Our insider’s guide to experiencing Niseko and more this winter.
Our insider’s guide to experiencing Niseko and more this winter.
Hokkaido has gained popularity over the decade, with a ski holiday in Niseko being an annual ritual for many Singaporeans.
01 FAST TRACK TO FIRST TRACKS
SWISH SLOPES
Niseko might be teeming with ski enthusiasts come winter, but it is not impossible to enjoy the slopes in peace – if you know where to go. Lim Hui-Juan, co-founder and COO of boutique agency Quotient Travel planner, shares this insider tip: Head for Mt Weisshorn. “There, the powder enthusiast can relish the freedom of having an entire mountain to himself,” she reveals.
This former ski resort – now used on an exclusive basis – takes only a maximum of 12 guests each day, and the thoughtful full-day package even includes safety gear and lunch.
Patrons are ferried in snowcat machines across untouched and pristine snow-covered slopes – all free of crowd and queues. This means you can dedicate all the time you have to skiing and snowboarding.
A DIFFERENT WORLD
Two hours away from Sapporo’s New Chitose Airport is a ski resort that offers a less crowded alternative to Niseko. Blessed with even heavier snowfall than Niseko, yet visited by fewer tourists, Kiroro Snow World is where locals go for a winter escape with the family, and where those in the know go to experience the thrill of tree-skiing.
Off -piste skiing isn’t allowed officially, but this hasn’t deterred enthusiasts from making first tracks on fresh, untracked grounds. Our advice: Go with a local guide who will be able to tell you the dos and don’ts. www.kiroro.co.jp/en/winter/.
02 OFF PISTE
BIRD’S EYE VIEW
Those who prefer the big picture can opt for a different way to experience Hokkaido’s national parks: a helicopter flight. Lim recommends a flyby over the caldera Lake Toya for a different perspective.
“During the scenic air journey, you will be able to admire the lake and its four islands collectively called Nakajima, as well as observe the lake’s surrounding attractions, particularly the active Mount Usu with its signature volcanic plume, the Nishiyama crater and Mount Yotei, also known as Hokkaido’s Mount Fuji.” Also of note, the scenic location was where dignitaries attending the 2008 G8 summit were hosted. www.toyako.biz/english.
HOUND POWERED
You don’t have to go all the way to Alaska to go mushing. At Tokachi subprefecture in central Hokkaido – known for its hot springs and nature reserves – you can enjoy the rush of zipping through vast snowfields on a dog sled, driven by yourself.
This experience created by Mushing Works Sled Dog Tours covers a 12km backcountry trail that takes one across the ancient snowfields, among conifer trees and along the river. “Participants will get to soak in the breath-taking scenery, with frequent stops along the way,” enthuses Lim.
“It’s a great outdoor activity for families too; children as young as six years of age can enjoy this experience. Guests who do not wish to ride the tandem sled can opt to sit in the snowmobile with the guide.” www.mushingworks.com.
03 GETTING THERE
SUITE LIFE
Train Suite Shikishima – East Japan Railway Company’s new luxury train to be launched early next year – lends weight to the saying “getting there is half the fun”. Passenger experience for this all-suite sleeper train that offers itineraries around the Japanese archipelago starts with pre-journey libations at a plush lounge located within Ueno Station in Tokyo.
Once on board, luxuriate in sleek modern compartments outfitted with their own shower and lavatory. The aesthetic is distinctly Japanese but, with design of the trains overseen by award-winning industrial designer, Ken Kiyoyuki Okuyama – best known for his work with Ferrari – one can also expect a sleek, futuristic edge.
This can be seen in the design of the observatory cars at the front and rear of the train, which have wall-to-ceiling windows offering panoramic views. The train, which carries only 34 passengers, will off er different itineraries throughout the year, leveraging on the best experiences to be had in different seasons.
A four-day, three-night journey offered from spring till autumn takes one from Tokyo to Hokkaido and back, stopping at Hakodate, Niseko and Noboribetsu for sightseeing. www.jreast.co.jp/ shiki-shima/en/.
04 PUT YOUR FEET UP
SLOPE EDGE
Patronised by ski enthusiast Pippa Middleton (the sister of the Duchess of Cambridge), The Vale sets itself apart from the competition by being located right on the ski run. Yes, this means that you can literally ski out of this 49-room boutique chalet. And when you are done, ski right back to the welcoming arms of the resort, which boasts penthouses outfitted with private onsens on a balcony overlooking Mount Yotei. thevaleniseko.com.
INTO THE WOODS
With a name that literally means “place among the trees to sit and forget”, Zaborin Ryokan is hidden within a birch forest just outside of Niseko – so you are secluded, yet close enough to the action. The 15-villa estate marries modern design with zen aesthetics to create an ethereally tranquil space for relaxation.
Situated directly above a natural spring, the property boasts indoor and outdoor onsens in each of the villas – a true luxury. An experience of Zaborin Ryokan is completed with a sampling of a kaiseki meal prepared by local chef Yoshihiro Seno, who paid his dues in the Japanese restaurants of New York City and Tokyo, before returning to Hokkaido. www.zaborin.com/en/.
TAKE ME OUT
A sleek, modern sevenroom hotel in Esashi, made entirely from wood. An inn with just 19 suites, each with its own private hot spring bath fed by local thermal springs of Otaru. A 5,382 sq ft vacation rental home in Niseko, designed by acclaimed architect Makoto Nakayama and lovingly decorated by the owner so that it truly feels like home.
Such unique properties are all part of The Sekka Club, which, apart from offering luxuriously beautiful accommodation options for the discerning traveller, also offers travel itineraries. A Gourmand Explorer Package takes you to little-known eateries, while the Open Road Explorer programme takes you to never-written-about places and routes known only to true insiders. www.sekkastyle.com.
05 SIP & SAVOUR
SECOND CHANCE
Savvy travellers to Niseko have been visiting Japanese kitchen & bar A-Bu-Cha for its hearty, no-frills nosh served in a friendly, cosy environment that puts everybody in a celebratory mood.
Now that the original establishment has closed, A-Bu-Cha Second has become the insiders’ go-to place for a boisterous evening out. The expansive menu ranges from yakitori items to snow crab shabu shabu, and you can wash it all down with a selection from its drinks list of more than 400 offerings. www.abucha.net.
JOIN THE LOCALS
One of Niseko insiders’ best-kept secrets, family-run Torimatsu located in the town of Kutchan is where the locals go for simple yet well executed yakitori dishes. This is also where one can feast on a variety of grilled seasonal seafood, ranging from littleknown local fish to the prized Hokkaido hairy crab. 1 Kita 3-jo Nishi, Kutchan-cho, Abuta-gun. Tel: +81 136 23 2893.
SENSATIONAL SOBA
While set meals are offered at Sobatei Rakuichi, food enthusiasts from around the world visit this nondescript hole-in-the-wall run by a husband and wife team for its handmade soba. Housed in a wooden hut with just 12 counter seats, this restaurant is where you can get a taste of artisanal soba made with premium quality buckwheat grown in the northern regions of Japan and natural spring water from Niseko. 431 Niseko, Niseko-cho, Abutagun. Tel +81 136 58 3170.
FROZEN IN TIME
Hiding behind a vintage fridge door covered with a messy collage of stickers is Bar Gyu+. Also known as The Fridge Door Bar, for obvious reasons, it is a must-visit in Niseko. While families are welcome in this cosy, candle-lit joint, after 8pm it is an adult-only playground buzzing with soulful jazz music – the perfect accompaniment for an evening of soul-warming whisky after a day on the slopes. www.gyubar.com/gallery.
THE PRICE FOR PARADISE BUYING NISEKO
For a while now, enterprising Singaporeans have been investing in villas in the tropical paradise of Bali – and now, they seem to have turned their sights to the winter wonderland that is Niseko. “There has been a rise in interest in investing in Niseko over the last five to 10 years,” observes Desmond Sim, head of research for CBRE Singapore & South East Asia, commenting that the demographic displaying the most interest are highnet- worth individuals and double-income families with high spending power.
Sim identifies several factors behind the rise of Niseko as a real estate investment hotspot for Singaporeans. While push factors such as an inflated local housing market are driving investors to look outward, pull factors such as the strength of the Singapore dollar against the Japanese yen entice those looking to park their cash in an overseas property.
Sim also notes that investing in ski resorts is attractive as they offer an alternative to purchasing beach villas, which are abundant in Asia. Niseko’s increased profile as a tourism destination over the years is another draw: According to the Niseko Promotion Board, less than 1,000 foreign travellers visited the Niseko Resort Area in 2001. By 2010, the number had swelled to 120,000.
Indeed, the early investors are now reaping their rewards, given that before the start of the new millennium, Niseko was a quiet locals’ hangout with scant infrastructure for tourists. These days, the biggest hospitality groups – from Hyatt to The Ritz-Carlton – are all racing to open resorts on the powdery slopes of Niseko.
And while there is little data available, most industry observers agree that real estate prices here have risen. According to a 2014 Financial Times article, one could snag a “three- or four-bedroom, 100 to 200 sq m apartment in a top-end development” for just a million US dollars.
A three-bed three-bath apartment in Aspect 301 – the luxury development on Niseko’s “Millionaire’s Row” in Middle Hirafu – currently lists at a price of US$2.2 million. Yet the trend is still on the rise, and it might not be too late yet to jump on the bandwagon. For your next ski holiday, a side trip to survey the real estate options of Niseko, perhaps?
