Snowsports School

fastfun.jp
nisekotourism.com

Transport links
hyperdia.com

Snow Sports
wpowderhounds.com
snowjapan.com
ski.com.au

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The ski resort in Kutchancho, west of Mt. Yotei, is part of the Niseko ski resort area. The mountain is nicknamed the “Mt. Fuji of Hokkaido.”

Mark Rodgers, a 25-year-old company employee from Sydney, described everything as “perfect,” while hoisting a mug of beer in a restaurant at the resort. Besides the powder snow, he was praising the sushi and beer.

He said he was going to spend two weeks out of his 25-day vacation in Japan at the ski resort. He also said he appreciated the beauty of the natural environment.

Fumio Sato, 43, chief of the ski resort’s business planning division, said, “On weekdays, it seems that about a half of our visitors are from overseas.” Last winter, foreign visitors accounted for about 20 percent of the holidaymakers. He predicted that the percentage would be higher this season.
Data from the Kutchancho town government also show an increase of foreign visitors. Australians who stayed in the town increased from 214 in fiscal 2001 to 7,696 in fiscal 2005.

Hajime Sekiguchi, 54, chief of the town government’s commerce, industry and tourism division, said, “The number [of Australians] will exceed 10,000 this fiscal year [ending March 31].”

Around the ski resort, holiday condominiums targeting such tourists are mushrooming.

Based on benchmark land prices announced by the Construction and Transport Ministry last year, prices of residential land in the ski resort area rose 33.3 percent, compared with the previous year–the sharpest increase in the nation last year.

Simon Robinson, a 46-year-old Australian who runs a real estate firm that manages about 80 holiday condominium units in Kutchancho, plans to add 30 units this year and 20 next year.

He was upbeat, saying demand will grow as the number of visitors from other Asian countries, Europe and the United States has also been increasing.

However, people in the town voiced some anxiety regarding the bubblelike boom. Sekiguchi said, “I’m afraid this town may face ruin if the boom ends.”

The town was trying to make itself more attractive by, for example, improving shopping malls and offering free night buses.

The whole of the town is doing its best to advertise the name “Niseko” to the rest of the world.

Zoom Up By Satoshi Oga Yomiuri Shimbun Photographer

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Anneli Knight | February 25, 2008 – 0:10PM SMH Business

A ski resort in Japan’s northern island, Hokkaido, is being inundated with Australian businesses, seeking a slice of the booming tourism trade.

Niseko was almost unheard of 10 years ago but is now experiencing the highest growth in property prices in Japan. The resort has gained an international reputation, being likened to Canada’s Whistler ski resort, and Australian businesses are ahead of the international rush for investment in the area.

Glenn Goulding is co-founder of Australian company Deep Powder Tours, which was the first foreign touring company to establish itself in the area 13 years ago.

“The first day I came here I thought, ‘Why aren’t there any foreigners here?’” he says.

Goulding started the touring business, with a head office in Sydney’s Southerland Shire and a branch office in Niseko, in 1995 with his brother Dale but the business struggled for years.

“The greatest challenge was educating the Australian skiing public that you can actually ski in Japan,” he says.

“We would turn up to ski shows and we’d tell people you can ski in Japan and they’d just say, ‘It must be really expensive’, or ‘It must be really crowded,’ and they’d just walk straight past us to the Canada stand. And we just thought, if only they knew,” Goulding says.

Japan began to develop a reputation as a ski destination after the Winter Olympics in Nagano in 1998 but it still took five or six years for the word-of-mouth effect about Niseko took effect in Australia, Goulding says.

Now the brothers’ biggest challenge is fending off the competition in this burgeoning resort.

“It was pretty annoying. We did all the hard yards for years and years. It’s the same with anything, people start a business and it becomes successful and then other people jump in and clean up,” he says.

Deep Powder Tours works year round taking bookings for the season in Japan. The business has 8 full time staff in Sydney and this year employed 17 extra staff in Japan on fixed term contracts over the season.

Matt Hampton, 30, and his business partner Mick Klima, owned ski hire shops in Cooma and Jindabyne, NSW, which they operated during the three-month Australian ski season.

“Everyone would say the ski industry would be great if it ran for 12 months, so Mick and I were always trying to find a way to make that happen,” Hampton says.

The pair first considered Niseko four years ago after a friend in the industry told them there were lots of Australians at the resort looking to hire powder skis.

“So we just basically picked up the Jindabyne store and shipped it over there,” Hampton says.

“It was pretty hard because of the logistics of getting a container of used ski equipment through customs without any Japanese language help. It ended up being a little fax war that I had with customs.”

The primary frustration over the past three years has been the continual delays in paper work because of language barriers and differing business customs, Hampton says.

“I’ve learnt now if you think it’s going to take a month, it will take two months.”

Hampton says the best part of extending his business to Japan during the Australian summer, is the continuity he can now offer his staff.

“That is the biggest problem with seasonal workers – you get people who want to rock up for a couple of months and just want to party. But with us they’ve got a full year’s work.

Everyone gets two 6-week holidays between seasons. We have three Japanese staff now and they are considering working in our stores in Australia,” he says.

Hampton and his business partner have 41 staff in Australia and 14 of them also work the season in Japan.

They also employ accountants in Australia and Japan, which is difficult because they can’t speak to each other, Hampton says.

“They have to speak numbers.”

And the numbers are adding up. In just three years, profits from business in Japan have overtaken Australian operations.

“It’s an amazing place, and it’s going off,” Hampton says.

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Scott Walker, Owner Scott Adventure Sports
スコット・ウォーカー
（スコット・アドベンチャースポーツ代表）

“I had nothing.” That’s what Australian Scott Walker, owner and operator of Scott Adventure Sports (SAS), had to say about his first days in Japan eleven years ago. Hard to believe when you consider the towering stacks of yellow SAS rafts and the hub of activity around his headquarters at the Hirafu resort area of Niseko, Hokkaido.

When did you come to Japan—and why?
“March 24, 1994,” said Scott, recalling the exact date. He came on a working holiday and soon was hustling around Sapporo teaching private English lessons and working at language schools to support hitchhiking trips to Niseko. “I was there almost every weekend,” he said. After three years of scraping by and facing the prohibitive visa troubles that so many foreigners deal with, Scott decided he wanted to live full-time in Niseko. The way to do it: start a business.

Humble beginnings
Scott spent the summer of 1997 living and working out of the shed that housed his one raft. “I slept there, I ate there; I did everything there.” He had enough equipment for two boats so that morning and afternoon customers could all have a fresh drysuit. He bought four more boats the next year and toward the end of the season, a film crew and writer from a travel and adventure magazine came out and did a spread—and according to Scott, that was a huge break.

That first winter, Scott made a foray into two activities nobody else was doing: dog sledding and snow rafting. He took a crash course in dog sledding on the sand in the autumn. For the latter, he simply attached a raft to a snowmobile and pulled it along the snow. After a few seasons, he phased out the dog-sledding because the snow rafting and snowmobiling were so popular.

How did the business grow?
Steady increases in the number of rafts and diversified activities were the strategy. In 2005, SAS ran over 30 boats on the Shiribetsu River and provided a host of adventure options in the summer.

What’s next?
“Do it well or don’t do it at all,” is Scott’s business philosophy. Scott plans to level off his rafting and capitalize on the winter explosion in Niseko. At the moment, he runs a ski & snowboard school and offers snowmobiling. Scott plans to improve all three, putting them on par with some of the other winter activity operators.

What about non-adventure endeavors?
In addition to the ski rental shop and two accommodations, Australia House and Forest Star Lodge, he recently opened Bohzan, a Nepalese restaurant. All are in business only in winter and manned by his international summer rafting staff.

How’s life?
“I live in the best place in Japan,” said Scott unequivocally. “There are very few places in the world where the river is so close to an established resort,” he said, and went on to talk about a canyoning course he found less than an hour from Hirafu. And of course there’s the snow, which Scott feels makes Niseko “the number one ski resort in Asia, in the same class with Whistler.” Not a bad place to be.

Scott is still hustling. He works hard to push all facets of his company, but there is no doubt that it has paid off, which is why he was able to remember fondly his arrival in Japan, repeating the quote toward the end of our conversation. “I had nothing,” he laughed. “Absolutely nothing.”

Outdoor Japan > Issue 2 / November 2005 > Faces in the Crowd

http://www.outdoorjapan.com/section-features.html

By Rob Volansky

Scott Walker at a Glance
Nationality: Australia（オーストラリア）
Age: 39（秘密）
Years in Japan: 11（11年）
Currently resides in: Niseko, Hokkaido（北海道ニセコ）
Quotable Quote: “I live in the best place in Japan.”
「日本で最高の場所に住んでいるよ」

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Mr. Hidenao Takizawa, Director of JNTO

Despite the many threats to international tourism in recent years, Japan has enjoyed year on year growth in its inbound tourism. In fact, Japan’s National Tourist Organization has revealed that in 2006 over 7.33 million tourists arrived in Japan, which is a substantial 9 percent increase from the previous year. The reason for this success lies in the “Yokoso! Japan” tourism campaign.

The campaign begun in 2003 as an initiative by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. It had an immediate effect on inbound tourism growth, which grew from 5.2 million in 2003 to 6.7 million in 2005. The budget for the “Yokoso! Japan” campaign has also grown as a result, while initiatives in other public sectors have been drastically cut.

Director of JNTO, Mr. Hidenao Takizawa said, “For a long time, we have ignored inbound tourism altogether. However, through the Yokoso! Japan campaign, we have worked towards eliminating Japan’s negative images.”

The success of the tourism campaign has relied heavily on the collaboration of public and private sectors through its project and advisory teams as well as promotional committees. Together they have worked to market Japan as an affordable tourism destination with much to offer in terms of culture, history, dining, nature and attractions.

“Yet the language barrier is still our largest challenge – though we have increased the quality of our signs and equipment,” Mr. Takizawa added.

In the case of Australia, tourists from Down Under form a crucial share of Japan’s ski tourism market. As one of Japan’s key inbound markets, the months of April, May and June become important opportunities for the promotion of ski resorts such as Niseko and Furano.

“For 2006 alone, 195,100 Australian tourists arrived in Japan,” said Mr. Takizawa. “A majority of these tourists travelled to Hokkaido, where the powder-like snow fields make ideal conditions for skiing. Australian skiers are also growing in the Hakuba region, which is conveniently located closer to Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto.”

“While these visitors travel to Japan for the snow, we have also noticed that these skiers enjoy after ski tours to the ancient cities of Nara and Kyoto. In response to this, we have promoted tours which include both ski and after ski attractions,” added Mr. Takizawa.

JNTO is targeting 10 million inbound visitors by 2010. In order to achieve this, teams from across the globe will focus on strategies unique to the preferences of each market. Business travelers are also an area of growth, which will see JNTO further the promotion of Japan’s MICE market.

Friday, 2 March 2007

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Peace out … conditions and prices are so good that many Australians are adopting Japan as their northern winter playground. Photo: Chris Hocking

Expect the unexpected when skiing in Japan. Here vending machines mid-slope serve hot Deeppresso coffee in a can, hoards of Japanese schoolchildren line up in identical ski outfits with numbered bibs and toilets play tunes while you pee.

Japan has more than 500 ski fields spread mainly over the northern island of Hokkaido and the main island of Honshu. Ski the established areas of Furano and Sahoro and you can still find powder pockets on the side of the groomed runs mid-afternoon. This is due to the rigid ski mentality of the Japanese, most of whom stick to the centre of the corduroy, skiing down in perfect formation one by one. Translated? More powder for foreign skiers.

Much of the charm of skiing in Japan is the retro aspect. Resorts such as Shiga Kogen may have high-tech groomers to rival the world’s best ski resorts but try to rent a fat ski and watch the eyes glaze over. It’s best to take your own equipment here or rent it in nearby Nagano lest you find yourself in a pastel ski suit negotiating the slopes with toothpick skis and fluoro poles.

In powder like this you want all the flotation you can get and you want to be fast so that the ski patrol doesn’t catch you in the trees – though the chances of ski patrol breaking the rules and going under the ropes is nil. Be warned: some stricter resorts will confiscate your ski pass if you are caught off piste.

Japan has built a reputation for its dry powder snow. Niseko in Hokkaido has successfully marketed its powder to Australians with 12 metres a season and gated back-country powder bowls. Hakuba Valley on Honshu combines powder and big mountain skiing in the Japanese Alps complete with a McDonald’s mid-mountain.

With so many resorts to choose from, a mere 10-hour flight from Australia’s east coast, a two-hour time difference to keep jetlag at bay plus a healthy exchange rate, Australians are adopting Japan as their northern winter playground.

HOKKAIDO
Fly to Sapporo’s Chitose Airport and head west or east; either way you’ll find a powder slope.

NISEKO
* Who goes there Australians and lots of them. Mt Hotham’s Colin Hackworth and Roger Donazzan set up Harmony Resorts (www.harmonyresorts.com) in Hirafu, with a ski school and a guided White Room powder program.
* The mountain A good mix of beginner, intermediate and advanced with runs up to 5.5 kilometres long. It snows so much here that there are always fresh tracks to be found and if you’re looking for a challenge, hike to the peak or head to the White Room with a guide. Rental equipment is the latest season’s and swanky new apartments are everywhere.
* Sleep over Hokkaido Tracks, self-contained Western-style apartments (www.hokkaidotracks.com).
* Apres Quirky underground bars, Western fine dining, Japanese yakitori but prepare to stand in line.

FURANO
(www.skifurano.com)
* Who goes there Those looking for a standard Japanese ski experience in a country town. It’s quieter than Niseko with fewer foreigners. In the belly button of Hokkaido, the powder is even drier, if you can get to it. The ski patrol here is very strict.
* The mountain Lifts range from a 100-person ropeway car to six-seater gondolas and dinky, one-seater lifts. A mix of steeps to burn the thighs and gentler slopes on either side of the mountain for beginners.
* Sleep over North Country Inn has Western- and Japanese-style rooms (www.northcountryinnfurano.com).
* Apres The tiny bar of Kitsutsuki is tucked away in an arcade and run by an eccentric musician.

SAHORO
(www.clubmed.com.au/sahoro-w/)
* Who goes there Ideal for families, with a kids’ club, nightly entertainment, all-inclusive meals, ice rink and ski school.
* The mountain The entire mountain can be skied in a day but with so much overnight snow the runs change shape daily.
* Sleep over Club Med has single, twin and family rooms from basic to deluxe.
* Apres Club Med is self-contained with its own bar and nightclub.

RUSUTSU
(www.rusutsu.co.jp)
* Who goes there A local Japanese favourite. There’s no need to leave the resort; it has an amusement park, indoor wave pools, restaurant arcade and three mountain peaks.
* The mountain A fun mountain with something for everyone from steeps and gullies to wide open, groomed and a good mix of on-mountain cafes.
* Sleep over A 24-storey tower, two Swiss-style hotel wings, travel lodge and log cabins and cottages (www.rusutsu.co.jp/english/hotel/).
* Apres Escape to nearby Kutchan township for its famous gosetsu udon potato noodles.

ASAHIDAKE
(www.asahidakeropeway.com)
* Who goes there Intrepid skiers
* The mountain Extreme skiing Japan-style on the island’s highest mountain. This is serious, lift-access back country, no grooming. Take an avalanche beacon and thermals.
* Sleep over Shirakabaso Lodge with its private hot spring (onsen) and wooden cabin.
* Apres There are no bars in the village so make your own fun at your lodge of choice.

HONSHU
Less than two hours by Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo, Nagano is set in the impressive Japanese Alps. The city hosted the Winter Olympics in 1998.

HAKUBA VALLEY
* Who goes there Families, big mountain skiers and boarders, Tokyo weekenders.
* The mountain Hakuba Valley is a 30-odd kilometre stretch of the majestic Alps that rise 3000 metres above sea level. The valley is home to a number of major resorts including Happo One which is steep, wide and open with excellent on-mountain facilities and big views; the groovy Hakuba 47 and Goryu Toomi with a modern lift system; Iwatake for snowboarders and Tsugaike in the national park perfect for all family members. Those seeking solitude and powder take an Evergreen Tour with Dave Enright for back-country ski touring on pristine snow.
* Sleep over Penke Panke is a well-priced Japanese family-run pension (www.penkepanke.com). Swankier folk may prefer the French-style La Neige for fine dining (www.hakubalaneige.com).
* Apres Hakuba is divided into a series of apres enclaves a short shuttle drive from village to village. Wadano village has The Pub, frequented mainly by Australians, Eccoland village has Hei restaurant for yummy Japanese fusion cuisine and there is karaoke in private rooms at Non Jays.

NOZAWA ONSEN
* Who goes there Those in the know. Nozawa Onsen is an undiscovered gem of skiing and culture, a centuries-old hot spring village where breakfast eggs and rice are boiled in the volcanic waters. Streets are narrow, cobbled and lead up the hill to the temple and Buddhist graveyard. Foot onsens line the streets to soothe ski boot-weary tootsies and hospitality is high.
* The mountain More than 50km of tree runs, open bowls, moguls, super-groomed and powder-perfect runs with one run of 8km from top to bottom. The views are breathtaking.
* Sleep over When in Japan, and especially Nozawa Onsen, experience the Japanese way of life and stay in a ryokan. Sakaya Ryokan and its sister property Kiriya Ryokan have private onsens for guests, tatami mat rooms and gourmet Japanese dining nightly.
* Apres Don’t expect the nightlife of Niseko but venture to the basement haunt of Stay Bar for bourbon-based cocktails and the occasional singer.

SHIGA KOGEN
(www.shigakogen.gr.jp/english/)
* Who goes there Japanese school groups and week-long snow tourists.
* The mountain You need a week here to explore the 21 linked resorts that make up Shiga Kogen. Snow-laden conifers known as “snow monsters” line the runs, there are both night skiing and an excellent Austrian-style ski school linked with ski schools in the Tyrol.
* Sleep over Chalet Shiga is owned by a local Japanese and former Thredbo ski school instructor and the first lift of the day is a moment’s walk away.
* Apres The Snow Monkey onsen is a short drive away and great for watching the troupe of monkeys that live by the hot springs. Shiga is not known for its night life but there are a handful of restaurants and some hotel bars. Best concentrate on the skiing.

NEED TO KNOW
The Japan ski season is from November to May.
Japan Airlines flies direct from Cairns, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne to Tokyo, with connecting flights to Hokkaido, http://www.jal.com.au.
Travelplan (www.travelplan.com.au), Value Tours (www.valuetours.com.au) and Ski Japan Holidays in association with Japan Specialists (www.japanspecialists.com) have package tours including flights, lift passes, accommodation and some meals in most ski areas of Japan.

Brisbane Times Saturday April 14, 2007
Link: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/japan/powder-to-the-people/2007/04/12/1175971190060.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2

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It is 3.00pm and I have had enough skiing for the day. My fingers and hair are frozen. The water from my nose has soldered to my face and a thermometer the size of a telegraph pole taunts me with a reading of minus 15 degrees. I’ve lost my husband, my children, my friends and my sense of humour. It’s time to call it quits.

In Niseko-Hirafu, on Japan’s north island of Hokkaido, snowstorms rush down from Siberia, collecting moisture from the Sea of Japan before dumping metres of the lightest, driest snow to be found anywhere on the planet. In these conditions the chair lifts are open from 8.30am to 8.30pm, and finishing early is a crime.

Quitting for the day is a crime surpassed only by that other anti-social behaviour known as “having a day off’. Either of these perversions is subject to punishment by the tribe, in my case also known as the family. Sideways glances, smirks and whispers of the word “wuss” are aimed at the guilty. Few skiers can withstand this treatment. However, as a repeat offender I have an armoury of mechanisms for escaping detection.

Mount Yotei, a dormant volcano that last erupted more than 5,000 years ago, is barely visible in the distance. My husband answers his mobile almost immediately. “Guess what?” I call out, trying to sound as if I’ve just finished a slalom race, while snow-plowing towards the nearest mountain hut cafe. “I’ve just found out there’s an ice bar and an onsen near where we’re staying.”

Our group, consisting of four adults and four teenagers, desperately wants to try an onsen (a traditional outdoor hot spring heated by underground volcanic vents). The ice bar would be an enticing bonus. Snow, soft as a whisper, is falling as I mention that the onsen closes early, and the ice bar is small and gets overcrowded late at night. I look to see if Mount Yotei is rumbling at my deception. A few minutes of idle chat and we agree to meet up at the top of the covered chairlift in half an hour. In less than two minutes, he calls back.

“I’ve told the others about the onsen and the ice bar and they’re all keen to go. You don’t mind if we finish early do you?”

“No problem,” I say, fist thrust to the sky.

THE ONSEN EXPERIENCE

Shuttle buses, free with the purchase of the All Mountain lift-pass, loop around the Hirafu village at 20 to 30 minute intervals. From the Hirafu Gondola it takes ten minutes on the bus and a five-minute walk (more a slip and slide than a walk) to the Yukora onsen.

There are two rules for onsen use: you must wash thoroughly before entering the spa water and swimming costumes aren’t allowed. Steps lead down to a large tiled room where clothes are shed and inhibitions dropped. I am not sure what part of my body is most in need of being covered, so I clutch onto the modesty towel like a security blanket.

More steps lead to a communal washroom where rows of Lilliputian stools are lined up in front of shower heads. From here I follow the lead of the woman beside me. On low stools and with the intensity and precision of a search and rescue mission, we scrub every square inch of our bodies.

Once washed, there are more rules. Etiquette dictates that one must enter the water with minimum disturbance. It is generally frowned upon to shout “last one in is a rotten egg”. I imagine my boys doing so in the male-only onsen next door, as they crash through Japanese local custom – Cro-Magnon man knows no rules.

The other rule concerns the modesty towel. It is not allowed to touch the onsen water, so most Japanese women place it on their heads while they are soaking.

After washing, we open the glass doors and step outside into the snow. The brutal night air slams into my chest and steals my breath. This sensation is short lived as I melt like sugar into the scalding tea green water.

Japanese women grimace and make long drawn out “ouchie” sounds. I followed suit with a few yappy “ouchies” of my own. Later I found out that the word is actually atsui, which means ‘hot’ (the road to learning the Japanese language is a slippery slope indeed).

Like Japanese snow monkeys do, we spend the next half an hour alternating between the 42 degree water and the cool volcanic rocks on the edge. A few women sit alone, others wade in small groups – and under an elegant night sky we whisper things of which all women speak.

Bar the Ice

Rugged up in our thermals and ski jackets, we meet the others outside. They are all grinning and looking silly as boys do after they’ve been naked together. They ask: “How do we get to the ice bar?”

Behind Resort House Bab (also on the shuttle bus route) it is a short walk through the snow to the hand-carved sign ‘Bar the Ice’. A set of ice steps lead down through a narrow doorway and into a ghostly blue cavern. Giant stalactites hang from the ceiling and frozen white feathers litter the floor. All around fairy lights glow like shards of broken mirror; surely the Snow Queen from Hans Christian Anderson lives here.

The bar is well stocked with bottles of Absolute vodka and Smirnoff Ice. A blackboard lists delights such as butterscotch schnapps with hot milk, or the cocktail of the day, Ian’s Bad Brother. There is hot lemonade or chocolate for kids. Each served in earthenware pots to ward off frost bite, in the minus 5 degree ice box.

Hirohiko Takenaka, the creator and owner, mingles with his guests. With two helpers and a Christmas deadline, it took him one month to complete.

“I can tell you two things about myself” he says. “The first thing – I am an artist. The second – I am a businessman. Luckily, I am 90 per cent artist and only 10 per cent businessman”. Hiro explains that he has been making ice sculptures for 35 years, ever since his father taught him when he was a six-year-old boy.

Given the frosty surroundings, it is not long before conversation carves a graceful turn back to skiing. Stories of great skill and daring, of steep runs, deep powder and hard falls are embellished, told and retold. My feet twitch as I remember the effortless pleasure that came from mastering powder skiing – fleeting yet addictive. Like this ice bar, the sensation will disappear in spring, appreciated only once it is gone.

Fire and ice

29 September 2006

The post Fire and Ice appeared first on Niseko.

Photo: Penny Watson

Destination: Japan

With dismal weather forecasts at home, Australian skiers are finding their rites of passage in the little village of Niseko.

Towards the east, the peaked volcano of Mount Yotei is swallowed up in darkness and the surrounding wilderness has disappeared with the sunlight leaving nothing more than a big black hole in the distance. In the foreground, white puffs of cotton-wool-like snowflakes make their graceful descent through the silent atmosphere, landing on the big, fluffy, white doona of snow already covering the ground.

A smattering of flakes end their journey unwittingly on the slanted rooftop of Hanks Bar, a small shack top-heavy with snow so thick it seems to crawl over the eaves in voluptuous mounds and hang there, defying gravity. A haze of smoke billows from the chimney, pushing its way past the falling flakes into the night sky.

Inside, the warmth of a fire turns cold cheeks rosy and noses crimson and showers the small cavernous room, lined in timber and covered with postcards, in a golden glow. The atmosphere is welcoming and emboldening so that most visitors forgo the small collection of stools around the bottle-lined bar and head straight to the central fireplace.

Sidled up to the fire, Hank, the Japanese owner who bears a striking resemblance – both in looks and manner – to Mr Miyagi (the wise and sharp-witted teacher in The Karate Kid trilogy), is preparing yakitori. This Japanese method of cooking skewered meats and vegetables over a chargrill has the punters licking their lips.

Whole sardines, fat sausages and quivering shitake mushrooms are passed around straight from the flames and washed down not with hot sake, the traditional winter accompaniment to yakitori, but with Asahi Super Dry. The sake might come later.

The scene looks and feels very Japanese but, in fact, it’s a slow-drawl “strine” accent that fills the cosy interior, the same accent that rebounds around the slopes of this Japanese ski resort where the mob from Down Under make up a surprising proportion of the population. Hanks Bar happens to have the closest thing to a cold beer and a barbecue, which is a powerful combination for any Australian. It almost tops the powder snow.

Australian boarders and skiers consider a trip to Niseko, in Japan’s northernmost isolated island of Hokkaido, as something of a rite of passage. The season-average 14 metres of powder snow is talked about in almost reverential terms. Tim Goodwin, of Essendon, and Brendan Cashman, of Kensington, were two in a group of seven mates who went to Niseko on a whim back in February 2001.

“In short, it blew my mind,” says Cashman. “We had a 50-centimetre dump when we arrived – then three days of sun, which is rare and then, for the next seven days, it did not stop snowing – seriously did not stop and we hit minus 20.”

Goodwin, who has snowboarded in Canada, New Zealand, the US and Czech Republic, agrees.
“It was quite possibly the lightest, driest, best powder I’ve boarded; great back country and local mountain workers who didn’t give a fig where we went.”

When Goodwin and Cashman were carving up the slopes, there were certainly fewer Western faces. But, thanks to a locally based pool of Australian businessmen and investors – not to mention that direct flights from Cairns to nearby Sapporo fall in the same time zone – the number of Australian visitors is growing each year.

Last season (December-March), the figure touted was 15 per cent, but, due to an Aussie propensity to stay longer and perhaps party harder, it can feel like they outnumber the locals.

Cashman believes he might have caught Niseko at its best when Aussie faces were in a clear minority, but recent visitors to the mountain are more than happy with the cultural mix. Stephen Carter, of Blackburn, who visited the resort in January this year, has a theme running through his praise:
“Snow; outdoor onsen (natural, mineral-rich hot spring); beer in outdoor onsen; beer in outdoor onsen while it’s snowing; beer in outdoor onsen while it is snowing after you’ve skied for a whole day. That’s what I loved.”

He has a point.
In Niseko, onsen range from simple hotel mineral baths to luxurious pools. At Niseko Grand Hotel, one of the few mixed-gender onsen, snowflakes melt just as they hit steam that rises in great wafts from the outdoor rock pool. There are separate male and female changing rooms, but the onsen tradition is considered a great social leveller. All that protects bathers from baring all is a small white modesty towel used to cover your bits as you submerge.

The other essential ingredient, mostly for gaijin (foreigners) unaccustomed to getting butt-naked with strangers, is cold beer, found in handy vending machines. The duo is undeniably good.

Back at Hanks Bar, the punters have a few more beers under their belt and are half expecting Mr Miyagi to catch a fly with his chopsticks. Instead, in his mild-mannered way, Hank cooks on request, pours beer and tunes out, no doubt, to discussions about today’s action on the slopes.

Strawberry Fields, the unmarked terrain under An’nupuri Gondola, is perhaps Niseko’s most talked-up area. Englishman Phil King, a seasoned French Alps snowboarder living in Port Melbourne, had his Niseko debut in January this year. He describes Strawberry Fields as an off-piste bowl, a mixture of trees and open spaces that lead into a little gully at the bottom.

“It’s pretty easy to find fresh tracks and even when it hasn’t snowed in the last 24 hours you can still find little pockets of powder in amongst the trees,” he says. “It’s impossible to get bored.”
It’s this off-the-beaten track skiing that attracts many skiers and boarders to Niseko. While Hirafu, closest to the main village, has wide-open spaces, long runs and minimal queues (perfect for beginners and intermediates), the An’nupuri, Higashiyama and Hanazono areas allow more experienced skiers to spend time exploring different tracks and off-piste terrain. A keen explorer could spend three days skiing solidly without covering the same path twice.

On the other hand, the trek around the village’s quirky bar scene is well worn. Half the fun is finding the places that tend to be hidden away in building basements or in some cases, under a mountain of snow. Entry to Gyu+, a cool little bar with a DJ and tempting cocktail list, is through a miniature Coke vending machine door that glows red in the snow.

The bizarre Ice Bar is in fact an igloo where the barman wears more ski gear pouring drinks than he needs on the slopes. At the bottom of Yummy’s restaurant and Blowhard Lodge, low-ceiling, low-key basement bars have music that’s chilled and gluhwein that is happily not so.

And for something completely different, Fatty’s is a bar in the back of a truck. The story goes that it was driven to Niseko by a couple of fun-seeking Aussies who liked the resort so much they didn’t want to leave. It has been parked there ever since.

While there’s a sense of humour about the drinking scene, the food is taken a little more seriously. Hokkaido is famous for its fresh produce and this is reflected in the number of decent restaurants in the village. While traditional Japanese favourites, sushi and sashimi, are available, the cold temperatures are far better suited to winter warmers.

At Yawaraya restaurant, okonomiyaki, a Japanese-style pancake topped with a concoction of fresh vegetables and seafood is prepared on an open hotplate. Big bowls of ramen, dunked with noodles, pork slices and bean sprouts, are the staple at Jukoh, where gyoza (Japanese dumplings) are also cheap. For a tapas-style take on other Japanese favourites, Raku’s open kitchen dishes out small plates of fried cheese and shitake mushrooms sizzling on a hotplate of garlic butter.

But the local cuisine is not the only option. Gentem serves Thai and Vietnamese food on the rug-cluttered floor of a large Mongolian tent and Yummy’s does as good a pizza as anyone on Lygon Street. Then there’s Yuki Bar. When the Ashes Series is on, a meat pie and a pot costs Y400 ($4.45).

TIPS
- Travel to Niseko near the end of January/start of February and combine the trip with a visit to Sapporo’s famous Snow Festival. This year, Australia’s business relationships with Japan were honoured (perhaps obscurely) with sculptured replicas of Flinders Street Station and the Melbourne Exhibition Building.

- Haven’t had your fair share of Hokkaido’s famous food? Don’t despair. Sapporo’s New Chitose Airport has a spectacular array of the local cuisine and most of it is available for tasting.
- Japan is one of the few Westernised countries where tri-band mobile phones don’t work. Mobiles phones can be hired on the mountain.

The Age – Melbourne

http://www.theage.com.au/news/japan/getting-piste/2006/10/19/1160851065062.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2

Penny Watson
October 22, 2006

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Refurbishment plans call for an extensive, multi-million dollar renovation of the property currently known as Niseko Higashiyama Prince Hotel, to upgrade the hotel and align it with the Hilton brand experience, including a restyled lobby and guest rooms, 5 new food and beverage concept outlets, a spa, fitness center and Hilton Meeting facilities.

Comprising 506 rooms, the hotel boasts a “Ski In, Ski Out” location steps away from the Niseko Gondola at the south base of Niseko Annupuri mountain, Asia’s premier mountain resort destination. Weather systems from Siberia ensure a consistently high and light snowfall in Niseko, producing ideal pistes of deep powder snow in winter; and cool, low humidity summers.

The resort also has two 18-hole golf courses, complementing a wide range of summertime outdoor activities, including mountain biking, hiking, white water rafting and a complete program of outdoor activities for guests of all ages and fitness levels. While Hilton will manage the hotel, the existing operator will continue to manage the ski, golf and outdoor activities after the re-brand.

In recent years, the Niseko region has been transformed from an isolated alpine retreat to one of Asia’s premier mountain destination resorts, popular in all seasons among visitors from Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, Korea and China. The resort is 100 kilometres from Chitose International Airport.

Koos Klein, President, Hilton Hotels Asia Pacific, commented, “With its ideal location in a premier ski and summer sports resort, the Hilton Niseko Village will offer a wide choice of activities for leisure and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions) travellers to Niseko. It also underscores our goal to grow our presence in Japan, a key market where we aim to offer Hilton Family hotel products and prices that suit our guests’ needs, whatever stage of life they are at.”

Eiki Shibao, Representative Director of Citigroup Principal Investments Japan (CPI), commented, “CPI and Hilton’s shared goal for Niseko is clear: a year-round resort experience on par with renowned mountain destinations in North America and Europe. The re-branded Hilton Niseko Village will offer world-class rooms and food and beverage, superior customer service and a wider range of amenities, further strengthening Niseko’s position as the top mountain destination in Asia. Further, Hilton’s presence in the Niseko region will contribute to the local community’s economy and improve the region’s recognition throughout Asia.

Hilton Hotels Corporation currently operates 8 Hilton Family hotels in Japan:
1. Hilton Tokyo
2. Hilton Tokyo Bay
3. Hilton Tokyo Narita Airport
4. Hilton Nagoya
5. Hilton Odawara Resort and Spa
6. Hilton Osaka
7. Hilton Otaru
8. Conrad Tokyo

About Hilton Hotels Corporation
Hilton Hotels Corporation is the leading global hospitality company with more than 2,800 hotels and 480,000 rooms in 76 countries and territories, including 100,000 team members worldwide.

The company owns, manages or franchises a hotel portfolio of some of the best known and highly regarded brands, including Hilton®, Conrad®, Doubletree®, Embassy Suites Hotels®, Hampton Inn®, Hampton Inn & Suites®, Hilton Garden Inn®, Hilton Grand Vacations™, Homewood Suites by Hilton® and The Waldorf=Astoria Collection®.

The Hilton Family of Hotels adheres to founder Conrad Hilton’s philosophy that, “It has been, and continues to be, our responsibility to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality.” The company put a name to its unique brand of service that has made it the best known and most highly regarded hotel company: be hospitable®. The philosophy is shared by all brands in the Hilton Family of Hotels, and is the inspiration for its overarching message of kindness and generosity.

For more information about our company, please visit www.hiltonworldwide.com, and to learn more about our be hospitable philosophy, please visit www.behospitable.com.

Contacts
Hilton Hotels Asia Pacific (Singapore)
Faith Thoms – Director, Communication
+65 9171-0223, +65 6833-9762
faith.thoms@hilton.com

http://www.hiltonworldwide.com

TrainTracks PR Inc (Japan)
Yukiko Harada or Miki Ito
+81-3-5738-4177
harada@traintracks.jp

Citigroup, Corporate Affairs (Japan)
+81-3-5223-8699

Hilton Hotels Corporation to Manage Hilton Niseko Village, Japan
November 01, 2007 04:34 PM Eastern Daylight Time http://home.businesswire.com
Hilton Niseko Village Will Offer a Premium Ski and Golf Resort for All Seasons in Hokkaido’s Famous Niseko Area from July 2008

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Some of the ski areas are vast, made up of multiple resorts; others are more modest affairs run by tiny villages with accommodation in traditional ryokan.

When visitors need a break from the slopes there are always hot springs to take away the chill (and in some places even snow monkeys can be found having a warming soak).

Niseko in Hokkaido, with deep powder, challenging runs and a whopping 16m of snow in an average season (early December to early May) is the favoured destination for many Australians, and not just skiers and boarders.

Resort staff often speak English with an Australian accent, too.

Niseko
Niseko is actually four areas – Annupuri, Higashiyama, Grand Hirafu and Hanazono – on the west coast of Hokkaido, about two hours from Sapporo, the island’s gateway. All are linked by 37 shared lifts – four of them gondolas – and can be skied on one pass. Ski lifts open at 8.30am and at Grand Hirafu the action on the slopes continues to 9pm.

Grand Hirafu is also the place for apres ski action – there’s considerable Australian investment here – with numerous bars, restaurants and ski-in, ski-out accommodation options to suit any budget.
World Cup downhill races are often staged at Furano, in the centre of Hokkaido, and it is becoming increasingly popular with international skiers. It’s actually two mountains that can be skied on one lift ticket, opening up some of the longest and steepest runs in the country with spectacular views of the peak of Mt Furano.

There’s a wide variety of terrain for all levels and, at the base, a good choice of accommodation.
The ski-in, ski-out Prince Hotel (next to the cable car, which takes skiers to the top of the mountain) is the most upmarket.

How Furano measures up. Vertical rise: 974m; lifts: 18; terrain: beginner 40 per cent, intermediate 40 per cent, advanced 20 per cent.

Rusutsu
Rusutsu, Hokkaido’s third big resort, about 80km west of Sapporo, has extensive facilities and a lift network spreading over three peaks. It’s bustling with restaurants, cafes, bars, shopping mall and entertainment complex.

The Resort and Tower hotels are good accommodation options. How Rusutsu measures up. Vertical rise: 594m; lifts: 18; terrain: beginner 30 per cent, intermediate 40 per cent, advanced 30 per cent.

Shiga Kogen
Shiga Kogen, 1 1/2 hours from Nagano, on the main island of Honshu, is one of the giants of Japanese skiing with 21 resorts linked by a single lift ticket.

Yakebitaiyama is the most modern and, along with the adjoining village of Ichinose, offers ski-in, ski-out accommodation, extensive facilities, fast lifts and great snow. This area is also the home of the famous, camera-friendly Japanese snow monkeys, which live at Jigokudani hot springs. How Shiga Kogen measures up. Vertical rise: 980m; lifts: 70; terrain: beginner 30 per cent, intermediate 40 per cent, advanced 30 per cent.

Sahoro
Sahoro is a small resort popular with international visitors largely because the only Club Med in Japan is situated at its base.

The lift network provides fast access with the gondola making the journey to the top of the mountain in less than 10 minutes. Hotel Sahoro and Club Med are the best accommodation choices. How Sahoro measures up. Vertical rise: 610m; lifts: 8; terrain: beginner 30 per cent, intermediate 40 per cent, advanced 30 per cent.

Tomamu
Tomamu has lots of variety, from off-piste skiing, heli-skiing and cat-skiing to huge indoor wave pool, outdoor pool, saunas, spas and ice-dome village. How Tomamu measures up. Vertical rise: 670m; lifts: 11; terrain: beginner 30 per cent, intermediate 40 per cent, advanced 30 per cent.

Hakuba Valley
Hakuba Valley, billed as Japan’s skiing mecca, is a huge expanse of 10 resorts and 200-plus runs on a 30km stretch of the alps. It’s about a 2 1/2 hour bullet train ride from Tokyo. Rugged peaks tower above the town, where the majority of the skiers and boarders stay. There’s an extensive range of accommodation and a wide selection of dining and entertainment options as well as natural hot springs to relax in after a hard day on the slopes.

Happo-One is the most popular with the locals. A Happy Seven lift pass can be bought which is valid at, you guessed, seven of the 10 resorts. How Hakuba Valley measures up. Vertical rise: 1081m; lifts: 135; terrain: beginner 30 per cent, intermediate 40 per cent, advanced 30 per cent.

Nozawa Onsen
Nozawa Onsen combines great skiing and boarding with a traditional Japanese experience staying at authentic ryokan with natural hot springs and lantern-lit cobblestone streets. How Nozawa Onsen measures up. Vertical rise: 1065m; lifts: 21; terrain: beginner 40 per cent, intermediate 30 per cent, advanced 30 per cent.

Mt Naeba
Mt Naeba is one of the biggest interlinked resorts in the country. Naeba, Tashiro, Kagura and Mitsumata make up this huge and diverse area.rtfgv4

Accommodation is at the Naeba Prince Hotel, a ski-in, ski-out 1000-plus room grand-style resort with more than 20 restaurants, shopping mall, indoor swimming pool and hot springs. How Mt Naeba measures up. Vertical rise: 889m; lifts: 50; terrain: beginner 30 per cent, intermediate 40 per cent, advanced 30 per cent.

Myoko Kogen
Myoko Kogen is a large-scale resort with great snow, numerous runs and a fast, efficient lift and gondola system. The village is connected to three linked resorts: Suginohara, Akakura and Ikenotaira. Akakura is the main area with a good selection of hotels and entertainment. There are natural hot springs in the area.

How Myoko Kogen measures up. Vertical rise: 1124m; lifts: 41; terrain: beginner 25 per cent, intermediate 53 per cent, advanced 22 per cent.

Zao
Zao has maintained its traditional heritage and is brimming with hot springs and local character. It’s known for its so-called snow monsters; during the ride to the summit, visitors pass thousands of these snow-covered pines.

How Zao measures up. Vertical rise: 881m; lifts: 42; terrain: beginner 40 per cent, intermediate 40 per cent, advanced 20 per cent.

Article From:


By Barry Oliver
September 30, 2007
Visit www.skijapan.com and www.snowjapan.com for more information.

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