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I will be going to Hokkaido in two weeks for a ski trip and hoping to get some recommendations.
As of this point we are starting at Niseko resort, but will have a vehicle.
Does anyone know of some great ski areas worth checking out in Hokkaido?
Any other recommendations (food, sites...) are appreciated as well.
Moiwa is on the same mountain as the other Niseko resorts, only you can't ride it on a Niseko United pass. More laid back, less touristy, bit more hard-core experience.
Rusutsu is sick as hell, you may as well ignore the little side (with the theme park on it) and just head straight for East Mt/Mt Isola
I've only skied there when there was loads of pow, I imagine it's kinda limited if there hasn't been any fresh for a while as all the good skiing is off-trail in the trees.
As for Niseko...
The biggest tip I can give is the noodle shop on the main road up the hill in Hirafu. It is so awesome. So much awesome. I miss that place about once a week. It's in the modern-looking wood building with the gift shop upstairs.
A-bu-cha-2 is a little further down the hill, a little up from the fire station, and does awesome toasted sandwiches for about Y100 in the morning.
Also if you're coming up the hill and take a left down the alleyway just before A-bu-cha-2 there's a sorta hostel/backpackers place on your left, there is a little café thing off the lounge called Wazza's (you may have to ring the doorbell to get let in) that is incredibly good, burgers and stuff.
Also Gyu Bar (everyone calls it Fridge bar cos the door is an old fridge) is straight down the hill from the main intersection and serves heaps of awesome cocktails, awesome place to wind down after a bowl of ramen (if you're not out slaying the nighter). Kinda pricey though.
This is all based on a couple of seasons ago so I hope all the good stuff is still there.
If you have a car, I'd strongly recommend using it as much as you can. Niseko is a cool spot and a great mountain, but unfortunately has become a victim of its own success. Too many people so the powder gets tracked quickly and the lift lines can be long. If you're up early and know where to go, of course you'll still get great powder because it snows so much, but it won't stay fresh all day unless it's dumping.
As mentioned, Moiwa is a smaller ski area just to the side of the main Niseko resorts and is worth a trip.
Rusutsu is definitely worth a trip and is less than an hour from Niseko. Its a big area that's less crowded and has a lot of options to find fresh snow. The good thing about Rusutsu is that even if you don't know the place, you can more or less go anywhere without worrying about getting lost or stuck. All the lines funnel out to a lift eventually.
Also worth checking out Kiroro. Slightly flat in places, but there are some good pitches and the place gets ridiculous snow.
If I were you and had 2 weeks and a car I would head to Niseko for 5-6 days initially to cover Niseko and nearby resorts. Then I'd head up north to Asahikawa. Stay there for 3 or 4 days and hit Asahidake when the weather's good, and also Kamui Ski Links and maybe Furano if you can get a local to show you round.
Then finish off your trip in Sapporo and hit Sapporo Teine and Kokusai, two of the local city ski areas. Teine has the steepest inbounds powder on the island and Kokusai has some of the lightest snow.
Asahikawa and Sapporo are both large cities, so its easy to get cheap accomodation in business style hotels then travel to the ski area of your choice each morning.
If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask here, or message me. When you're in Sapporo, if I'm free, I'll happily show you some good lines at Teine.
As others have said, Moiwa and Rusutsu are the ones.
Moiwa is small (really one lift) but basically empty and has lovely side country access and gates.
Strawberry Fields in Niseko is a great area.
And pretty much everywhere in Rusutsu. I've heard they have built some sort of park in the trees with manmade log rides etc.
As others have said, Moiwa and Rusutsu are the ones.
Moiwa is small (really one lift) but basically empty and has lovely side country access and gates.
Strawberry Fields in Niseko is a great area.
And pretty much everywhere in Rusutsu. I've heard they have built some sort of park in the trees with manmade log rides etc.