around Mt Yotei! This event caters to those keen on a good bike ride, but not to the extent that they would enter a UCI Gran Fondo World Series event. WHEN: July 8 WHERE: Grand Hirafu Resort start REGISTRATION: Closes June 20
Catch a ride up
WHEN: Late July until mid-October WHERE: Annupuri and Grand Hirafu Resorts
Hanazono Hill Climb This 15.5km race takes competitors up an overall climb of 617 vertical metres and is open to riders of all ages and skill levels. The award ceremony is held during Kutchan Town’s Potato Festival. WHEN: August 7 WHERE: Kutchan Town Community Hall start INFO: www.nisekohillclimb.com REGISTRATION: Closes July 13
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Niseko Town knows how to get down for Halloween. Hundreds of pumpkins pop up around the Town as the month comes to an end.
WHAT’S ON IN AUTUMN Niseko Pumpkins During autumn, Niseko Town is speckled orange with pumpkins lining roadsides, storefronts and local attractions. Taking a drive through Niseko in autumn is a must! WHEN: Early September until mid-October WHERE: Niseko Town
Hoku-Hoku Festival
Niseko Marathon
Konpira Festival
Attracting over 1,500 participants, this halfmarathon is a great way to immerse yourself in the local community in Niseko Town.
Konpira Festival celebrates the coming transition of autumn to winter. On October 10, Buddhist monks walk over burning embers to purify their body and spirit.
WHEN: September 17 WHERE: Niseko Town Athletics Centre REGISTRATION: Closes July 31
WHEN: October 9 - 11 WHERE: Konpira Temple, Kutchan Town
Hoku-Hoku Festival celebrates Makkari Village’s local harvest. Pick up some fresh-from-the-farm veggies or go and dig up your own with one of the Hoku-Hoku programmes! In addition, there will be plenty of food stalls, stage events, games and prizes to be won.
Niki Umaimonja Festival
Halloween in Niseko
Niki Town celebrates the end of the harvest season with this festival. Enjoy plenty of seasonal fruits and vegetables from their renowned orchards. Take part in games and contests or just enjoy the spectacle.
Local towns and businesses host Halloween events for local and visiting families with children. Don’t forget your costume!
WHEN: September 3 WHERE: Makkari Village
WHEN: October 1 WHERE: Noson Koen Fruit Park, Niki Town
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WHEN: Early October until October 31 WHERE: Niseko-wide
– MUSU Niseko’s favorite Aprés Ski bar & bistro. Serving all day breakfast, lunch and tapas well into the night.
T 0136-21-7002 2F, Odin Place, 190-13 Yamada
Mon – Thurs & Sun 07:30 – 18:00 Fri – Sat 07:30 – 22:00
Kutchan-cho, Abuta-gun Hokkaido, 044-0081, Japan
Traditions Come to Life EXPLORING JAPAN’S SUMMER FESTIVALS
Dressed in yukata, 1,000 dancers take to the street as the sun sets on the final night of the Kutchan Potato Festival. Photo: Tomo Ryu
FESTIVALS PROVIDE UNIQUE INSIGHT INTO JAPAN’S cultural traditions, showcasing artwork, cuisine, dance, music, games and more. Most festivals combine one or two main events along with a number of smaller events. Dance parades and firework displays are common examples for major evening events. As the Niseko area is made up of small towns and villages, local festivals tend to be intimate and often encourage participation. While you might be a bit embarrassed at first, learning a traditional bonodori dance is something you will definitely remember.
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Many of the festivals are rooted in traditions that are older than the towns and villages themselves. Japanese settlers were sent to Hokkaido following the 1867 Meiji Restoration and they brought many artefacts and traditions from their hometowns with them. Summer festivals are the perfect time to put on a yukata (traditional kimono-like cotton robe) or a summer jinbei (shorts and shirt similar to a yukata in style). If you don’t have a jinbei or yukata, swing by Otaru’s Wingbay Shopping Centre sometime during July or August to pick one up.
NISEKO FIREWORKS FESTIVAL Held every year, Niseko Town’s firework festival features over 1,500 fireworks in a number of choreographed pyrotechnic displays. Come hungry because vendors from across Niseko Town sell all kinds of traditional festival foods. When: August 5 Where: Niseko Athletics Park
KUTCHAN POTATO FESTIVAL Kutchan Town’s main street shuts down from morning until night for this two day festival. The days are packed with live performances and the evenings are just as exciting. The festival’s grand finale is a traditional dance with 1,000 participants dancing down the main road. When: August 5 - 6 Where: In front of Kutchan Train Station
MAKKARI FLOWER FESTIVAL Swing by Makkari Road Station and take a look at the Flower Centre during the Makkari Flower Festival. The event features special flower displays and great deals on locally grown flowers and produce. When: August 5 - 6 Where: Makkari Road Station and Flower Centre
IWANAI DOTOU FIREWORKS FESTIVAL Held at Iwanai Port, 5,000 fireworks are launched out over the Sea of Japan creating beautiful reflections on the water as they colour the night sky. During the day, the streets are lined with stalls and festival games to enjoy.
KYOGOKU FIREWORKS FESTIVAL Enjoy live performances, children’s sumo contests, mochi rice cake making and plenty of other festival activities. The first night finishes with a fireworks presentation and the second evening ends with bonodori dancing and music. When: Mid-August Where: Upstream of Kiwabashi Bridge, Kyogoku Town
KYOWA SCARECROW FESTIVAL Intense horse and cart races and a scarecrow contest make this one of the most unique festivals in the region. Kyowa Scarecrow Festival brings in some of the largest crowds due to its events—it is certainly not one to miss! When: Late August Where: Behind the Town Hall, Kyowa Town
HIRAFU FESTIVAL Festival events begin at noon and run until the evening. Local restaurants offer a selection of festival food and the day closes with a firework display. Keep an eye out for the newspaper sword fight contest; you could walk home with some big prizes! When: August 19 Where: Sun Sports Land Kutchan, Hirafu Village For more information see our events page at www.experienceniseko.com/events
When: August 5 - 6 Where: Iwanai Port
Below: Each year, over a hundred scarecrows are handmade and submitted to the Kyowa Scarecrow Festival competition. No two are the same!
EXPERIENCE NISEKO
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Tetsuya wearing one of his custom-made shirts, emblazoned with the words “Soul Farmer”.
16 EXPERIENCE NISEKO
LIVING BY THE SEASONS Tetsuya Akimoto has spent over twenty years in Niseko, shaping his work and play to the changing of the seasons.
BY KENTARO HAYASHI AND MATT KAISER
Tetsuya Akimoto is a Hokkaido native. He was born in Muroran City, which is southeast of the Niseko resort area. At the age of 19, he left his hometown in pursuit of a career as a musician in Tokyo. After ten wild years in the big city, he found himself longing for a lifestyle which would grant him a greater measure of peace. In 1996, Tetsuya returned to Hokkaido and wound up working at a bed & breakfast in Niseko. He was involved in the setup and founding of NOASC and a few years later worked with the Niseko Adventure Centre (NAC) as a rafting, mountain trekking and mountain biking guide. During these first few years Tetsuya started farming recreationally and it was this new hobby that would shape his life and schedule around the seasons. What would you say is the greatest change that has occurred in Niseko over the last twenty years? There has been a huge increase in opportunities. Before, there weren’t many choices beyond jobs like being a golf attendant, forest keeper or farmer. Now there are so many new options and I have been able to try different jobs over the years because of this gradual change. When did you start getting into farming? What sparked your interest? I had this realisation when I was living in Tokyo that brought me back here; the world’s ecosystem is incredibly sensitive and my actions, however big or small, had an impact. Seeing all the farmland when I came back, I thought I could figure it out and
started farming as soon as I returned. I brought soil down from the mountains and had a tiny garden with three plants. It wasn’t so much that I wanted to be a farmer—it looked like hard, dirty and tiring work—but I was still interested in growing my own food without chemicals. Home farming in its simplest form is organic by design. So you started with just three plants. How large is your farm now? Now I have two plots. One is 100 square metres and the second is 50 square metres. I grow around 40 types of vegetables with over 60 different varieties including subspecies. For example, I grow about ten different types of tomatoes and eight different kinds of zucchini. How do you feel that the farming industry is changing in Niseko and Hokkaido? Japan-wide, organic farming accounts for less than 1% of all of Japanese farming efforts. I think it might be one of the lowest worldwide. To make it worse, organic farming regulations in Japan are weak and even allow use of chemicals at certain intervals during the growing process. I find these loose regulations frustrating as it ruins the integrity of other organic farmers. I don’t even use natural fertilizers such as cow or chicken manure. I restrict myself to nothing but soil richness and plant-based compost. In Niseko Town, there are about 130 farms and five of them, including mine, farm organically. That means about 3–4% of the farming efforts in Niseko are organic— compared to the national average, that’s pretty high!
Are you involved in the organic farming industry in any other capacity? I am involved with the production of a number of organic markets, events and festivals. I have even been asked to attend events in parts of southern Japan. I also set up a seed exchange programme which is active in Niseko, Sapporo and three other locations around Hokkaido. Many Japanese farmers don’t collect and save the seeds produced at the end of their season. This program is designed to encourage saving and swapping seeds with other farmers. Do you have any free time during the growing season? Everything I do in each of the four seasons is completely set in stone. Going into each season, I know exactly what work needs to be done and what I can do to enjoy myself when there is time. Over the last twenty-one years my life has developed into a bit of a cycle that moves with the seasons. Could you tell us about this cycle? Let’s start with spring. In spring, the first priority is planting. This first planting period spans March and April and during this time all of my plants are grown indoors. In May, they are ready to move into an outdoor greenhouse and I do a second round of planting with beans, rootvegetables, and leaf-vegetables. When I have spare time, I like to do lure and fly fishing along the Shiribetsu River. You do need to pay attention to the fishing regulations; taking certain types of fish from the river is against the law and this changes each season. May is also great time to look EXPERIENCE NISEKO
17
for mountain vegetables. I learned where to go and how to find mountain vegetables from the owner of the bed & breakfast I worked at during my first year back. I time all of the planting by the season and moon-phases. I typically aim to plant a few days before the full moon. I really believe that planting in line with the lunar cycle makes a big difference to how well the crops grow, but it is a bit of a long explanation. Does it calm down at all when summer rolls around? It is a bit of a blur until the end of June and then suddenly everything slows down and I have more flexibility with what I can do. Around this time, I do a bit of fishing guiding—taking higher level fishermen out and showing them the best spots. I still keep a close eye on my farm as crops need to be harvested at different intervals over the summer. I go to a lot of events, taking produce to different markets and festivals. From the end of July and during all of August, I usually travel between weekend events across Hokkaido. Over the months of May, June, and July I open up my home and farm for groups of students to come and learn about farming. It’s a bit like Air-BnB, but it’s a company called Noka Minpaku. How long into autumn does the harvest season last? Many of the vegetables I grow are harvested over the months of August and September, but they all grow at slightly different speeds. I do a lot of direct deliveries, connecting with customers around Japan through Facebook groups. As harvesting calms down, I like to go and look for wild mushrooms in the mountains. They reach their peak just before the snow starts to fall at the end of
18 EXPERIENCE NISEKO
October. You can also find wild mountain grapes at this time. Towards the end of the season, I start to pickle and dry many of the unsold vegetables. When I have a bit of extra free time, I like to get on my mountain bike. September and October is also the salmon spawning season and fishing them at this time is illegal. Instead, I sometimes head out to the ocean and fish the shore. You can catch salmon off the coast and keep them. So does your year tend to finish up around November? What do you do during winter? November is definitely a bit less hectic than the months before. I have to clean everything up and make sure that nothing will rust or get crushed by the snow. On warmer days in November, I like to go out and fish for squid off the coast. Over the winter months I work odd jobs. At the moment, I work in the kitchen at Wild Bill’s, before that, I ran the original Gentemstick café. In the winter months, I snowboard the backcountry and I do a lot of cooking with friends. I have to do a lot of planning and preparation for the next
“Every activity has a place and time within the year. My hobbies change as my work changes with the seasons.”
season and have meetings with the seed exchange that I run in January and February. What is your number one hope for the Niseko area? If you could change anything, what would it be? I would like to see people living more in harmony with their communities and the natural environment around them. I also want the capacity of organic farming to increase. If more people gave home farming a try, it would cause a real shift in local economies. Large-scale farming isn’t easy. You need to borrow a lot of money to buy equipment, the initial workload can be hard to adjust to and you need to set up complicated contracts with vendors and distributors; but home farming is much simpler. You make your own food and don’t have to worry about all the complications. I run lessons and lectures for those interested in starting their own home farms. I would love to see this catch on and to be more able to influence the growth of the organic farming and home farming industries.
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CYCLES | PADDLE BOARD | HIKING
YOTEI’S HARVEST WHAT’S LOCAL AND WHERE TO FIND IT
Hokkaido is Japan’s largest agricultural producer and you often see Hokkaido produce lining supermarket shelves throughout Japan.
Most towns are known for specific crops. Niseko Town and Kutchan Town are best known for their potatoes, but you can also find winter cabbage from Niseko Town and organic veggies and herbs like tomatoes, arugula (rocket) and basil from Kutchan’s Niseko Green Farm. Rankoshi Town produces rice and is a big source of asparagus. Makkari Village produces 98% of Japan’s lily bulbs and is also known for its pork. Then there are the orchards in Niki Town and Yoichi Town, many of which allow visitors to come and pick their own fruit! Looking to learn more about local produce sales, we swung by Kutchan Town’s Lucky Supermarket to speak with the store manager Takeo Yoshida: How much of Lucky’s produce is local and organic? We opened this branch of Lucky three years ago and it takes time to build up relationships with local farmers. Since last year, we have increased our local produce sales to almost 7% at the Kutchan Town store—six times more than the previous year. There are 34 Lucky Supermarkets across Hokkaido and they are averaging 3% for local produce. You will see a big burst
of local produce from around May until the end of October. Our organic produce sales are still only about 1% of our total sales. We only just began our organic food section last year, so we expect that this will grow in the coming years as our local produce sales have. How much importance do people in Niseko place on where their food comes from and how it is grown? Hokkaido residents put a lot of trust in local farmers and have high expectations for quality—their number one concern is if it is locally sourced. Many visitors also seem interested in picking local produce. Summer long-stay guests are particularly fond of food grown here in the Shiribeshi region and many enquire about organic produce, too. I think there is a growing interest in organic food based on what we hear from both our domestic and international customers. This coming summer we are preparing to reach out to even more local farmers across the Niseko area to form more connections. We would like to see as much of the produce and products on our shelves being sourced from within the Shiribeshi area as possible.
■ You will find local produce on sale and marked with signs in English and Japanese in supermarkets such as Kutchan Town’s Lucky Supermarket and Coop. Other places such as Niseko View Plaza only sell Niseko-grown produce and Kutchan’s Hokkaido Umai Mono Nouen stocks local and Hokkaido produce.
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A freshly harvested wasabi stem ready to be ground into spicy paste! Photo: An Dining
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FEELING HUNGRY? LOCAL FAVOURITES FOR WHERE TO GO!
The best way to explore any area is to get the opinion of those who live there! So, we went and asked Niseko locals of different ages, backgrounds and ways of life to recommend a place our readers might like to go and try. Each recommended place is open year-round, ensuring you can give them a try regardless of the season you visit!
FUUKA URUSHIZAKI has been living and working in the Hirafu Village for the last two years. Working for The Niseko Company, she also moonlights part-time at Yosaku and Ebisutei. Fuuka spends a lot of time volunteering with different organizations, festivals, and events. Here is one of Fuuka’s favourite places to go for lunch.
MISAE AOKI and RYUTARO SHIRAIWA first met in Sapporo City. Misae was from Asahikawa City, while Ryutaro was born and raised in Kutchan Town. His family runs the popular bakery, White Rock. Misae and Ryutaro decided to create their own restaurant, B.C.C. White Rock not long after they first met. Together, they built much of the restaurant’s interior and Ryutaro made his pizza oven by hand a few years back. The pair often drive to Sapporo City and this is their favourite spot to stop along the way.
MASAMI KONAGAI moved to the Niseko area three years ago with her husband in search of an interesting place to live and work. They recently purchased a house in Makkari Village and are in the process of renovating it. Masami works as a barista at Sprout, one of the best-known coffee shops in Niseko. Here is one of Masami’s new favourite places to go for lunch. I discovered Niseko 36 Parlour not long ago and quickly befriended the owners. I love that they use as much local produce as they can; it means that their menu is always changing with seasonal ingredients. They make sandwiches and burgers and have a number of meat options and a great vegetarian-based burger. The restaurant is a shipping container that the couple refurbished by hand. They have created a warm and comfortable atmosphere inside and it’s very welcoming. I think it would be a fun adventure for children as you don’t get to eat inside a shipping container every day! The owner makes pottery and has a number of her pieces on sale inside the shop as well; perfect for a small gift or souvenir from your travels!
I like Café Fucca in Makkari Town as the drive to the café is quite lovely. It’s along Route 66, heading towards Mt Yotei from the Niseko resort area. It has an amazing atmosphere and is one of my favourite places to have a coffee and relax. Their menu is a bit small, but each item is delicious and carefully made. The owners are a super-friendly Japanese couple and they really care about animals, even donating some of their profits to support animal protection shelters. They have a number of rabbits, cats and dogs and have a goat and a pony, too! You can take pictures with them or pet them if you ask the owners. It’s a really popular spot with the local community and I think a lot of visitors to the area would like it as well!
Ryutaro and I typically get lunch at this small second-floor teishoku (set menu) restaurant in Yoichi Town. It’s called Kakisaki Shouten and is above a fresh fish market. They serve seafood sets and if they ever run out of fish, they run downstairs and restock! Everything is fresh and locally caught. The store itself feels like your average Japanese-style teishoku restaurant, but the food is what has us coming back every time. We tend to order the hokke teishoku (mackerel set). The servings are generous and the price is not nearly as high as you as you might expect. The store used to be very famous and we went there on a friend’s recommendation. Now, we stop there almost every time we go into Sapporo City. EXPERIENCE NISEKO
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NOAH PICKERING is six-and-a-half years old and lives between the Grand Hirafu and Niseko Village resorts. Growing up next to the resorts, he has become quite the skier and snowboarder! He keeps active year-round with swimming and gymnastics lessons and plays on a soccer team in Kutchan Town, too. When the weather is nice, Noah likes to go cycling with his mum and younger brother, Kay. With such an active life, it’s no wonder he works up an appetite! Here’s Noah’s favourite place to go for dinner when his tummy’s grumbling. I like a lot of restaurants. Yotei Maru has yummy sushi, I like Guzu Guzu’s sandwiches, and the soba at Ichimura is good, too. I guess my favourite place to eat is Ebisutei. Sometimes it’s just me, Kay, mum and dad.
RENAUD TSORBA is working as Niseko Central’s Hotel Manager. He has worked at a number of hotels across Japan and was living in Okinawa for about four years prior to moving to Niseko Town. Working every day in the resort, he tends to spends a lot of his off-time exploring the wider Niseko area. Here is one of Renaud’s favourite places to go for dinner.
MONIKA SYROKA has been in Niseko for just over a year now. She initially came for a winter season and loved it so much that she decided she wanted to stay. Now she works with HTM as their Staff Accommodation Supervisor. Monika loves the relaxing atmosphere here in Niseko and is enjoying living in close proximity to nature. Here’s where Monika likes to grab lunch. Burger Boss has always been my go to place after a long day out enjoying Niseko or when I feel like getting out of the office for a good lunch. The small burger house is located on the outskirts of the Grand Hirafu resort. Literally across the street from where I work, it is hard to resist even on the days I pack a lunch. What I love most about Burger Boss is that you are able to customize your burger. Once you have picked out your main base, you have free range with the remaining toppings. Every time I go in, I can pick out something new or stick with something tried and true. My absolute favourite is the chicken burger with cheese, teriyaki sauce and a side of chips.
Burger Boss
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Other times we go with my friends and their mums and dads, too. The people in the restaurant are nice and they let us sit in the Japanese tatami room so that Kay and I can play while we wait for the food to come. I like Ebisutei the most because their tempura potatoes are super yummy. When we go, we always need to order two or three—sometimes even four! Everyone in my family likes the tempura potatoes. I think that Kay likes them as much as I do. It comes with mayonnaise and ketchup. I tried the mayonnaise once, but I didn’t really like it very much. Kay and I really like the ketchup, but mum and dad usually tell us to use less because we dip too much!
I love eating Southeast Asian cuisine, but I can’t really eat spicy food that much. It’s a conundrum for me as most dishes start out delicious, but set off my mouth’s spice alarm after a few bites! I like Bagus Café, which is located in the heart of Kutchan Town’s restaurant district. They have a wide variety of Southeast Asian food and have a clear spice-rating system on their menu which makes it easier for me to choose what is safe! They have everything from noodles to desserts and it’s all delicious and healthy. My personal favourites are the spring rolls and oyster chijimi. I like that they have bottled beers from around Asia—it is a bit of a rare thing. They also have a nice range of non-alcoholic cocktails and beverages, too, which is nice when you are the designated driver!
RYOKO MURASHITA was born and raised in Kutchan Town. She has grown up watching the Niseko resorts become what they are today. Currently she manages Pearl, a local hairdresser, which has been in her family for over 60 years. She also works evenings at Tomone-Pocha, a Korean restaurant, with her partner Tomo. On the clock six days a week, her free time is limited. Here’s where Ryoko likes to go for a bite when she has the time. I like the little curry shop in the Niseko Train Station called Nupuri. Even though it is a curry shop, I tend to go for their handmade hamburger-steak. The shop has a really curious atmosphere, almost like it is frozen in time. The walls are covered with clocks set at 2:46 pm, in remembrance of the March 11, 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. All of the tables are old sewing machine tables and still have the foot pedals. Most interesting is the owner. He has a large selection of different coloured and shaped cups and he gives each guest the cup he feels represents them best. At first I thought he was kidding, but each time I have come back I have gotten a blue or bluish one. It’s kind of spooky!
TEROU TAKEUCHI has been living and working in Niseko Town since 2008. He had wanted to live in Niseko for three main reasons: the fresh Mt Yotei spring water, the great Niseko skiing, and the scenic rivers and mountains. He works as a teacher for students with special needs in Rankoshi Town. During his spare time, he loves to tend his home vegetable garden, fish the mountain streams and use his smoker to make delicious food and roast coffee beans. Here are two favourites that Terou wanted to share. I think that Niseko View Plaza is one of the best places to buy fruits and vegetables that are grown right here in Niseko. There are a number of stalls inside the plaza which sell snacks and treats made with local produce. Just across the street, there’s a food market made up of kitchen trucks and an assortment of stalls and shops. Sitting out there on a summers day is one of the best ways to enjoy the view and local food.
I love the crystal clear, Mt Yotei spring water and there’s a place not far from where I live where you can fill up on spring water for free! It’s not uncommon to see large groups of people from Sapporo and other areas of Hokkaido coming to fill up containers with spring water. I think that this water is particularly great for making coffee! There is a cheese and tofu factory right next to the spring and they use the water to make their cheese and tofu. They make these incredible tofu donuts, which are quite popular!
YASUO MATSUZAWA has been living in Kutchan for 30 years now. He originally moved from Tochigi prefecture after coming to Niseko for a holiday. He used to enjoy hiking year-round and getting into the backcountry during the winter. Now he does a lot of volunteering on his own and with his company. He works at Niseko Kankyou, which is a recycling and renewable energy company. Here’s where you will find Yasuo enjoying the view of Mt Yotei over lunch. Having lived in the Niseko so long, I have been to just about every udon restaurant there is to go to! My personal favourite is Hozuki, over by Lake Hangetsu. The restaurant has large windows that look out at Mt Yotei and I like going on days when I can get a clear view while I eat. The staff are friendly and provide great service, too. I think that the hand-made udon they make is perfect and that it embodies the true taste of Japanese udon! The texture is just right and the noodles have just the right amount of sweetness to them. I like their vegetable tempura and chicken, and both go very well with their udon. They have a good topping selection and everything complements their udon very well.
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Spring
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s the temperatures start to warm up, the snow begins to melt along the roads and in the fields, but it remains up on the mountain slopes well into the season. Spring has been treated as an extension of the winter skiing season for many years now because the snow lasts so long. Given how much the number of guests has increased in the last two years alone, it is undeniable that spring skiing is a wonderful activity for families, photographers and those new to skiing. That said, there are still so many other reasons to come to Niseko at this time of year. Watching the slow retreat of winter up the mountain as spring starts to take hold of the surrounding lands below is a powerful experience. Waves of brilliant colours spread across Niseko as soon as the snow gives way. It is hard to say whether one season is more beautiful than another, but spring is without a doubt the most colourful. As the fields and valleys burst into greens, yellows, pinks and purples you can literally feel the arrival of the season—spring is here at last!
Locals and travellers flock to places like this, over by Makkari Shrine, when the sakura come into bloom. Photo: Kutchan Tourism Association.
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The perfect spring day to play under the branches of a cherry tree in full bloom. Photo: Kutchan Tourism Association
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Mt Yotei makes up the background behind Mr. Mishima’s shibazakura (pink moss phlox) garden in Kutchan Town.
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Spring
SMILES
When the snow melts away, a whole new world emerges here in Niseko and all kinds of wonderful activities become available to travellers. Here are a few spring scenes that are sure to put a smile on your face when you visit Niseko during the season.
When looking for authorities on the Niseko region, you need not look any further than KENYA KATAYAMA (pictured above), the mayor of Niseko Town. Born in Akaigawa Village, he spent his school years in Niseko Town before leaving for Tokyo. He has spent 36 years here in Niseko. After graduating from university in Tokyo, he worked in a number of different prefectures before returning to Niseko—the mountains, the onsen and the food were too much to resist. Since his coming back, he has worked with the Niseko Town Office and has served as the mayor of Niseko Town for the last eight years. Here is one of Kenya’s many favourite places to take a stroll as the snow starts to melt.
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There is a little footpath behind the Arishima Memorial Museum that runs along a small stream. The banks along the side of the tiny waterway explode into the most brilliant green and yellow as the yachibuki (marsh marigolds) come into bloom. The flowers are the reason that Niseko Town’s main bridge across the Shiribetsu River was painted yellow. The walk isn’t very long, but it is quite moving to see the vibrant yellows after the long white winter here in Niseko. The yachibuki flower is particularly interesting as it can be cooked up and tastes similar to spinach. A little further along the path is a hatchery for ito (Japanese hucho fish). The fish can grow over a metre in length and you can occasionally catch a glimpse of them along the stream and in the rivers around Niseko Town. They only live in the cleanest of waters and have become critically endangered over the years due to fishing and loss of habitat. I hope that they can recover so that many people in the future can enjoy seeing them as I have been able to do.
The tori (gates) leading up to Iwanai Shrine engulfed in clouds of pink cherry blossom petals. Photo: Koichi Matsuda
Born and raised in Iwanai, KANAMI YOSHIDA has spent her entire life living a stone’s throw from Niseko. Now the manager at Kaneta Yoshida Kamaboko, Kanami is part of a legacy that stretches back to the Meiji era. Opening in 1899, the Yoshida family are running one of the oldest businesses in the Iwanai area and make traditional fried fish balls, cakes and patties. Kanami shared her favourite spring secret with us. Spring is my favourite season and is a particularly special season here in Japan due to the sakura (cherry blossoms). While it is tough to know just when they will reach their peak, you can typically expect that they will bloom around the beginning of May in the Niseko area. Even among locals, Iwanai Jinja (Iwanai Shrine) doesn’t receive as much traffic as it deserves in spring.
I think it’s a shame that more people don’t visit, as it is one of the most beautiful places in the area when the sakura are in bloom. There is a road which leads up towards the temple and it is lined with sakura trees. I recommend walking up from the first shrine gate, which is along the main street, and heading all the way up to the shrine itself. I like to go with the whole family and think it is a lovely outing with the children.
YUKO MIYAKE is Experience Niseko’s Japanese editor. She has been living in the Niseko area for the last three years and lived in Sapporo for two years before that. Living with her two sons, Yuko spends much of her free time traveling around the Niseko area with her boys in search of adventures of every kind. From cherry picking to watching the fireworks at festivals, Yuko and her two sons are always in search of new ways to experience Niseko. Here are Yuko’s favourite spring scenes. I love the spring season as it marks the start of the warm seasons here in Niseko. I grew up in Kyoto and still have a preference for warmer weather. Living out in the countryside, I get to see beautiful landscapes all year round, but some of my favourite scenes are only around during spring. The shibazakura (pink moss phlox) that pop up in late April to early June are particularly beautiful. I love walking through Mr. Mishima’s garden in Kutchan Town. With 4,000 square metres of shibazakura spread out and Mt Yotei in the background, it is hard to ask for a more wonderful landscape!
My all-time favourite, however, are the rice fields during spring. Filled up with water, the flat rice paddies stretch on and on. With nothing but rows of tiny green seedlings poking up, the paddies become a mirror to the sky, reflecting the clouds, sunrises and sunsets. Rankoshi Town has a large number of rice fields and I love to walk along the side of the fields and take it all in.
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FULL
BLOOM
Niseko is full of farms, gardens and wild flowers that are all bursting with life and colour! When surrounded by nature, it is easy to lose track of how many beautiful flowers there are across the region. Gardens of every sort dot the Niseko area. Some are small and lovingly tended to in front of private homes. Others are fields that stretch rowupon-row. And then there are the ones that grow wild and rampant, some naturally and others from a garden that once was. Photos: Kutchan Tourism Association, Niseko Town Tourism Association and Tomo Ryu.
Summer Foliage
Lupines
Hokkaido is one of the few prefectures with an abundance of natural, old-growth forests. Enjoy a walk under the summer canopy with the sunlight filtering down through the leaves. Forests span throughout the valleys and up onto the mountain sides. Reaches peak in late May and lasts until the end of September
Lupines grow wild all across the Niseko area. Native Hokkaido lupine come in a range of pinks and purples and can grow quite tall with their flower spikes rising above surrounding plants when in the wild. Blooms from June until early August
A P R IL
Japanese Dogtooth Violets & Corydalis Ambigua These two flowers are often seen together as they require the same conditions to grow. The purple violets and blue corydalis spread into great patches of blue and purple and are a favourite for local photographers. Blooms from April until May
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M AY
Yachibuki (Marsh Merigold) These little bright yellow flowers grow along river and stream beds. They can come in so thick, that it seems like they were planted instead of growing wild! They make strolls along the riverside even more enjoyable. Blooms from mid-April until mid-May
JUN E
Ezo Sakura and other Cherry Blossoms Japan’s most iconic flower can be seen in a number of places throughout the Niseko area. The exact timing of their bloom varies each year and they can last anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks at the most. Blooms briefly between late April and mid-May.
Shibazakura (Pink Moss Phlox) Unlike sakura, shibazakura stay in bloom for a longer time. As such, it easier to plan a trip around the shibazakura fields that bloom here in the area. Blooms through May and June
Daisies
Potato Flowers
Daisies start to bloom around the same time as the lupines, but their bloom lasts longer into the summer. The iconic white flowers are a sight to see when in a garden, but crop up in the wild as well. Blooms from June until September
You might not think of pretty flowers when you hear the word ‘potato’, but prepare to be surprised! Famous for their potatoes, both Kutchan Town and Niseko Town are flooded with fields of these little white flowers when the potatoes start to bloom. Blooms in July
J ULY
AUG UST
SEPT EMBER
Japanese Irises
Sundew
Sunflowers
Autumn Foliage
These beautiful perennial flowers crop up in marshy places around Niseko’s alpine areas. You will often find them along trailsides when hiking in the mountains. Blooms in July
These carnivorous plants are found in marshlands such as Shinsen Numa. While not a flower, they are definitely a cool plant to keep an eye out for when you are in the area—don’t forget to check to see if they’ve caught anything! Reaches peak between mid-July and mid-August
These giant yellow flowers can be found in a number of places across Hokkaido. They grow tall, well above any other flowers here in Hokkaido and are commonly cultivated in large fields, as pictured. Blooms through July and August
The Niseko area is stunning in autumn. The colours creep up Mt Yotei and along the mountains, slowly painting the slopes red and orange. Like the cherry blossoms, the autumn foliage can be quick to finish if the weather turns bad. Starts end of September finishes in October
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Into The Mountains BY MATT KAISER AND KENTARO HAYASHI PHOTOS BY RYUTA FURUICHI
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yuta Furuichi is one of many who has fallen in love with the Niseko area for its beautiful mountains and trails. Born and raised in Chiba, it was twenty-four years ago when he first moved to Kutchan Town. Like many in the area, he makes his living helping others experience his passions—hiking and exploring nature. Ryuta started his own mountaineering and guiding company, Coyote, here in Niseko and has recently started offering guiding in English. They offer a range of winter programmes as well as some incredible summer guiding and hiking options, too. Last summer, we were able to go on one of Coyote’s Eco Hikes and were introduced to much of the plant and animal life along the course. With his knowledge of the trails and courses, as well as the vegetation and wildlife, Ryuta is truly an authority in his field. As hiking and trekking are such popular activities here in Niseko, we asked Ryuta if we could hear a bit more about his story and get a few recommendations to help those interested in hiking here in Niseko.
When did you first start hiking? When I was a child, I went out with my grandfather to one of the mountains not far from Tokyo called Mt Okutama. It isn’t very large, so it was a great place to start as a child. That was probably my first hike and when I started becoming interested in nature and the outdoors. I studied agriculture in university as it tied into my interest in nature. My studies led me to the realization that Hokkaido was the last remaining prefecture with an abundance of natural forests, untouched by mankind. Upon graduating, I worked as a salaryman at an agricultural business for six years. Two years were in Asahikawa City and then I was transferred to the Kutchan Town office. What made you want to create your guiding company? When I left the agriculture company, I joined the NAC team as a winter and summer guide. After a couple of years and I started working with a few other companies specialising in outdoor activities. All of these different experiences led me to want to create my own company. Why did you choose Niseko as your base? There are a number of places throughout Hokkaido and even in the Tohoku region which are famous for mountains, but I felt that the people in Niseko were the most open-minded. In combination with the amazing natural features in the area, I felt that this made Niseko the ideal place for what I wanted to do. Since starting Coyote, have there been any particularly interesting surprises along the way? I guess the biggest surprise for me has been how many like-minded people I have met and befriended since coming here. It has been pretty incredible to meet so many people who share my interests in mountaineering and being out in the wilderness.
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Where to Go ADVANCED COURSE
BEGINNER COURSE
INTERMEDIATE COURSE
Kagami Numa and Mt Annupuri
Mt Yotei - Kutchan Start
Numa means marsh or swamp in Japanese. Shinsen Numa is a natural marshland that is tens of thousands of years old. There are a number of different marshes that make up the area and they are all connected by trails.
Kagami means mirror and that is just what the water surface of Kagami Numa is like. It is particularly stunning when the autumn colours are reflected upon the surface. This is a great course for those seeking a good view. The top of Mt Annupuri has an excellent view of Mt Yotei, along the Niseko Panorama line, and as far as the Sea of Japan—so long as the weather is cooperating.
Mt Yotei is one of the more difficult courses in the area due to the length and altitude of the climb. If you aren’t an experienced climber or in fairly good shape, it can be quite tough on your legs and knees. That said, it is the most iconic mountain to climb in the Niseko area.
Shinsen Numa Marshlands
Course Details: This marshland course is great for absolutely anyone, from elementary school students to the elderly. There are long stretches of boardwalk to make getting across the marshland easy and safe. The course takes an average of about four hours to complete with driving time included. This can be extended by exploring more of the interconnected marshland trails. The highest elevation point is 750 metres above sea level, but it is primarily flat. Ryuta’s recommended start time is 8:00 am so that you finish with much of the day still ahead of you.
Course Details: This is not a loop course. The starting point is over by the Hanazono Resort Golf Course with the finish point up by Goshiki Onsen. The course takes about seven hours with driving and time for lunch included. If you were to turn back from the Annupuri peak it would be about a nine-hour course. The highest point of elevation is 1,308 metres above sea level. Ryuta’s recommended start time is 8:00 am to ensure you get back before it starts to get dark.
What to Bring Rainwear, comfortable clothes, high-cut hiking boots, a light backpack, insect repellent, hiking poles, lunch, a salty trail snack and plenty of water.
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Course Details: The Kutchan starting point is located by Lake Hangetsu and is Ryuta’s recommendation in the summer as you can avoid some of the harsher morning sunlight during your climb. For those less fit, the Makkari start is easier as the incline is less sharp. Being the tallest in the area, the view from the peak is excellent in good weather. The course takes between 10 and 14 hours depending on your level of fitness, which starting point you take and the time you spend at the peak. You can circle the peak or descend into the crater, but this will add time to your hike. The highest point of elevation is 1,898 metres above sea level. Ryuta’s recommended start time is 5:00 am, before or at sunrise. As this is a long hike, you will want enough time to ensure you can make it up and down in one day.
What to Buy X ALP MID LTR GTX Salomon (boots) These are leather-like mid-cut hiking boots. They have a Gore-Tex finish, so you can count on them staying dry even when it’s wet. The boot sole uses Salomon’s original 3D edge chassis, which makes it great for both flat and rocky terrain. Versatile and comfortable, it makes a great all-terrain hiking boot.
Luci Lux by MPOWERD (Inflatable Solar Light) This solar powered lantern doesn’t require batteries, is very lightweight and can be compressed for carrying convenience. It is an item that is invaluable in the event of a disaster or sudden onset of bad weather. It is water resistant so it can be used in harsh conditions if needed.
Hokkaido-made Hakka Oil (Peppermint Oil) Spray Hokkaido has a few troublesome bugs which can negatively impact your time outdoors: mosquitos, buyo (a type of black fly), and abu (a type of horse fly). Hakka Oil is made using peppermint extract. It is particularly effective against all three of the insect pests that can harass you in the Hokkaido wilderness. You can find Hakka oil in most souvenir shops across Hokkaido as it is manufactured in a number of locations around the prefecture.
S/LAB X ALP ENGINEERED JKT M Salomon (jacket) This is Salomon’s next generation waterproof jacket. Its key features are that it is comfortable, easy to move in, and provides excellent protection from the elements. The jacket combines different stretch fabrics together ensuring comfortable movement in any condition. Key zones, such as the hood, shoulders and zipper areas have an extra layer of protection against wind and water. Lastly, the mid-layers are air permeable to ensure better temperature control.
PEAK 30 Salomon (backpack) With enough carrying capacity to sufficiently handle a full day climb, the PEAK 30 also boasts the corresponding stability to handle dynamic movement for a vigorous climb. When looking for a backpack that can handle any day-long alpine activity, the PEAK 30 is your best all-season choice.
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Fueled by the Winter Melt
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he connection between rafting and skiing might not seem obvious at first, but the two activities are often found in close proximity to each other for a very important reason—snow! Places, with an abundance of snow during the winter months also tend to be great locations for white water activities such as rafting or kayaking. As the weather starts to warm up, the falling snow turns to rain and the accumulated snow on the mountain tops starts to melt. All of this water trickles down into the rivers and streams. It is common to find small creeks and streams between the mountains leading into larger rivers. Here in Niseko, most of those little waterways run into the Shiribetsu River. The more snow there is to melt once the temperatures start to rise, the more turbulent the rivers will be in early spring. The Shiribetsu River is a great entry level to intermediate level rafting spot. During spring, the water level is a little higher and the current runs quick enough that someone who enjoys rafting will have a great time—this is especially true at the end of a good winter season with above average snowfall. April and May are considered as the peak of the white water season. Even though many guests are still coming to Niseko to enjoy spring skiing in April, you will start to see rafts running down the Shiribetsu River more and more over the course of the month. Guests coming at this time of year can capitalise on the chance to experience spring skiing and rafting in the same trip, making it a fantastic time to travel to Niseko and tick off a number of outdoor activities from your bucket list. As the winter melt fueled white water season comes to an end, the rivers don’t simply dry up and disappear! Rafting is still an excellent activity in the warmer months of summer and early autumn. If you have a family with young children, you might even find it preferable to choose to raft at this time of year. The river starts to run a bit slower as the water levels drop. There are still plenty of spots where the current picks up and gets bumpy, but you don’t need to worry about going overboard—unless you’re going voluntarily! The river warms up as well and while still cool, isn’t quite as chilly as it is in April and May. One of the advantages of the slightly slower summer currents is that you have more time to take in your surroundings. Enjoy the natural scenery to its fullest; take in Mt Yotei rising above the trees beyond the banks or just listen to the sounds of the birds calling to each other from tree branches and in the summer sky.
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Beyond the borders PHOTOS BY MATT KAISER & HIRO TAKAHASH
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THE STREETS WERE CLEAR AND THE trees, bushes and flowers were all starting to come back to life. It was my first spring season in Niseko and I had been wondering how to get out and see more of the Niseko area when I was introduced to Hiro from Hero Hokkaido. The timing couldn’t have been better! Hero Hokkaido offers day-tours around the Niseko area—specializing in tours of Kyowa Town, Iwanai Town, Tomari Village and Kamoenai Village which make up the Gan Wu area. Looking at the map, I was pretty certain I couldn’t make it from Kutchan Town to Iwanai Town and back—or even make it to Iwanai Town at all! However, Hiro reassured me that the tour we were doing that day wasn’t just cycling. We would cycle along the most scenic sections and ride in the support van for the rest.
FIRST STOP: MITA DAIRY FARM We started out at a dairy farm in Kyowa Town, just north of Kutchan Town. We fed a few of the cows and then got to try milking a cow. It was my first time and I certainly won’t forget. Hiro interpreted for Mr. Ota from the farm, who told us about when they started raising Holstein cows and making ice cream. After his explanation, he let us pick a flavour of freshly churned ice cream to try.
SECOND STOP: ARAI MEMORIAL ART MUSEUM From Mita Farm, we hopped back into the support van and drove to Iwanai Town. Winding up a long hill, we came to the Arai Memorial Art Museum. The view of the Sea of Japan was pretty spectacular and we paused to take some photos before going into the museum. Much to my surprise, the museum had a Pablo Picasso gallery featuring dozens of works and artefacts from the famous Spanish painter’s life.
FOURTH STOP: MURAMOTO TENT
We cycled down from the museum and headed into Iwanai Town with the support car behind us. It was a pretty enjoyable ride down the slope and I was relieved we only had to bike down and not up.
THIRD STOP: TAKE SUSHI We were all feeling pretty hungry by the time we made it to Iwanai Town. Being a port city, we naturally opted to go to a sushi restaurant for lunch. Everything was freshly caught and was just what we needed to recharge for the rest of the tour. As we ate, Hiro told me that Take Sushi had been given an honourable mention in a past Michelin Star Guidebook. Considering how good the sushi was, it wasn’t a surprise to hear.
A short walk from where we ate lunch, we headed over to Muramoto Tent which is over 100 years old. Family owned, they make handmade backpacks, purses and other accessories. Their products are designed for picking mountain vegetables and harvesting various crops. Originally, they made tents for fishing boats. There used to be over 300 fishermen in Iwanai Town. Now there are only about 30 fishermen, so the Muramoto family has had to adapt and expand their line up.
FIFTH STOP: KANETA YOSHIDA KAMABOKO We pedaled over to Kaneta Yoshida Kamaboko Store next. Kamaboko are fish cakes or patties that are made up of ground fish and then deepfried. Over 100 years old, it has been in the Yoshida family since 1899!
The owners showed us how to shape the kamaboko then let us make and deep-fry our own. We made edamame bean, octopus, and shrimp kamoboko and they were all delicious!
SIXTH STOP: TOMARINK Our last stop was in Tomari Village. We rode in the support van for a little while once again before we got out and went for another cycle. We got to the skating rink just in time to snap a few photos of the sun setting across the Sea of Japan. The facility is based in an old elementary school. The large gymnasium has been turned into a full ice arena and there are a number of youth hockey teams that train there. A few little ones, probably only four or five years old, were out on the ice whipping around us.
Hiro runs customizable tours through Hero Hokkaido. Tour options vary by season and can be customized for a particular group. Their support van is best suited for groups of five to eight people, but they can organize larger tours as well. There are a number of stop options to choose from (more than the six above) so each tour can end up being a bit different. Travelling with Hero Hokkaido is a fun way to explore the Niseko area as they have grassroot connections with local businesses and can assist with translation to overcome language barriers. For more information or to book a tour, Telephone: 0136-55-7475 Email: info@hero-hokkaido.com
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Summer
N
iseko bears a resemblance to Canadian cottage country during summer. With open fields, small towns and resort homes spread throughout the mountains, Niseko has become the summer escape for many in Japan. Each time the season arrives, it brings hundreds of visitors flocking in for summer long-stays. The last few years have seen a sharp increase in the number of guests from Asia and it might not be long before Niseko is recognized as the number one summer destination in all of Asia! There are plenty of good reasons why so many people choose to come here during the summer months. It is a season of rejuvenation—the rolling fields, comfortable weather and fresh country air revitalize your body and spirit. The summer is also a time for activity and exploration. Cycle around Mt Yotei or climb its peak, learn how to make soba noodles or attend a summer festival— summer is the best time to choose your own adventure here in Niseko.
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A field of sunflowers stretching up into the sky, their yellow petals brilliant against the bright blue sky and green backdrop of Mt Annupuri. Photo: Yuko Miyake
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Summer
LOVIN’
With the days both longer and warmer, summer in Niseko is a time for exploring the outdoors and relaxing with family and friends. Take a look at how some of the locals here in Niseko like to kick back on a warm summer day.
NINA METCALF is four-and-a-half years old. She is mid-way through kindergarten, is learning how to ski and practices karate! She loves fruit, snow, sandboxes, slides, onsen, dancing and drawing. Most of all, she loves to look after her baby-sister, Miria, who is two years old. Nina is growing up learning English and Japanese and she loves to talk and make jokes, but is a bit shy at first. With a bit of help from mummy and daddy, Nina told us about some of her Niseko summer favourites.
KAZUTO MATSUO is originally from Saitama prefecture. Hokkaido’s abundant nature drew him here for a summer-long vacation more than ten years ago and he moved here not long after. Currently, he is working at Soup Curry Tsubara Tsubara and moonlights as a guitarist, performing live concerts throughout the Niseko area. Here is Matsuo’s favourite thing about summer in Niseko. If I had to pick a single activity that just screamed ‘summer’, it would be having a BBQ beside a campfire on a lazy summer evening. Sitting around with a group of friends, strumming away on my guitar as the sun goes down and the fire burns into embers is exactly how I want to end every night in summer. My two BBQ favourites are corn-on-thecob grilled hot and melon for dessert; when you can get them fresh, you know it’s the peak of summer! When the embers die down, I like to sit out under the stars and enjoy the night sky.
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SHINO HORIE has been living in Rankoshi Town for the last seven years and has just started high school this April. She spent her first six years living in Austria before moving back to Hokkaido. Growing up in Austria, Shino speaks German, English and Japanese. Here is Shino’s favourite summer adventure:
While I like skiing, my favourite season is summer! I like to go to Kyogoku Park and to Toya Sun Palace (mum helped with remembering the names). At Kyogoku Park, there is a big jungle gym and I like going down the slide. When we finish at the park we go to the onsen nearby. I like going to Lake Toya and Toya Sun Palace, too. When it’s sunny, we can swim in the lake! When it isn’t sunny, mum and dad take me and Miria to the water park in the hotel. I like the water park as there is a big water slide! I really like slides! Sometimes we stay until night and watch the fireworks over the lake. If I am lucky mum and dad buy me ice-cream while we watch!
I think that most people coming to Niseko will have either heard of, or quickly discover activities such as hiking up Mt Yotei or rafting along the Shiribetsu River; they are pretty important daytime activities that make the Niseko area what it is. While I love both of these activities and usually hike and raft every year, my personal favourite is an activity that I do with my dad every summer. We take our stand-up paddle (SUP) boards and hike along the mountains until we get to where the Shiribetsu River meets the Sea of Japan. Here we push out into the summer waves and paddle until our arms are like jelly and then head on home. I like how it combines my love of both the mountains and the water—it’s the best of both worlds!
BALANCING
WORK AND PLAY A glance behind the scenes at what some locals here in Niseko do beyond the resort. STORY AND PHOTO BY SATOSHI NAGAI
Running through the early morning mist on an intense trail run in summer.
I’VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF KUTCHAN TOWN for nearly three years now. As I work in the resorts and spend so much time in them, I try to get away from where I work when I can. In my free time, I do a lot of volunteering at local events or just try to get out and enjoy the abundance of beautiful nature in the area. While Niseko is quite large, my Niseko experience is mostly centred around Mt Yotei and the nearby towns. In the past twelve months, I have helped out with quite a long list of different events. I volunteered with cycling events such as the Niseko Nature Ride and the Niseko Classic and also at a range of cultural events such as Kutchan Town’s summer Potato Festival and winter Yukitopia Festival. Being involved with all of these events has really helped me out a lot in the past few years. For starters, I get lots of free T-shirts and who doesn’t like free T-shirts? In addition to the memorable wardrobe additions, I have been able to meet so many Niseko locals of different ages, backgrounds and professions through volunteering. Even though I was still ‘working’ in my own time, meeting all of these people and being appreciated for being a member of their cause was really rewarding and energising. Regardless of whether you are staying for the summer or just passing through, I would strongly recommend participating in these types of local
events. Even if you don’t have much Japanese language ability, it’s an experience like none other to engage with the Niseko community. Once the snow melts away, the natural beauty of the Niseko area is simply stunning. While winter is Niseko’s biggest claim-to-fame, it is also an ideal location to put on a pair of running or cycling shoes and head out the door when it’s warm. That is exactly what I enjoy doing the most during the spring, summer and autumn seasons; a nice 20 km cycle before heading to work or a 10 km jog around the neighborhood. Last year, some of my good friends took me out for a trail run session. It was really tough, but was a fun new experience for me. Living in Kutchan Town and working in Hirafu Village is a really interesting way of life. Each area has a bit of its own culture in some ways. Technically, Hirafu Village is just a part of Kutchan Town, but it has a less permanent, seasonal sort of vibe to it than the more residential and rural Japan feel that Kutchan Town gives off. Each area is unique in its own way, with its own atmosphere and caters to somewhat different audiences. I like to think that I get to benefit from both areas and I think it is my role to introduce the excitement of each area to others whenever I can. I really think that the more locals and visitors share with each other, the more exciting the Niseko region becomes!
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SUMMER STARGAZING See the Milky Way, shooting stars and other astrological wonders light up the Niseko night sky. BY MATT KAISER PHOTO BY JEE MOK
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C
oming from a big city, Niseko can feel like something out of a storybook. When your everyday sights are concrete buildings, shops and office windows, being presented with the abundance of open fields, lush forests and crystal clear waters can almost be overwhelming. Niseko and Hokkaido are renowned for their natural beauty and millions of travelers pass through the prefecture to experience it. With so much to see during the daytime, it is no wonder that some of the most exciting nighttime sights can go unseen. They are right overhead each night and yet it is easy to forget to make the time to enjoy a clear, starry night. If you live in a big city, you might only see a few of the brightest stars on a clear night. The constant glow of the city lights blocks the view. Here in the Niseko area, with nothing but a scattering of small towns and villages and the occasional farmhouse in between, there is little to block out the twinkle of the distant stars. Summer evenings are warm and comfortable. They are just right for going out on a walk in search of a quiet place to enjoy the stars. Spring and autumn are excellent too, as the slightly cooler temperatures can result in even clearer skies. The best part of Niseko is that you often don’t have to go far. It might be a short 5 or 10-minute walk or you could simply be stepping onto your balcony. You don’t need a telescope or any fancy gear, maybe just a blanket to lay out on the ground or a camp chair to recline back in is enough. Pick a good spot, get comfortable and point your gaze skywards. This is one Niseko sight you don’t want to miss!
NISEKO CLASSIC BY RYAN MCKAY
NOW IN ITS FOURTH YEAR, THE NISEKO CLASSIC HAS grown from being Hokkaido’s premier one-day road race to one of Japan’s biggest cycling events. The race is part of the prestigious UCI Gran Fondo World Series, where cyclists of all abilities compete for a qualification spot at the UCI Gran Fondo World Championship. Participants ride on fully closed roads and experience a breathtaking course which takes them over mountain passes, through farmland and along the ocean. Over 1,000 athletes from 25 countries register each year. The Niseko Classic warmly welcomes all riders, regardless of whether they are there to take the podium or not. Riders can choose between the 140 km long course and the shorter 70 km course. The long course comes with a challenging 2,362 metres of climbing, including ascents of the Niseko Panorama Line and the famous Nimi Onsen climbs. The single-loop runs through Hanazono, over the mountains into the farming district of Kyowa Town, and follows the Shiribeshi River to its mouth on the coast of the Sea of Japan. Here, riders turn back and traverse the other side of the mountains into Niseko Valley and over rolling hills into Grand Hirafu Resort. The shorter, but equally testing 70 km course starts in Rankoshi Town and follows the Shiribeshi River across farming flatlands to the Sea of Japan. The course
returns on the opposite side of the river and ascends over the mountains before coming down into the Niseko Valley. Cyclists wind around the base of Mt Annupuri before racing to the finish. Both routes finish in the heart of the Grand Hirafu Resort. There, a local food and beer festival awaits the competitors and attendees, where they can sample famous Niseko produce and Japanese delicacies. With the entire community supporting the event, it’s a fantastic fun-filled weekend for non-cyclists too, with performances, music, traditional displays and fireworks. For the age groupers in the peloton, the Niseko Classic serves as an official qualifier for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in Albi, France on August 24th, 2017. The top 25% in each age group earn one of the coveted spots where they will compete against the world’s best. Like at all UCI Gran Fondo events, participants are individually chip timed start-to- finish and are ranked based on their total overall finish time and by age group. The word is out that the Niseko Classic is a ‘bucket list’ race. With entries filling fast, this year is sure to be a massive event. Date: 9 July 2017. Distances: 140km, 70km. More info: www.nisekoclassic.com
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Our Summer Escape A long-stay experience in Niseko BY TSUNG-CHUNG KAO JAPAN, HERE I COME! I am Tsung-Chung Kao, an engineering professor at the University of Illinois and the University of Taiwan. I often travel around the world during my summer vacation with my wife. In the past we usually went to European countries. However, in the summer of 2015 I took a trip up to northern Hokkaido after a conference I attended in Tokyo; this trip reignited a long lost curiosity for Japanese culture and sparked a very real desire to learn Japanese.
SEARCHING FOR A SUMMER-LONG ESCAPE After returning from my conference trip, I immediately started planning for a long-stay in Japan—I had to find an area in Japan with comfortable weather and where I could stay for two to three months. Our main objectives were to avoid the summer heat in Taiwan and to really experience Japanese culture while learning the language at the same time. With this in mind, I reached out to some of my past and current Japanese students for recommendations. Mostly recommending large cities to me, it was my own searches on Google that propelled my search forward in the end. Most of the results that came up were for Japanese retirees and for a foreigner such as myself, I was concerned about day-to-day communication. I reached out to the Hokkaido Tourism Organization and they recommended I look into Niseko. They suggested the Niseko area to me for two main
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reasons: one, it’s a very international area with a large population of foreign nationals residing there; and two, Niseko already hosts a large long-stay population during summer. With careful consideration and hours of additional research, I decided that Niseko was my ideal summer long-stay destination.
BACK TO SCHOOL We arrived in Niseko in early June and had decided that for our first month we would focus on learning Japanese. We went to a local language school for Japanese lessons on the recommendation of our hotel. The school is run by Julian Bailey and his wife Yoshiko. He teaches English and she teaches Japanese. We had three classes with Yoshiko-san every week and each class was for a total of one hour. After the class, we would return to hotel, review what we had learned in class, and complete the homework assignment for the day. When we were not busy studying, we would take walks and enjoy the wonderful Niseko surroundings. Sometimes we would go to Kutchan Town and do some grocery shopping. Our hotel had a great onsen on site and it was one of the activities we enjoyed most over the course of our stay. I always carry a device that monitors my daily exercise and sleep levels. Prior to my stay, my normal sleep pattern was 50-50 deep and light sleep. Going to the onsen every day, my deep sleep level increased to between 70–80%.
We spent our first month in Niseko learning Japanese, strolling around the Niseko area, going to onsen and being entertained by Japanese nighttime television. We woke up each morning feeling very happy, satisfied and ready for another big and fantastic day in Niseko.
EXPLORE HOKKAIDO After the intensive study schedule of our first month, my daughter and son-in-law came to visit us from the United States. We rented a car so that we could drive around Hokkaido and visit as many of the famous and scenic parts of the island as we could—during the weekdays we continued to attend our Japanese classes. We visited Lake Toya, Lake Shikotsu, Otaru City, Cape Kamui and along the Shokotan coast. We also tried to go to places that tourists rarely visit, such as Iwanai Town, Kyogoku Town and Tomari Village. We were lucky to visit Kyogoku Town during their Shakkori Matsuri. The locals use the water to make tofu, which is very well known.
A SUMMER FULL OF MEMORIES If you were to ask me what the most memorable part of my summer long-stay was, I would have to answer that it was the people we met during our trip. From the start, Yoshiko and her husband were incredibly kind to us. They introduced us to many of their friends and a lot of their Japanese students ended up becoming our friends too! We learned a lot about Japanese daily life, the Japanese job market, social issues and more through our conversations with all of them. Over the course of our two-month stay, the staff members and team at the hotel had become like a second family to us. Their service and spirit were always really amazing and they always made sure to take very good care of us. As time passed, we befriended other long-stay guests in Niseko with whom we exchanged different cultural points of view while practicing our Japanese. There were also many long-stay get-togethers held in Niseko and we were able to attended two of them. Each time, there must have been at least 100 couples and it was very fun to meet so many people. We made a few friends over the months and have even started writing letters to each other—they practiced writing in English and we practiced writing in Japanese! No matter where we went, all of the Japanese people that we met were very polite and friendly to us; and once they learned that we were long-stay guests, they became even more enthusiastic about us. Dining out at restaurants became a chance to make new friends. We regularly went to an izakaya called Ebisutei and the staff would all pitch in to help us order with the correct Japanese. I will always remember the fun and incredible memories we have made.
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FOOD! FOOD! DELICIOUS FOOD! There are many amazing restaurants throughout the Niseko area and they are often quite reasonably priced. We enjoyed the sushi restaurant Hanayoshi and the yakitori restaurant in Kutchan Town called Torimatsu. The owner, Matsu-san, was a very generous person. We were always surprised by the free appetizers he would serve, ranging from a nice plate of sashimi (sliced raw fish) to a whole crab one time! There were many famous local soba and udon restaurants, such as Yoteizan, Hozuki and Yukitei that we liked too. All of them had amazing noodles and yet were very reasonably priced.
NISEKO—I WILL RETURN! For the longest time, my blood pressure has usually been at about 140—that’s borderline high for my age. After my
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two month long-stay in Niseko, my blood pressure had decreased to about 120! What was the reason you ask? Truth be told, I am not certain either; was it because of the beautiful nature, the perfect serenity, or the delicious and healthy diet? Maybe it’s a bit of all of the above. After this unforgettable long-stay experience, we have gained so much more knowledge about Japanese culture and society and have also learned some of the fundamentals of the Japanese language. We are excited to be returning to Niseko again this summer. We can’t wait to see all of our friends from last year and to resume our lessons with our Japanese teacher. There is so much to look forward to; places to explore and new foods to try. One of our biggest anticipations is continuing to explore Hokkaido. Even in the two months that we have already spent in Niseko, we know we have only begun to scratch the surface of this wonderful area. See you again this summer.
SADDLE UP FAST FORWARD TWENTY ODD YEARS AND I’M still mad about it—not that I get to do it that often anymore. It’s also a love I find difficult to explain. For me, horse riding gives an exhilarating sense of freedom. It’s as freeing as it is grounding—as relaxing as it is awakening—and as close to nature as you can get. When I heard that I could explore the natural beauty of my new-found home of Niseko via horseback come summer, I was glad I kept those beat-up comfy jeans. Whether you’ve never been on a horse before in your life or can ride like the wind, Niseko has a number of horse riding centres, with K2 Stables one of the best-known in the region. Located in Niseko Town, K2 Stables caters to riders from first-timer to advanced and has English speaking instructors available—they make learning to ride a breeze! The most popular and recommended ride for beginners is the ‘Basic Course’, suitable for riders 12 years and over. The hour-long course is perfect for those new to the saddle or who need a refresher, with the first half of the lesson teaching the fundamentals of riding. Once you’ve mastered your new skills, it’s out of the gates for a gentle scenic trek for the second half of the course. If you’re more experienced and want to feel some real horse power, try the ‘K2 Ride’. Designed for those who have ridden before and have some good know-how,
the course is a great option if you’re seeking a more challenging ride with 90 and 180 minute treks. Take to the reins, no matter which course you’re on, and lap up Niseko’s glorious countryside during your ride with spectacular views of Mount Yotei and lush, green pastures. Feel completely at one with the great outdoors as you ride through Niseko’s abundant landscape on your four-legged friend. The other great thing about K2 Stables is all treks and courses are tailored to the rider’s level so you can feel safe knowing you’ll only ride on treks within your abilities. And with intimate riding groups no larger than four guests and private charters available too, you can savour a personal experience. While I was skeptical at first, I ended up loving horseback riding as a kid. Turns out some of my favourite childhood memories are family holidays with horse rides in the Australian countryside. None of us were particularly good riders or overly confident—if anything—the opposite. It was the uniqueness of seeing the view of the world from the back of a horse that we shared. And here I am now, all these years later, still going on about it. Getting into the saddle is not something everyone gets the chance, nor has the courage, to try. But if you do, no matter your age or ability, I can guarantee you it’ll be an experience unlike any other. For me, a love I haven’t outgrown.
SOFIE LAHTINEN
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ADVENTURE STARTS HERE Take a look at some of the many adventures that await you here in Niseko, just moments away from the resort area. Canyoning Get wet and wild in the warmer months. There are a number of tour operators, such as NAC, who will provide equipment, guides and transportation to and from the canyoning sites. Slide down waterfalls and jump off cliffs into rivers—get your adrenaline going!
Tree Trekking Run and swing between the treetops at Niseko Village Pure. Let your inner child run free as you walk across suspension bridges and ride along zip lines.
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BBQ Spend a summer afternoon and evening with family and friends. Many accommodation providers can help you set up a BBQ right where you are staying. There are a number of parks across Niseko where you can enjoy an outdoor BBQ.
Nature’s Kitchen Make your own pizza or smoke up some hand-made sausages. You can try all kinds of foodrelated trial activities between Kutchan Town and Niseko Town. Make your own jam at Country Inn Milky House or learn how to make Japanese soba noodles at Uga-soba or Agri Station Yotei. Take the kids to Saison Club and make your own ice cream! Photo: Niseko Promotion Board
Get Crafty
Hot Air Ballooning
There are all sorts of indoor craft activities moments from the resorts that you can fill up your day with. At FAF Kobo and Niseko Yaki Warabe you can try your hand at pottery. There are plenty of other craft shops where you can try activities such as glass craft and engraving, wreath-making, and even music box making.
Bump a unique item off your bucket list and go for a tethered hot air balloon ride when you come to Niseko this season. There are several places that offer balloon rides, such as Niseko Lion Adventure.!
Photo: Niseko Adventure Centre
Park Golf
Mountain Biking
Park golf is an activity that originated in Hokkaido! A cross between golf and croquet, players play on shorter courses using shorter clubs and larger balls. It is an absolute blast with friends and family and there are four large park golf courses within a 20-minute drive of the area.
Think you want to try mountain biking, but worried it might be too much? Head over to Kutchan Town’s Asahigaoka Flow Trail. It’s the perfect way to start downhill biking, with carefully designed banked turns making up the course. Want something more intense? Ride up the summer gondolas and head down one of Niseko United’s MTB trails!
Golf Golf is one summer’s most anticipated activities here in Niseko. With nine full golf courses within 45 minutes of the resort area, there are plenty of great options to choose from. Prices are reasonable and even better on weekdays. Photo: Niseko Village
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CALLING ALL EXPLORERS Niseko is the perfect basecamp for all of your adventures here in Hokkaido. With a vast range of activities so close to the resort, you may not have the time to explore the surrounding areas unless you are staying for an extended period of time. If you are here in Niseko and are looking for a place to head off to by car or train for a half or fullday, here are a few popular destinations to visit.
RUSUTSU RESORT AMUSEMENT PARK It’s the largest amusement park in Hokkaido and is a great place to go with the family and friends. Rusutsu Resort Amusement Park has around 60 rides and attractions ranging from gentle to intense. They have eight different roller coasters, an extensive line-up of thrill rides and plenty of gentle amusement rides, too. Check out Kid’s Land and the Super Jumbo Pool, but don’t forget your bathing suit if you want to hit the waterslide! Access: About a 40-minute drive from the Niseko Resort area. Recommended Duration: Half-day or full-day, depends on how much you love rollercoasters!
FAMILY BOWL IWANAI If you are looking for a place where you can have an easy afternoon of fun, Family Bowl Iwanai might just be the ticket. In addition to the bowling lanes, they have a small Japanese-style game centre, private karaoke booths and a purikura photo booth. You are bound to be able to combine a few of these to keep you and your friends or children amused! If you’ve never tried out a purikura photo booth, it might be a bit confusing at first, but the results can be hysterical! Access: About a 45-minute drive from the Niseko Resort area. Recommended Duration: Half-day or evening.
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CAPE KAMUI AND THE SHAKOTAN BEACHES Shakotan is a great destination for a road trip with an easy drive and stunning views. Jutting out into the Sea of Japan, the waters around Cape Kamui are a spectacular shade of blue during the day. Along the way to the peninsula there are a number of beaches that draw crowds of eager swimmers and sunbathers on the weekends. Shakotan is a popular destination for cyclists and a number of companies in the resorts offer cycling tours to the area. Access: About a 120-minute drive from the Niseko resort area. Recommended Duration: Half-day for Cape Kamui, full-day with a stop at the beach.
NOBORIBETSU DATE JIDAIMURA
Witness Japan’s Edo Period (1603 – 1867) come to life at this historical theme park in Noboribetsu. The period of history that the village portrays is often considered a peaceful and cultural golden age for Japan, during which the country was isolated from the outside world. Watch ninja display their skills, try foods from bygone eras, and walk the streets of old Japan. Access: About a 120-minute drive from the Niseko resort area. (Toll routes and non-toll routes are both available). It is a 180-minute train ride from either Kutchan station or Niseko station. Recommended Duration: Full-day.
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WING BAY OTARU
OTARU PORT MARINA AND CANAL
If you are planning to check out what a Japanese department store looks like or go on a shopping spree, Wing Bay Otaru is your best bet. It is the largest shopping centre in close proximity to the Niseko area and combines well with a number of other day trips along the way. Wing Bay Otaru has a number of large Japanese brand names such as Aeon, Shimamura, Konami Sports, as well as popular smaller stores including Muji and Village Vanguard. The shopping centre has a large selection of restaurants, a game centre, cinema and a bowling alley so there are plenty of ways to mix up your time there.
The Otaru City Canal and port area has grown into one of the top day-trip destinations in Hokkaido. Take a gentle cruise along the Otaru Canal or head out onto the open water. There are a number of different boat tour options to choose from. Ride in a jet boat or a yacht as you explore along the Shakotan peninsula and pass by a number of other exciting caves and rock formations.
Access: About a 90-minute drive from the Niseko Resort area. It is a 90-minute train ride from Kutchan station and 105 minutes from Niseko station. Recommended Duration: Half-day or full-day, depending on how much you plan to shop.
NOBORIBETSU HELL VALLEY AND ONSEN AREA Noboribetsu is well-known for its great onsen. The volcanic valley that makes up Hell Valley falls into the same Shikotsu-Toya National Park that encompasses Lake Toya and Mt Yotei. The image evoking name comes from the red and grey sulfuric soil in the valley, where geothermal geysers push scalding hot water up
Access: About a 90-minute drive from the Niseko Resort area. It is a 90-minute train ride from Kutchan station and 105 minutes from Niseko station. Recommended Duration: Half-day if only doing a single tour and not extending with other activities.
to the surface. There are a number of bubbling geysers and streams to see along the footpath. Mid-way along the walk, there is a place where you can sit down and soak your feet in a sulfuric stream. Before heading back to Niseko for the night, take a dip in one of the many Noboribetsu hot spring. Access: About a 120-minute drive from the Niseko resort area. (Toll routes and non-toll routes are both available). It is a 180-minute train ride from either Kutchan station or Niseko station. Recommended Duration: Full-day.
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LAKE TOYA Lake Toya is probably the most well-known day trip choice for visitors staying in the Niseko resort area. The caldera lake is a part of the Shikotsu-Toya National Park and is a UNESCO Global Geopark. Lake Toya is great for scenic walking, hiking and cycling. Go for a swim in the waters on a warm summer’s day or try out any number of watersport activities such as kayaking, canoeing and even wakeboarding! Access: About a 60-minute drive from the Niseko resort area. There is train access, however, it is an indirect route and is about a 150-minute trip to the area. Recommended Duration: Half-day or full-day.
SUP, SEA KAYAKING, AND DIVING SUP (stand-up paddle) has grown in popularity here in the Niseko area over the last few years. Lake Toya is a popular destination for SUP, but it isn’t the only one. Located on the shore of the Sea of Japan in between Tomari Village and Kamoenai Village, Sakazuki Terrace is a popular place too. Many visitors to the area like to try sea kayaking or even diving along the coast. Access: About a 60-minute drive from the Niseko resort area. Recommended Duration: Half-day for single activity, full-day for multiple watersports.
FRUIT PICKING IN NIKI TOWN AND YOICHI TOWN Fruit-picking is an activity where timing is everything! What fruits are in season will depend on when you visit and the summer peak of July and August see the most fruit variation. During the beginning of June, late September and the month of October, the selection of fruit in season will be more limited, but there is still fresh fruit to pick and eat. There are many different orchards that offer fruit picking options; some with all-you-can-eat and others with take-away packages. Access: About a 45-minute drive from the Niseko Resort area. It is a 40-minute train ride from Kutchan station and 50 minutes from Niseko station. Recommended Duration: Half-day
NIKKA WHISKEY DISTILLERY AND MUSEUM In the last decade, Japanese whiskey has attained international recognition with Yamazaki and Nikka leading the charge. While the Yamazaki distillery began operation first, the Nikka brewery is often considered to be the most influential in shaping Japan’s whiskey culture. The Distillery and Museum offer insight into the brewing process and have free samples available to those of drinking age. Access: About a 60-minute drive from the Niseko Resort area. It is a 50-minute train ride from Kutchan station and 60 minutes from Niseko station. Recommended Duration: Half-day
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Autumn
T
his is a season that is all about engaging your senses. Watch the colours gradually creep down the mountainsides. Let your nose come alive to the smell of the leaves turning. Revel as your tongue will dance across the freshly harvested local foods that are bursting with flavour. Open your ears to the crunch of the leaves beneath your feet. And feel your skin tingle with the chill that prophesizes the approaching winter. Here in Niseko, autumn can sometimes be forgotten as excitement for the coming winter season tends to spill over into the months leading up to it. Yet it is a fantastic time to be outdoors, with the colours rivalling those of spring in the mountain ranges. Hike the trails in full autumn colours, dine on cuisine using freshly harvested crops or just relax in a hot spring and let the season envelop you.
PHOTO: HIDDE HAGEMAN
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Autumn
SPLASH
PHOTO: HIDDE HAGEMAN
Autumn is a gourmet’s paradise! Delicious food and lovely colours are staples of the season; but autumn is also a wonderful time to play in the water. Here are three locals who know how to enjoy the water in autumn.
LUKE SANDALLS has been living in the Niseko area for nearly four years. What was first planned to be a single winter season turned into a lot more! Luke works as the marketing manager for MnK Niseko. Luke loves many things about autumn here in Niseko, such as the food and festivals, but here are the two activities you will find him doing most often on an autumn weekend. Back home around Brisbane, I had occasionally been on a jetty or taken a boat into the bay fishing with mates. I never really got it like they did—a beer in the sun on the water was enough for me. Now, I love walking down to the Shirebetsu River after work on a Friday evening or going out for a full weekend and lure fishing. Furu, a friend and fishing legend, was the one who helped me change my mind about
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fishing. He took me to a place near Kyogoku Town a few years ago. We walked over two kilometres up these tiny streams with waders on while we fished the narrow waterways. I loved the experience; it was a wicked combination of hiking, exploring, and fishing for your lunch. When I’m not fishing in autumn, I am probably out surfing. I surfed a bit as a teenager in Australia and then kind of stopped through my twenties. Living in Hokkaido has reignited my passion for it. Many consider it a summer activity but it can be very beautiful in early autumn; the air is crisp, but the water is still warm and you get some big typhoons rolling past the east coast of Hokkaido. Here in Hokkaido, the empty beaches feel almost like uncharted coastline, that might be part of what got me back into it.
YUTA KAMIMURA used to work at a large chemical sales company in Osaka. When he quit his salaryman lifestyle last March, he came to Niseko. Although he had come here a few times before, he isn’t entirely certain what led him here this time. Yuta started as a rafting guide with NAC last spring and now works in their sales team full-time. Living in Rankoshi Town, he has his own private onsen at home and likes to wind down in it at the end of a long day. Yuta is a big outdoors enthusiast and here is his favourite activity to do in summer and early autumn.
I love to climb! It was climbing that led me to discover sawanobori, stream or shower climbing which is exactly what it sounds like. Rather than climbing a dry face, you climb up a vertical stream or waterfall. Late summer and early autumn are best as the water is at its warmest. You can’t really go in spring and early summer as the water levels are too high and the stream currents can be dangerous. Unfortunately, I don’t think that there are any tour operators as of yet, so it can be a bit tricky to go if you don’t have your own gear and the right know-how. I think that this will change in the coming years as there are a lot of gullies and waterfalls all across the greater Niseko area that are fun climbs. I go as far as Lake Toya and Otaru City to climb, but my favourite place is over by Koikawa Onsen in Rankoshi Town.
KRISHNA NIRAULA has been living in Kutchan Town since he first moved to Japan from Nepal 11 years ago. Originally a rafting guide in Nepal, he was invited to come and work in Niseko one summer and fell in love with the area’s beautiful seasonal transitions. Now, he works with Hanazono Harmony Resorts as a guiding specialist, taking guests river rafting, sea kayaking, mountain biking and canyoning. On his own time, Krishna loves to go white water kayaking and spending time with his family. Here’s where you might find Krishna relaxing on an autumn afternoon.
One of my favourite ways to relax is to drive out to the onsen and soak in the baths. There are so many great onsen it is hard to choose which one to go to! I enjoy going to Hirafu Tei and I used to go to Hotel Alpen’s onsen so I could swim in their pool. Recently, I find myself going to Kutchan Onsen Hotel Yotei a lot as it is so close to my house. When autumn rolls around, there’s one onsen that I have to make it out to and it isn’t autumn if I don’t! It’s a bit of a drive out in the mountains to get to Goshiki Onsen, but the drive is a big part of why I like going there so much. An all-natural onsen, Goshiki has a great view from the outdoor rotenburo and I love taking in the autumn colours from the bath. Whether with friends, family or even by myself I am always keen to head out to Goshiki Onsen during autumn.
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A Walk in the Park Exploring Fukidashi Park
I
t was a friend’s recommendation that led us to the breathtaking place at the base of Mt Yotei in Kyogoku Town. We were lucky to visit Fukidashi Park on a crisp autumn day, just as the leaves hit their peak for the foliage season. The park almost felt magical with the brilliant goldenyellows, oranges and reds layered amongst the trees. Our twin-boys were overjoyed to tramp around the huge grassy fields and explore the playground and jungle gym. It was a nice opportunity for me and my wife to sit back and relax while the boys amused themselves.
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After they had worn themselves out a bit, we followed along the path that wove through the park. We came to a wooden suspension bridge that spanned a stream and waterfall. At the base of the waterfall there was a large congregation of people filling up containers with stream water. As it turned out, Fukidashi Park is ranked among the top 100 pure water springs in Japan by the Ministry of the Environment. Famous for the quality of water which runs through its streams, the park attracts over 800,000 tourist to the area every year.
STORY AND PHOTOS BY WILL CLARKE
We stopped to have lunch beneath one of the parks pavilion benches. As we ate, we watched a family setting up for an autumn barbecue under the pavilion next to ours. Their children came back from the one of the stalls by the parking lot carrying a bag full of locally grown produce. When we finished up our lunch, we walked across the street to the onsen on the other side of the road. It was the perfect finale to our day at the park with the boys.
AUTUMN
STAY
GIVEAWAY!
Win a stay in one of four luxury accommodations this coming autumn! One contest, two nights, three days, four winners!
AYA Niseko
Ki Niseko
Niseko Central
Taiga
2 Bedroom Condo 2 nights, includes breakfast
2 Bedroom Condo 2 nights, includes breakfast
3 Bedroom Penthouse 2 nights, includes jacuzzi hot tub
3 Bedroom Chalet 2 Nights in SETSU-IN
Enter on our website for your chance to win a stay in one of these four great options!
www.experienceniseko.com/autumn-stay
Contest closes on August 21, 2017. Accommodation prizes are redeemable between September 1, 2017 and November 15, 2017. See our website and contest page for full terms and conditions.
Art and Culture Six spots to explore Niseko’s natural history and rich art and culture scene.
ARAI MEMORIAL MUSEUM OF ART Built next to the Iwanai Kogen Hotel, this museum has a stunning view of the Sea of Japan and Iwanai Town. The main gallery has a permanent collection of 267 woodblock prints by world-famous Pablo Picasso. They also have a collection of work by Kyowa Town’s Keiyu Nishimura housed in the museum. Where: Iwanai Town
ARISHIMA MEMORIAL MUSEUM This museum was established in honour of Takeo Arishima, a famous Japanese writer from the early 20th century. He was well known for his generosity in addition to his literary work. Built on his family’s former land, the museum houses a wide range of Arishima’s work and artefacts from his life, including photographs and paintings. Where: Niseko Town Open: 9:00am - 5:00pm (admission until 4:30pm); Closed on Mondays and Public Holidays
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Open: 9:00am - 5:00pm (admission until 4:30pm); Closed on Mondays and Public Holidays; Closed during winter (mid-December - April)
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM KUTCHAN The only natural history museum in the Niseko area, there are two showcases and many of the displays have English translations for overseas visitors. The first focuses on nature and the environment around Kutchan Town. The second explores the history of life and culture in Kutchan Town and Hokkaido. Where: Kutchan Town Open: 9:00am - 5:00pm (admission until 4:30pm); Closed on Tuesdays and Public Holidays
KEIYU NISHIMURA MUSEUM OF ART Boasting almost 5,400 pieces, the Keiyu Nishimura Museum of Art’s largest collection is made up of the work of Keiyu Nishimura. Born in Kyowa Town, Nishimura spent 28 years of his life in Paris before returning to Japan, where he passed away in 1992. The museum also houses a replica of his painting studio and an exhibition hall for temporary displays.
KIDA KINJIRO MUSEUM OF ART This museum features the works of Kinjiro Kida, a famous painter born in Iwanai Town. Kida was a leading figure in Hokkaido’s western-style art circle and a known associate to Takeo Arishima. The Kida Kinjiro Museum of Art is home to an extensive collection of Kida’s western-style work and also regularly features temporary galleries. Where: Iwanai Town Open: 10:00am - 6:00pm (admission until 5:30pm); Closed on Mondays and Public Holidays
Where: Kyowa Town Open: 9:00am - 5:00pm (admission until 4:30pm); Closed on Mondays and Public Holidays
SHU OGAWARA MUSEUM OF ART Shu Ogawara was a graduate of the Tokyo Art School and an avant-garde painter who spent 70 years of his life painting in Kutchan Town. This museum houses events and temporary galleries in addition to their main collection, which is made up of pieces by Ogawara. Where: Kutchan Town Open: 9:00am - 5:00pm (admission until 4:30pm); Closed on Tuesdays and Public Holidays
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I still remember the first time I discovered an onsen with a rotenburo (outdoor bathing pool). Up until that point, I had been teetering on the fence as to whether or not I really enjoyed onsen. Leaning back against the natural rocks of the rotenburo that night, I remember looking up at the twinkling stars as my breath rose in puffs of white steam and suddenly coming to a decision. Since that evening, I have been on the lookout for good rotenburo. This search has led me to hot springs at the tops of mountains and to naturally occurring pools concealed in the crannies of mountain valleys. I have found hidden gems along the outskirts of small towns and tucked away within the midst of large cities. Not every onsen has had a rotenburo that stood out— not every onsen had a rotenburo! Fast forward a few years and here I am in Niseko, a place that is abundantly blessed with onsen. My understanding of what makes a good onsen has matured since that first evening under the stars. While I have enjoyed many onsen without rotenburo, I do have a preference for a hot spring with a nice outdoor bath. What makes a good rotenburo, you ask? I am afraid there is no simple answer. It really does come down to personal preference; anything from the view and scenery to the temperature and depth can affect your feelings toward a particular hot spring. While the view from the outdoor bath might be the most obvious point of interest, the more onsen you visit the more you look at and appreciate the other aspects that make each onsen what it is.
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ROTENBURO
The Magic of Outdoor Onsen
BY MATT KAISER
A Few Recommended Rotenburo: Niseko Prince Hotel Hirafutei Located in the heart of Hirafu’s upper village, Hirafutei is an onsen that has been a staple for many who travel to the Niseko area for good reason—it is a prime example of an onsen with a good view! The rotenburo on the women’s side has an excellent view of Mt Yotei, while the men’s side looks up Mt Annupuri’s ski slopes. The onsen is located on a higher floor which keeps the views unobstructed. Niseko Grand Hotel Onsen There are two unique aspects about this onsen’s rotenburo. The first is its size. Open air baths make up the majority of their baths. Secondly, Niseko Grand Hotel Onsen is one of the few remaining mixedbathing onsen left in Hokkaido. Most of
the rotenburo is konyoku (mixed men and women baths), but there is a women-only outdoor section, too. Women who wish to bathe in the mixed pool can rent a special bathing dress, but it is not required. Due to the decline of konyaku onsen it is a pretty unique opportunity to experience what was once more of a cultural norm. Weiss Hotel Onsen Weiss Hotel Onsen is a bit off the beaten path for many travelers to the Niseko resort area. It has a wonderful outdoor atmosphere and partial views of Mt Yotei. The onsen is set right on the edge of the forest which surrounds the Weiss Hotel and that is what makes this rotenburo so special. Sitting in the bath at the edge of the woods leaves you feeling incredibly one-with-nature.
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Chase that winter feeling Keep an eye out for Experience Niseko Vol. 4 Winter 2017/18, coming this November!
PHOTO: HIDDE HAGEMAN
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World-class Edomae Sushi Enjoy sushi crafted of the finest seasonal ingredients, served in a setting of tranquil luxury.
Reservations essential 0136-59-2808 430-25 Niseko, Niseko-cho, Abuta-gun, Hokkaido 048-1511 3 minutes from Annupuri Gondola
www.sushishin.jp
NISEKO GEL ATO Artisan gelato handcrafted from the best local dairy and produce Niseko Motomachi 79-45 opposite Niseko View Plaza Tel: 0136-44-1385 nisekogelato
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Dine In - TakeOut - Delivery
& PIZZAPASTAGRILLBAR
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Discover one of Asia’s best-kept secrets in summer
Perhaps it’s the breathtaking views of Mt. Yotei. Or Chef Shinichi’s delicious Hokkaido cuisine. Maybe it’s the thrill of world-class cycling. Or the unforgettable personal service. Come and experience summer at Ki Niseko and explore all the fun in Hokkaido.
www.kiniseko.com
EdVenture is a summer and winter program providing children and families with the tools to venture, engage and unlock their inner explorers in the natural outdoor wonderland of Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan. edventureniseko.com
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