Exploring Japan's Winter Wonderland
For the past several years Brad and I have been wanting to go to Japan to ski their famous champagne powder. It seems like every year we know a handful of people that head over to experience their world class snow, delicious Japanese food, and soak in the local onsens. We decided this was going to be the year for us. We set an alert on Google Flights and just waited it out for the right price. Right before Thanksgiving we got an alert for round trip tickets to Tokyo on Air Canada for $475 per person - we booked the flights immediately!
Our trip to Japan was from February 7-17, 2020, with us arriving in Niseko on the 8th. Our group included myself, Brad, my mom, her partner Zubin, and our friend Steve. We stayed at a great Airb&b in Moiwa, which is about a 15 minute drive to Niseko village. We had a rental car and getting around was easy but if one doesn’t want to drive staying in the village would be more convenient for walking to everything.
Our rough plan was to ski for 6 days and then head to Tokyo for some city exploring. On one of our days there I was fortunate to partner with Niskeo Tourism for a hosted day, highlighting some of the amazing things Niseko has to offer in the winter. Since the point of our trip was to ski it was only fitting that we start our day on the slopes at Grand Hirafu.
Four resorts, Hanazono, Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Annupuri have chair lifts that meet near the summit of Mt. Annupuri creating one big conglomerate, Niseko United. A guest can traverse from resort to resort throughout the day or just lap runs at one resort - it’s basically a choose your own adventure kind of thing. Snow in Japan is regarding as some of the best in the world for a couple of reasons. For one Japan regularly sees a ton on of snow each season. A normal winter see on average somewhere around 600″ per year in Niseko. The cold air coming in from Siberia combined with the moisture from the Sea of Japan creates the perfect climate. The island of Hokkaido itself is not super far north but it is perfectly positioned to feel the full impact of the cold air from the northwest. We only had one storm while we were there but the snow remained remarkably light and fluffy every other day and we were able to find lots of untouched stashes of pow in the trees.
In addition to incredible snow are the facilities. Japan spares nothing when it comes to comfort. The resorts have a mix of gondolas and lifts - their lifts also have wind shields that drop down to add protection from the wind. There are amazing restaurants and restrooms (with heated toilet seats) all over the mountain, so you’re never too far from facilities and there’s free Wi-Fi on most parts of the mountain. I’ve included the mountain map below so that you can see just how big Niseko United is.
After a morning full of skiing trees and fluffy pow we packed up and headed out for lunch at Tsubara Tsubara. If you think ramen is the only kind of soup to seek out in Japan then you haven’t tried Hokkaido’s famous soup curry yet. I cannot express enough in words how amazing this soup was. This was one of the best bowls of soup I’ve ever had in my life. Ever. This little bowl of warm happiness had the perfect blend of curry and spice with locally sourced ingredients.
When ordering you can choose your spice level so don’t let the word curry scare you away. My soup didn’t last - I had to stop myself from licking the bowl! The staff doesn’t speak English but are very friendly and will happily provide you with an English menu upon request. The restaurant is casual with a relaxed vibe which is fitting since the name "Tsubara Tsubara" means "relax".
After lunch we caught a complimentary shuttle to a 150 year old restored farmhouse in the hills near Hanazono Resort. The old farmhouse had been restored in traditional Kominka Japanese style. The Japanese word "kominka" means "old house," and it refers to houses built using traditional Japanese architectural methods, often without using any nails and choosing a specific type of wood depending on its use. The end result of this restoration is Somoza, an establishment that has an expansive gallery on the lower level, a dining area and shop on the main level, and in the attic space is a traditional Japanese Tea room, a ‘Chashitsu’.
Our visit to Somoza was to observe a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. During a tea ceremony tea is prepared and served following a strict protocol. It is considered one of the classical Japanese arts of refinement, and there are even schools devoted to teaching the proper way to perform this ritual. The type of tea used in these ceremonies is usually powdered green tea, known as matcha. Beyond just serving and receiving tea, one of the main purposes of the ceremony is for the guests to enjoy the hospitality of the host in an atmosphere away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Somoza is open for lunches during the day and in the evenings offers an outstanding “Chefs Table” dinner that highlights the best of local produce. We were so impressed with the tea ceremony and atmosphere that we made a reservation for dinner the following day and it was nothing short of spectacular. Reservations are required when visiting Somoza.
Our trip to Japan was just as much about the food as it was about the skiing and every meal truly exceeded our expectations. The crown jewel dining experience of the trip was our multi course meal at An Dining, located by the Ki Niseko lobby. I’ve never had a food experience quite like this before and was blown away by not only the food but also the impeccable serve. Each dish was distinctive in its own way and was made from all locally sourced ingredients.
Multi-award-winning head chef Shinichi Maeda visits local farms and fish markets to select only the best & freshest local ingredients. Maeda stopped by our table and filled us in on his methods, noting that his approach to cooking is to maximize ingredients and to not be wasteful, something I can definitely get behind.
Each course was carefully curated with distinct flavors and textures. It was hard to pick a favorite dish but the wild Zuwai crab tempura was delicious - I had never had tempura crab before so that was a real treat. This was also my first time trying snails (aka escargots)! While I wasn’t I huge fan of the chewy texture the unique meaty flavor was sweet and rich. Our whole experience at An Dining was not one that I will soon forget. All night we couldn’t stop saying “oishii” (oi-she), which means “delicious” or “tastes good” in Japanese.
Japan is a truly spectacular country and I can’t thank Niseko Tourism for having me. I know that Brad and I will be planning a trip back for more powder turns and curry soup, hopefully sooner rather later!
Above, from left to right: Top row: Konbu cured Amaebi prawn with prawn emulsion and spiced fish soy vinegar, wild Zuwai crab tempura, braised baby sea snail, selections of fresh local sashimi. Bottom Row: grilled organic leek with sea urchin sauce and blue cheese tofu, Tomuraushi beef sirloin steak and gogo jus braised daikon, chocolate forest with Nameraka chocolate mousse and raspberry and marshmallow sorbet.
This post was sponsored Niesko Tourism.