Tips for Skiing in Niseko

The snow in Northern Japan is legendary – famous for the quantity and consistency of light powder. But nothing quite prepares you for the volume of whiteness that greets you when you first arrive, as Expat Living reader LINDSAY SHERMAN discovers. USEFUL

Have your sunglasses handy for touchdown at Hokkaido’s New Chitose Airport, as an endless white vista extends from each side of the runway, as far as the eye can see. The journey to your resort passes through pillowy, white countryside; if you’re lucky you’ll catch sight of the occasional deer.

Niseko is a 2.5-hour coach or private shuttle transfer from the airport. The snowdrifts beside the road grow taller throughout the journey – by the time you reach your destination, they’ll possibly be taller than you, and the roads are paved with white. Pay attention on the main street and you’ll see the “No Sliding” road signs. Skiing or boarding on the streets is banned, and carries a stiff fine – but I just love the fact that you can.

The long-term average snowfall in Niseko is 18 metres. For the past three years, it has been well below that, but as a regular visitor I can assure you that, even in a poor season, the snow here is totally awesome.

Niseko United ski area consists of four separate valleys and lift companies that have been combined into one lift ticket. They all connect up at the top of the mountain and are linked at the bottom by the Niseko village bus. So getting around the mountain is easy and skiing top to bottom in all four valleys is a beautiful way to start the day.

Each of the four mountains is different and provides variable ski experiences. The majority of the runs on the mountain are groomed. If you’re after adventure, there are nine gates that allow access to the untracked backcountry; avalanche gear is recommended outside the gates, and a powder guide will help you to navigate and make sure that you don’t end up having to walk home.

There are a large number of ski schools in Niseko and the quality varies surprisingly; so it’s worth doing some research before you go and book in advance, especially if you plan to travel during the busier periods of January and February. We used Niseko Academy for both tuition and guiding.

The regularity of the snowfall means that you can ski fresh tracks almost every day. In fact, Niseko is the only place I’ve skied where they groom the runs in the morning, ensuring navigable trails for skiers that haven’t perfected their powder skills.

In addition to the amazing snow, Niseko offers excellent accommodation and a wide range of restaurants and bars. I’d recommend that first-time visitors stay in Hirafu village. While there are a number of other accommodation options around the valley, most of them are a little isolated. If you’re after a few amenities and a choice of restaurants, Hirafu is the place to be.

We like to stay at Shiki Niseko, a modern apartment complex located right in the heart of Hirafu. The rooms are spacious

and comfortable and the small kitchens have everything you need to prepare basic meals. There are also laundries on each floor, stocked with detergent powder.

Shiki is a short walk from the family lift (beginner’s slope) and just down the hill from the Ace quad lift and the Hirafu Gondola, the two main lifts in the Hirafu area. A complimentary Shiki shuttle runs every half hour between 8am and 5pm and stops at all three Hirafu lifts, so you won’t have to carry your skis very far.

The Shiki building also contains a supermarket/deli (with English translations for all produce), a cash machine, a coffee shop and two restaurants. The flagship restaurant is the Michelin-starred Kamimura, which offers a degustation menu. If you want to experience the produce that Hokkaido is most famous for, I would recommend Ezo Seafoods. Both of these restaurants are pricey, however, so my preference after a hard day’s ski is comfort food at Mina Mina, next door to Shiki, or Bang Bang, a short walk up the hill. Another great find is Bistro Kuchan Sakaba in Kuchan town, a short taxi ride from Hirafu.

All of these places are popular and, like most restaurants in Japan, small. So I suggest you book them before you go – the concierge at Shiki can help you with this. There are generally two sittings for dinner; we like to eat early, so we can hit the slopes on the first lift the next day.

For casual dining, the Green Farm Café at the main intersection does very tasty organic food. Mariposa (up the hill past Mina Mina) does good hot chocolate and home-baked treats. For ramen head to Asahikawa Ramen Tozanken, halfway up the hill to the Ace quad lift – just look for the queue.

Niseko’s on-mountain restaurants range from the modern Hanazono 308, an excellent cafeteria, to quaint mountain huts offering coffee and snacks. The 1,000-foot hut at the top of the Ace pair lift is a good late afternoon stop for some Glühwein, prior to the final run down the hill to the village. After this, make your way to an onsen; as a Shiki guest, you get a discount at Hotel Niseko Alpen, which is next door to the Ace quad lift. If you have any energy left at the end of the day, Niseko also offers night skiing.

Then, at the end of it all, you can track your overall mountain movements using the Niseko Skiline website or app; you just enter the unique number on your ski pass and it will tell you how many lifts you took, the kilometres you covered and your vertical descent.

Two big benefits of skiing in Japan are the relative close distance from Singapore and the limited time-zone change. The main reason to go there, though, is for the snow. When you wake up and gaze out your window at that endless white, you just know it’s going to be a good day.

The culture of Japan, centuries-old Ryukyu Island traditions and Western influence are all evident in dayto-day life on Okinawa. Those who have also visited Tokyo and Kyoto will notice that, while it resembles the mainland in many ways, Okinawa’s compact size, tropical weather and remoteness (it’s over 1,500km from the capital) have combined to create a distinct identity. Aside from taking it easy on a beach, here are five things to do while you’re there.

#1 EXPLORE NAHA

All flights land at the airport close to Naha, the island’s bustling capital and commercial centre. The city’s heart is Kokusai Street, which locals affectionately call the “miracle mile” because it was the centre of recovery after World War II when the city was all but flattened. Today, it’s a busy strip of restaurants, hotels and souvenir shops. You’ll find the compact Makishi Market in the labyrinth of covered shopping lanes that branch off the main street. Locals buy their fresh food downstairs and head upstairs for excellent (and cheap) hawker-style food in a jovial atmosphere. Look for a stall with an English menu and pictures for easy ordering.

The quaint Pottery Street is nearby. Named for its winding lanes lined with pottery shops, here you’ll find artists at work, and even an old climbing kiln (similar to the dragon kilns found in Singapore). Also look out for distinctive glassware, a local craft that originated from the resourceful re-purposing of discarded glass bottles.

Shuri Castle Park is set high on a hill overlooking the city, and it’s a pleasant place to stroll around for a few hours. The Chinese exerted a strong influence over the island in the 14th century, when the bright red Seiden Main Hall was constructed, which is why it resembles Beijing’s Forbidden City more than it does the temples in Kyoto and Tokyo. Over the centuries, the original castle was burnt to the ground three times and rebuilt, and it was almost totally destroyed again in World War II. The current reconstruction was completed in 1992.

#2 EAT AND DRINK THE LOCAL DELICACIES

Since Okinawa is tropical, its cuisine differs in many ways from the rest of Japan. Sweet potato and pumpkin are popular ingredients, as is pineapple, the island’s largest crop; sugar cane is grown widely and is used to make brown sugar candy and for doughnuts. Surprisingly, you won’t find chillies or coconuts. Okinawan pork is very popular (despite seafood being plentiful) and is widely served in a ramen-style dish with Chinese overtones. On a stroll through the local markets you’ll notice that no part of the animal is off-limits – even the ears.

Bitter melon, or gourd, features in most meals and is often served with tofu (which tends to be firmer and creamier than the mainland version). Ask for seafood and you’ll be served fresh sashimi, sushi, and fish cooked anyway you like it, often with a string of umi budo, a tiny green seaweed known as “green caviar”. This delicacy is extolled for its nutritional value and is one of many Okinawan foods purported to promote longevity. (The island is famous for its sizeable centenarian population.)

Local brew awamori is also made with rice, but its flavour is entirely different to sake. Interestingly, it’s the only Japanese liquor that is said to improve with age. Chuko Distillery (chukogura.com) is one of 48 distilleries on the island. It’s a good place to learn about the distilling process and watch patient potters creating from local clay the vitrified pots in which the awamori is stored. You can sample different types of the drink in the tasting room after the tour – though I’d recommend an afternoon visit.

#3 TAKE A STROLL

Fukugi trees have been used for centuries as natural windbreaks to mitigate the impact of the typhoons that strike the island from time to time. The community of homes at Bise Fukugi Road is set along sandy paths behind these tall and shady trees that offer both privacy and protection. It’s a photogenic and popular spot for honeymoon photos, and a tranquil place to spend half a day, either on foot or bicycle. Finish with lunch or dinner at Cahaya Bulan Café, overlooking the sea. On a nearby hillside are 7,000 cherry blossom trees, which burst into glorious pink bloom from the beginning of January, months earlier than similar trees on Japan’s main islands to the north.

#4 GET UP CLOSE WITH THE SEA

The sparkling blue seas surrounding Okinawa have made it a popular spot for everything and anything to do with water. At numerous points along the coastline there are opportunities for participating in water sports such as parasailing – which I’d not tried before but thoroughly enjoyed – and flyboarding, best described as walking on water through the upward propulsion of jet pack shoes (much more difficult than it looks!).

A more sedate aquatic activity is swimming with dolphins. This was another first for me, and while it was very enjoyable I did wrestle with my conscience about the circumstances of their captivity. A surprise was just how social they are; the keepers explained that dolphins, as mammals, are “closer” to humans than, say, sharks.

Snorkelling is easily accessible, but choose your spot carefully as some of them, such as Blue Cave, can be overrun with boats and divers. No doubt there are many other quieter places to be found, especially on some of the farther-flung islands.

Rather stay on dry land? The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium (churaumi. okinawa/en/) is home to three enormous whale sharks, manta rays and bull sharks in one of the world’s largest tanks. It’s located inside the large Ocean Expo Park complex that also offers dolphin shows, gardens, museums and cultural exhibits.

#5 VISIT AN ONSEN

Public nudity is an offence in many countries, but in Japan, so long as you’re within the confines of an onsen, it’s totally OK. The Ryujin Onsen at the Senagajima Hotel (senagaspa. jp/en) is open to hotel guests and the public, and it’s a wonderful facility with indoor and outdoor baths.

If it’s your first time, here’s how to make the experience less stressful. ( Note: We have more onsen tips on the following page.) Firstly, put all your clothes in one of the provided lockers and slip the locker key onto your wrist. Enter the wet area, where you’ll find little stools and rows of taps. Sit here to clean your body and wash your hair – often shampoo and body soap are supplied. Only enter the baths after all the soap has been washed off your body. There are areas of varying water temperature to soak and relax in, so take your pick. It’s completely acceptable to sit on the chairs outside of the pool when you need a break from the heat. It’s a wonderfully calming experience – and I also noticed how soft and silky my skin felt the next day.

For centuries, Okinawa was the centre of the independent Ryukyu Kingdom of 160 islands that stretched for over 1,000 kilometres from east to west. The Chinese influence evident in the food and cultural traditions is attributed to the area’s hundreds of years of trade with China. Japanese influence was strong too, and in 1879 the Ryukyu Kingdom came under the command of Japan, from which point Japanese culture dominated. At the end of World War II, the island was placed under American administration. It reverted to Japanese control in 1972; however, a large US presence remains, with four large military bases and thousands of personnel living on the island.

WHERE TO STAY:

Ryukyu Onsen Senagajima Hotel senagaspa.jp/en Sheraton Okinawa Sunmarina Resort starwoodhotels.com/sheraton The Terrace Club at Busena slh.com/hotels/the-terrace-club-busena

GETTING THERE:

Options from Singapore include flying via Osaka or Tokyo, or flying to Taipei (Taiwan) and taking a connecting flight to Naha from there. Silkair runs direct charter flights from time to time.

GETTING AROUND:

There’s little public transport beyond Naha, so independent travellers should hire a car, use hotel transfers or engage a tour guide. Check out Flight Centre for flight, hire car and accommodation deals (flightcentre.com.sg/holidays/okinawa).