Ski, eat, onsen, repeat: Niseko in a nutshell. Renowned for its light, fluffy powder, off-piste forest boarding and lively après ski scene, Niseko is an addictive winter destination.
But what if you aren’t – dare we say it – a skier or a boarder? If you’re not sporting the latest in ski fashion, tearing down the slopes at 70km/h by day and by night sharing increasingly impossible feats of derring-do over bottles of sake in an izakaya… do you have any business being in Niseko?
Or, what if you have an unnatural craving for exploring Niseko in, say, summer? Do Hirafu, Annupuri and Moiwa even exist when the snow melts?
The vast majority of Niseko’s international visitors don’t know it, but the prime ski town has evolved into a year-round destination. Yes, the destination is stunning cloaked in white, but its cherry-blossom spring, green summer and yellow-red autumn outfits are just as beautiful.
It is this hotelier Gordon Oldham is banking on when he launches Pavilions Niseko Resort and Ginto Residences in 2019. The complex just outside Hirafu will include a resort of onsen suites set around a delightful Japanese courtyard with a restaurant focusing on seasonal ingredients and an evening fire pit bar, plus a muscle-rejuvenating spa. In addition, entertainment and shopping complex Ginto Village will make residents of the Ginto Residences feel like they have a complete home in the forested area.
“We are fully capitalised and have a strong development pipeline that embraces our core values of style, quality and active living,” says Oldham, “a combination we feel is particularly well suited to entrepreneurs and investors in Asia.”
So whether you’re looking for sports, culture, down time, gastronomy or even an investment project, it delivers throughout the year. “There is a clear trend that property owners are returning for the summer and staying longer periods, often a full month or two,” says Paul Morris at Hokkaido Tracks Resort Properties. “The weather is perfect, the air is crystal clear and there are activities for the whole family.”
Adrenaline
You can still experience the stunning slopes, deep powder, diamond dust glinting in the sun and perfect views of Mount Yotei without strapping on skis or boards. Drive a snowmobile and meet your ski buddies for a slope-side lunch or snack at mountain café Boyo-so or 1000 Metre Hut. Hop on a snow Segway tour or try cross-country skiing at the new course in Kutchan, suggests Oldham. Meanwhile, for kids snow rafting and tubing gets the little heartbeats racing.
When the snow’s gone, hire a mountain bike and follow the many high- and low-land trails. Alternatively, the Mountain Bike Downhill Course in Hirafu is 3,000 metres of twisting, winding rocky trail, ideal for intermediate or advanced riders. It’s about speed, balance and brakes, and drops an ear-popping, eyeball-rattling altitude of 475 metres.
Zip lines, tree trekking, horse riding and hot-air ballooning keep the adrenaline pumping, or take it slow by hiking the circumference of Half Moon Lake. Oldham is a fan of hiking Mount Yotei, also known as the “Mount Fuji of the North”. Hire a guide for the approximately five-hour ascent (and four-hour descent).
“Sea kayak in Shakotan in July or August when the waters are cobalt blue with the most incredible visibility,” he adds, also recommending the five nearby golf courses.
Down time
Take the pace down – way down – at the area’s onsens. They may be a little on the – ahem – fragrant side, but the heat, sulphur and minerals are beneficial for the skin and ease muscle tension, making this the perfect post-activity wind-down. The rotenburo, or outdoor baths, are equally wonderful whether the steam floats up over summer flowers or winter snow.
Try Goshiki, the oldest and authentic to the point of no-frills; the Weiss Onsen Hotel for a selection of baths all with different cooking temperatures; and Oldham’s personal recommendation Yuki Chichibu – a 30-minute drive from Hirafu, it has four alfresco baths, plus a mud bath where you smooth the cleansing mud onto the body, wait for it to dry then wash it off. You can then hang out with a beer post-soak.
For hands-on healing, Niseko Spa is a fragrant, hushed escape for body butter or hot stone massages and more. And there’s no need to forego your yoga routine – visit the incredibly stylish Sanctuary Niseko, where they also offer Reiki.
Culture
With your own wheels it’s easy to zip around the countryside. Stop and explore some of the temples and Shinto shrines, often hidden in forests. The traditional religion of Shinto is a lifestyle rather than a dogma in Japan and has led to the Japanese reverence towards nature.
Alternatively, look inwards to reveal your inner Picasso and embrace the rich artist community that is drawn to Niseko. Drop in to AYA for their Kiyoe Gallery full of local Japanese artists; visit Galerie RAM and Aaron Jamieson’s photography; or make a special trip to Hanazono to Shoya Grigg’s eclectic home-cum-restaurant, Somoza.
“Shoya is an incredible artist and has done amazing work with the space, his art and curating the menu,” Oldham says. “Somoza is a favourite lunchtime spot of mine too in the renovated (ko)minka (traditional home) with the most fantastic farm-to-table menu.”
Afterwards head to Kutchan and visit the local sake distillery, or to Yoichi for the Nikka distillery there, any time of the year.
Food
Hokkaido’s gastronomic scene is famous for seafood, dairy, veggies (particularly potatoes and mushrooms) and fruit. “Hokkaido has been doing ‘farm to table’ as a way of life before it ever became a fad,” says Oldham. “During summer you can pick seasonal fruit in Yoichi, and I love sampling the first catch of red and purple uni [sea urchin roe] in June.”
During the day a mini gastro tour could start with coffee and pastries at the stylish Koko Bakery or rustic Morinoma Café. At lunchtime choose your soba noodles at Soba Kaiseki Ichimura accompanied by light, crispy tempura. Go for afternoon snacks at L’Ocanda Trattoria, the town’s popular Italian eatery, Azmaya for green tea specialities, or Niseko Milk Kobo for their incredible ice cream, cream puffs and cheesecake.
And then for dinner… If you’re a ski orphan you’ll be doing your on-slope team a favour by organising dinner in advance as restaurants can book up fast in winter. A-Bu-Cha 2 is a worthy successor to the original for contemporary Japanese with style. Tiny Izakaya Raku is a great spot for seafood, grilled in front of you. Sashimi is super fresh at Ebisutei for a light meal. Go a bit off-piste and experience Michelin-starred and unforgettable Bistro Kamimura, or eat under the soaring roof of The Barn, both offering French cuisine.
Toshiro’s Bar is great for cocktails, and you can’t mention Niseko without talking about Bar Gyu, the cosy, buzzing little speakeasy, where Oldham recommends the eggnog made from a secret recipe.
It’s also worth heading to Kutchan for food, just a few minutes’ drive away. Saika yakitori/izakaya does fantastic agedashi tofu (deep fried), fried Camembert and of course grilled chicken, plus the tskune (chicken meatball skewers) are to die for. Also try tiny Tarazushi, with only seven seats run by a husband-and-wife team. The sushi and rice melts in your mouth, and the sensei carefully tailors the rice size to your appetite.
DAY TRIPS
Otaru
About 90 minutes away, between Niseko and Sapporo, Otaru is a historic port town famous for herring fishing and narrow, charming streets. Check out the fish market to the side of the train station for your first snack of the day, choosing between divinely sweet scallops, famous uni, king crab and salmon.
Make space for the next meal by visiting the 19th-century Herring Mansion and Aoyama Villa (built by a wealthy herring industry family a few kilometres outside town). Also check out the strangely interesting Finance Museum and the Music Box museum next to the Steam Clock.
Many of the town’s eateries and shops are set in little streets leading up to the canal or in repurposed warehouse spaces overlooking the canal, like the Otaru Beer Pub & Gallery. At the tiny collection of wooden buildings on the corner of Chuo Dori and the canal, graze on sushi, crab bao, sweet buns and ice cream.
Sapporo
Far more than simply where you fly in and out to get to the ski slopes, Hokkaido’s capital Sapporo is a relaxed, green and pleasant city to spend a night or two. The annual snow festival each February is a great time to visit, with sculptures taking over the centre of the town. When the snow has melted hire a bike and pedal around.
Wake up early and head straight for the Nijo fish market, where tiny eateries serve up breakfast treats like super-fresh sushi, uni from the shell, grilled mackerel, scallops, and crab miso soup. Year-round wander the green corridor that is Odori Park and get a bird’s-eye view of the city from the Sapporo TV Tower.
Typically quirky shopping happens throughout the city. Explore the many floors of the condo building of artisans and cafés at Space1-15, or go more conventional at the Sapporo Factory mall.
Don’t miss the excellent Sapporo Beer Museum, or you’ll miss out on a beer and Genghis Khan BBQ at one of their beer halls. Alternatively the Ramen Alley in the Susukino nightlife district, is a string of hole-in-the-wall ramen joints with rich broths, delicious ingredients and ice hockey on the TV.
By Catharine Nicol
