Ready, set, POW!
Japan is back, and families all over Australia are raring to go on an epic snow vacation to the country's many powderpuffed resorts. shares a rundown on where to go. helen hayes
From the first konnichiwa to the last sayonara, a snow holiday in Japan will be an unforgettable family experience. Highlights range from the meringue-like peaks of Japan’s northernmost island, Hokkaido – which has more powder than anywhere else in the country – to the higher, still-just-assnowy delights of Honshu, with a swag of resorts dotting the Japanese Alps, mostly in the prefectures of Nagano and Niigata. But first, let’s look at Hokkaido.
Heavenly Hokkaido
Now, just so you get the drift, when we go on and on about the fluffy powder that is blown across the Japan Sea from Siberia, we mean LOTS of powder. For instance, Rusutsu and Niseko’s average is 14 to 15 metres of snow! Suffice to stay that sometimes you have to dig out the snow so you can get out the front door of your apartment, hotel or ryokan. Niseko United is an ideal first port of call for a Japan snow adventure, with four resorts clinging to the white-sided Mt Annupuri: Niseko Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village, Niseko Hanazono and Niseko Annupuri. While Hirafu is where most of the accommodation and restaurants are located, you can also choose to stay in Niseko or in Hanazono, which has changed things up with the award-winning Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono ensuring ski-in, ski-out convenience. Add to that the fantastic Galaxy of Kidz Activity Center, with its 10 climbing walls and other fabulous family fun, and the Hanazono Edge ski centre, and you can stay put at Hanazono if you wish.
Hirafu will be seeing the first HOSHINOYABRANDED luxury property on Hokkaido opening in Kutchan in 2026. It is part of the Hoshino Resorts family.
Rusutsu is a wonderful family snow resort with a touch of magic about it – think talking trees, a real carousel, an indoor wave pool and a raft of fun things to do. Explore three
mountains – West, East and Mt Isola – on modern lifts, and stay in excellent accommodation at the award-winning Westin Rusutsu. This powder haven will quickly win you over so be prepared to become a fan!
Kiroro continues its climb up the ‘in demand’ list with piles and piles of pure powdery fun on the slopes of Mt Asari and Mt Nagamine. Kiroro will be even more popular once Club Med brings its pizzazz to the mountain this year. Club Med Kiroro, Hokkaido will open on 15 December 2022 and will elevate the property, formerly known as the Kiroro Resort, even further. There will be two hotels to choose from. Club Med Kiroro Peak will also open in December as a wonderful snow base for families with kids 12 years and above. Another hotel on-site, the Club Med Kiroro Grand, opens its doors in 2023 and will welcome kids from the age of two.
Tomamu is another perfect winter playground. Not only is there excellent skiing and snowboarding in waist-deep powder, there are lessons with English-speaking instructors, a real Ice Village with an ice slide and ice skating, plus just about every activity you can imagine to do on snow. But Tomamu also transforms winter into summer at Mina-mina Beach, with its sprawling indoor wave pool. Hoshino Resorts TOMAMU offers two ski-in, ski-out accommodation options: the four-star Tomamu the Tower with its iconic twin tower, and the five-star, all-suite RISONARE Tomamu.
While in Hokkaido, plan to stay a night or two in the quaint canal-side village of Otaru. Dine in tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurants, watch the fishermen bring in their catch, or just wander around this pretty town. A good place to stay is the OMO5 Otaru by Hoshino Resorts, a trendy, family-friendly property.
Happening Honshu
Hakuba, in Nagano Prefecture with its Olympic credibility (it hosted the Winter Olympics in 1998), has 10 resorts for you to try. Each is different: Hakuba 47 is the pick for park action; Hakuba Cortina is the spot for advanced skiers and those who love tree skiing; and Happo One is the largest of the resorts and has something for everyone. It's ideal for beginners, families and more experienced skiers, and group ski lessons are conducted by English-speaking staff –they're easily organised through Evergreen International. Make time to visit Matsumoto Castle and Zenkoji Temple, two cultural highlights.
For a rich taste of Japan mixed in with your snow adventures, Nozawa Onsen is a wonderful choice. It offers modern facilities for skiers and snowboarders in a traditional atmosphere. After a day on the mountain, nothing beats strolling the cobbled streets of the village with its natural hot springs – here are 13 to choose from. The Dosojin Fire Festival is another reason to visit, held annually on 15 January. It is unlike anything you would have experienced before on a snow holiday!
Also on Honshu, in the Tohoku region, Appi has world-class facilities and glitzy ski-in, ski-out accommodation. Appi caters especially well to English-speaking visitors with lots of English signage, menus and bilingual hosts. An après-ski soak at either of its two natural hot springs is a must.
Madarao is a popular choice for advanced skiers and riders, with more than half the resort ungroomed, and a buffet of official tree runs for you to tackle.
Then there is the luxury Lotte Arai Ski Resort, in the foothills of Ookenashi Mountain near Myoko. With plenty of the white stuff on the menu, it offers a nice balance of beginner, intermediate and advanced runs, and extensive avalanche-controlled off-piste terrain with open sub-alpine slopes offering dreamy tree skiing.
The upscale resort offers an international snow sports school with ski and snowboard lessons in English for kids (and private lessons for kids and adults), childcare services and plenty of family fun on and off the slopes. Just this year, Lotte Arai was added to the Ikon
Pass, which Niseko United is part of. This will make Thredbo pass holders very happy.