Powder in Hokkaido, Culture, History and Food

Japan’s Northern-most island is popular with snow travellers who flock to the famous Niseko slopes but there is so much on offer beyond lovely Niseko. Hokkaido was the home of Japan’s indigenous people, the Ainu and you can visit their rich culture of language, rituals and intricate handicrafts, with natural motifs deeply tied to spiritual beliefs in Hokkaido’s Upopoy (Ainu Museum). Why not take a day trip from Sapporo and immerse yourself in this long-standing culture. www.ainu-upopoy.jp/en.

Otaru, a town vibrant with historical architecture

What a great town. If you want to experience snow falling on the beach and stay in a cool town with hotels looking out to sea or located in interesting streets to wander, base yourself in Otaru. It’s easy enough to check snow conditions to decide where you want to ski the following day. Kiroro is nearby, as are a multitude of other snow resorts in under an hour’s drive. Otaru is a town vibrant with historical architecture and cultural heritage. The canal is the centre of town and lined with beautiful brick warehouses converted into shops, restaurants, and museums. It is particularly picturesque at night with floating water lamps. 

Sakaimachi Street is a historic street filled with traditional shops and cafes as well as the famous Otaru Music Box Museum. Music box craft is a nod to 18th Century trade with Russia, just 40-50km off Otaru’s coast.  Glass blowing is the local craft here, why not purchase delicate glass blown decorations to take home. Walk the Snow Light Path on your way to dinner, enjoy the winter festival February with beautiful snow lanterns along this popular tourist path. Sample local whiskey at Nikka Whisky Yoichi Distillery, enjoy a drink at Modern Times or Bar Inglis, just some of the many whiskey bars around town.

Accessibility 

Otaru is easily accessible by train from New Chitose airport via the JR Hakodate Line, taking about 30-40 minutes by train or an hour by car, shuttle or bus. Take the ferry between the mainland and Otaru as well as take the train under the sea. 

Kiroro Snow Resort

Kiroro is easily accessible from Otaru and is known for its good snow quality and well-groomed runs, making it a great spot for carving and powder skiing. Kiroro receives an average of 21 metres of snow (69 feet) with snow quality tending to light, powdery snow typical of Hokkaido.

Nagamine No. 2 offers some of the best groomers and mogul lines, while the gondola accesses fun tree runs, though they can be short with long run-outs. The other chairlifts provide great easy groomers, making it an ideal place for beginners to learn. The backcountry is expansive and rewarding, but requires good visibility and avalanche awareness.The base elevation is approx. 330 meters (1,083 feet) and the summit 1,180 meters (3,870 feet) with 1250 acres of skiable terrain. Kiroro has a total of 2l ski runs divided between 25% beginner, 50% intermediate and 25% advanced with a vertical drop of 850 meters (2,788 feet) . With 9 lifts including a gondola, 6 chairlifts and 2 surface lifts it’s a great family location and you can ski here from early December all the way to early May. Backcountry access is available with specific areas designated for good quality tree skiing. It takes one hour to get to Kiroro from New Chitose Airport by car or shuttle.

Sapporo Teine 

This cool snow resort with an altitude of 1023 metres is just 15km from downtown Sapporo City and easily accessible by train and regular buses up to the resort base.   

The first time the Olympics were hosted outside Europe in 1972, they were held here at Teine and the original Olympic gates are still evident here. Known for great nightskiing, Teine has an incredible view over Sapporo City, spread out below and looks straight out to Ishikari Bay.

Furano 

If you’ve skied in Hokkaido’s Furano you may already know this Northern island to be the leading dairy-producing region of Japan with high-quality milk, cheese, butter and deliciously rich icecream. Dairy farms benefit from the lush pastures and cooler temperatures, which are ideal for livestock. The seasonality is extremely stark between deep powder snow in the winter and hot summers and the climate favours production of Yubari King melon, apples, strawberries, grapes and crisp vegetables.