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Niseko is currently booming, largely as a result of investment from Australia. Together with its main rival Furano in central Hokkaido, the village of Niseko offers some of the best fresh powder skiing in Hokkaido. Niseko has excellent depth, though the powder at Furano tends to be drier. The only areas near Tokyo or Nagoya that can come close to the quality of the powder would be parts of northern Nagano such as Shiga Kogen or some parts of the Hakuba valley such as Tsugaike or Happo One. From December through to March Niseko has very consistent powder conditions despite the low altitude of some runs (below 250 meters asl).

Niseko is a genuinely world-class ski resort, offering challenging runs equal to anything found in Europe or North America. The facilities are excellent and with the influx of new cash are constantly improving. There is an extensive range of "ski in, ski out" accommodation options available on the mountain from budget backpacker hostels, ski lodges and self-contained apartments, to the usual mix of hotel and ryokan rooms. Although accommodation capacity is increasing, early bookings are often necessary, especially in January & February. The only time when it is worth trying to avoid Niseko is during the New Year's (Dec. 28th - Jan. 3rd) holiday when lift lines are long, and the cost of accommodation becomes a bit exorbitant.

There are 3 major sections to the resort: Hirafu, Annapuri and Higashiyama, with another section nearby at Hanazono (about 3 kilometers from central Hirafu). Hirafu is the most popular area, with a large ski lodge zone, hotels, many bars and restaurants, and unlike Hanazono, easy access to the warmer and sunnier side of the mountain. Hirafu has spectacular views across the Niseko valley to Mt. Yotei and superb conditions. Hanazono doesn't have the views and the cold winds from Siberia can make the surface icy between snowfalls, but lift lines are usually shorter and the gelande less crowded. Annapuri and Higashiyama also have excellent views, but can be crowded during peak periods.

For night skiing and night life, the best area is at the base of Hirafu, while Annapuri and Higashiyama are fairly quiet. The nightlife in Niseko is better than in Furano but nowhere near as good as Susukino in Sapporo. Most of the Japanese visitors to Niseko tend to eat, have an onsen soak, then go to their accommodation for an early night, so if dancing is your thing then skiing near Sapporo (at Sapporo Teine for example) is worth including on a schedule.

Niseko has about 40 kilometres of ski runs, and roughly a quarter of these are advanced.

How to get there: Compared to Furano, the Niseko resort area is a little easier to get to. By bus from Sapporo, you are looking at about 2 hours 50 minutes, or from Shin Chitose, Sapporo's main airport, about 3 hours 15 minutes - in both cases a bit less if the weather is good. If you ski or snowboard fields such as Sapporo Teine or Sapporo Onze, and then take the train along the coast to Asarigawa Onsen and Otaru City, you see more and have a shorter bus trip to Niseko at the end. If you are in a small group and you bring an IDP (International Driver's Permit), one of the cheapest and most flexible ways to travel to Niseko is to rent a car and drive. Car rental in Hokkaido is fairly easy, and the vehicles have snow tires (and often chains) included. Almost all cars have navigation systems and the road signage is mostly bilingual. A car also offers the easiest way to get from Niseko to areas such as Lake Toya in the Shikotsu-Toya National Park and the new volcano, Showashinzan.

Ski gear, snowboards and boots, snowshoes and wear etc are available for rental.

Study in Sapporo - It is now possible to combine skiing and snowboarding in Hokkaido with Japanese language studies in Sapporo via the Sapporo Winter Japanese Course.
Click here for more information regarding studying Japanese in Sapporo.

Tours - The Japan Discovery Tours visit Niseko.
Click here for more information regarding when Discovery visits this destination.

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Opening hours, prices, booking procedures, schedules etc are subject to changes beyond our control. This site is just a guide, and we advise that you always check and confirm in advance. Suggestions, additions and correction of errors are always welcome. Please contact us.