Kutchan Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)

Snowy Powdery Ski Resort with the best view!

#skiadventure Address - Niseko Mt. Resort Grand Hirafu Ski Resort (Japan, 044-0081 Hokkaido, Abuta District, Kutchan, Niseko Hirafu 1-jo 2-91) Ambiance/Facilities - Snowy and lively vibes, ski, snowboard, restaurants, snow school Highlights - Powdery snow that are loved by everyone Avg. Price per Person - $100 to $200 Rating - 5.0/5.0 snowflakes Best place to ski or snowboard or even just to admire the white and pure snow. Its great for beginner or veteran as there are many different levels slopes available. Enjoy authentic Japanese food like sushi at the end of the day add a sweet touch to you trip. You will definitely have a memorable ski adventure! #snow #ski #niseko #hokkaido #japan

Winter is the time to go to Hokkaido, these ski resorts are not to be missed

There are nearly a hundred large and small ski resorts in Hokkaido in winter, from local ski resorts to giant resorts, from the world-famous ski resorts of Niseko and Rusutsu, to the ski resorts near Sapporo city, Hokkaido is full of surprises❄ - 1⃣ Rusutsu Resort ⭐Features: The largest ski resort in Hokkaido, with 37 ski trails spread across three mountains: West Mountain, East Mountain, and Isola Mountain, boasting high-quality powder snow, with a total skiing distance of 42 kilometers 🏂🏻Ski Trails: Beginners are recommended to go to the East Mountain snow area, advanced skiers can try Isola Mountain ⛄Special Activities: Dog sledding, snowmobiling 🚗Transportation: About 1 hour and 30 minutes from Sapporo New Chitose Airport 📍13 Izumikawa, Rusutsu-mura, Abuta-gun, Hokkaido . 2⃣ Niseko Resort ⭐Features: Located in the southwest of Sapporo, it has the best quality powder snow in Japan, attracting skiers from all over the world 🏂🏻Ski Resort: There are 4 ski resorts, from difficult to easy: Village Ski Resort, Hirafu Ski Resort, Annapuri International Ski Resort, Garden Ski Resort ⛄Special Activities: The hotel has rich facilities, and there are high-quality hot springs nearby 🚗Transportation: About 2 hours drive from Sapporo Station 📍Niseko, Kutchan-cho, Abuta-gun, Hokkaido . 3⃣ Sapporo Teine ⭐Features: High-quality powder snow above 1000m altitude, overlooking Sapporo city and Ishikari Bay 🏂🏻Ski Trails: A super long beginner's ski trail of 6km, you can find Chinese coaches, suitable for family trips ⛄Special Snow Activities: Children's Park, snow entertainment facilities 🚗Transportation: Only 40 minutes from the city center, very convenient! 📍593-3 Teinehoncho, Teine-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido . 4⃣ Furano Ski Resort ⭐Features: Located in central Hokkaido, near Furano city, you can overlook the magnificent scenery of Tokachidake and Daisetsuzan 🏂🏻Ski Trails: There are 28 ski trails, rich in variety, from beginners to advanced skiers can enjoy the fun 🚗Transportation: About 2 hours and 30 minutes drive from Sapporo 📍 Nakamise, Furano, Hokkaido . 5⃣ Hoshino Resort Tomamu Ski Resort ⭐Features: Complete hotel facilities, with a dreamy ice world 'Ice Village' 🏂🏻Ski Trails: 29 different ski trails, meeting the different needs of beginners to advanced skiers ⛄Special Activities: The fog ice observation deck suitable for photo shooting, and the ice castle made entirely of ice 🚗Transportation: About 2 hours drive from Sapporo 📍Tomamu, Shimukappu-mura, Yufutsu-gun, Hokkaido

Powder Snow Paradise Hirafu Ski Resort

Hello everyone, today I am going to introduce you to the Hirafu Ski Resort in Niseko. I have skied all four ski resorts in Niseko, all four ski resorts share a mountain and are connected. From left to right: Annupuri, Niseko Village, Grand Hirafu, Hanazono. Unless you are an expert, it is not recommended to buy a full mountain pass, because it is impossible to brush all four ski resorts. Hirafu Ski Resort is the earliest developed ski resort in Niseko. It is not large in terms of skiing area, but the town has a lot of supporting facilities, including restaurants, bars, supermarkets and specialty stores of major ski brands. In terms of transportation, I first flew to New Chitose Airport, then took a bus, about three hours, there are many bus stops, as long as you go to a famous hotel, basically point to point. If you are not sure where to get off, tell the bus driver the address when you get on the bus, and he will suggest where you should get off. About the cost: Ski suit 1500～3000 yen per day Ski board and ski boots 2000～4000 yen per day Adults (16-64 years old) 9300 yen Teenagers (13-15 years old) 7500 yen Children (4-12 years old) 5800 yen Chinese ski instructor (6 hours per day) 70000～90000 yen

Hirafu Ski Resort, the largest ski resort in Niseko

I went skiing in Niseko, Japan. There are four ski resorts in Niseko, and I went to Hirafu Ski Resort this time. Hirafu Ski Resort is the largest ski resort in Niseko, not only with a variety of ski trails, but also with charming scenery. You can overlook Mount Yotei directly from the mountain! It is very suitable for skiers with some experience, but the design of the beginner's trail is not friendly to beginners. The living function around Hirafu is also the best, whether it is restaurants, accommodation or transportation, it is very convenient. About the cable car ticket: Most people will buy the Shinsetsu Valley United Mountain Cable Car Pass, which can be used for all cable cars. The price of the United Mountain Cable Car Day Pass is 8500 yen per day; a separate cable car pass can be purchased at each resort, the price is about 2000 yen. Because I only went to Hirafu Ski Resort, I bought a separate ticket. What else can you do besides skiing: 🔹Watch the sunrise at Mount Yotei: Known as the Mount Fuji of Hokkaido, you must get up early to watch the sunrise 🔹Kutchan Town: It's only a short drive from Shinsetsu Valley, where there are comprehensive grocery stores, many restaurants, and more accommodation options. Although it is a bit far from the ski resort, it can be reached by highway, and there are public buses in and out of the resort every day 🔹Hot springs: An activity that must not be missed when coming to Hokkaido

Unlock the 'Love Letter' limited travel, enjoy hot springs, skiing, and gourmet food

❄ Many people's longing for Hokkaido comes from the movie 'Love Letter', which depicts Otaru, Hokkaido as a romantic snow country town. Now this 'Love Letter' will invite you to a date in the snow country - 【Travel Highlights】 🦀Top Seafood｜Taste the fresh and sweet taste of the famous Hokkaido cold water seafood 🏂Quality Powder Snow｜Experience the silky world-class powder snow at Niseko/Rusutsu Ski Resort ✨Glass Workshop｜Feel the magical change of glass under high temperature, witness the craftsman's blowing process, and experience the production course ♨Hokkaido Hot Springs｜Bathe in the winter hot springs in the Sapporo backyard hidden by locals at Jozankei ⛄Snow Lantern Road｜In the winter-limited festival, feel the beautiful winter of Otaru decorated with warm candlelight and snow sculptures 🥃Visit Whiskey Brewery｜Taste the rich flavor of single malt whiskey - 【Encounter on the Way】 ✅Otaru｜Music Box Hall, Tengu Mountain, Asari, Triangle Market, Canal Warehouse, Funamizaka ✅Niseko and Rusutsu｜Skiing, drifting, horse riding, sledding, ice fishing, snow house sauna, helicopter tour, etc. ✅Sapporo｜Snow Festival, Sapporo Tower, Hokkaido Old Government Building, White Lover Factory, Tanuki Koji Shopping Street - 【Stay】 🏡Otaru Ginrinso｜Experience the Showa Japanese retro style, the vast and pure Ishikari Bay and the bustling romantic Otaru market are all in sight 🏡Niseko Park Hyatt｜Enjoy the private terrace hot spring, overlooking the magnificent scenery of Annupuri and Mt. Yotei 🏡Rusutsu Westin｜All rooms are duplex design, enjoy the fun of ice and snow in the mountains 🏡Jozankei Chalet｜Japan's latest SLH hotel, you can bathe in the hot spring in the room and enjoy the scenery of the four seasons - 【Delicacies】 🍣Otaru Sushi｜The top seafood produced in the cold water area makes the sushi chef adhere to the 'original flavor', highlighting the freshness of the ingredients 🐏Genghis Khan Grilled Lamb｜Thinly sliced lamb and vegetables are grilled on an iron plate, which is one of Hokkaido's local dishes 🏮Sapporo Miso Ramen｜One of Japan's three major ramen, with a representative flavor of rich soup - 【Itinerary Overview】 ❄DAY1｜Love Letter of Snow Country 💡Go to Otaru to watch the night view of Tengu Mountain and walk on the Snow Lantern Road ❄DAY2｜Fairy Tale Cross Street 🎏Triangle Market, Funamizaka, Music Box Hall, Glass Shop Tour, Taste Yoichi Distillery Whiskey ❄DAY3｜Dancing Niseko/Rusutsu 🏂Experience winter sports in the world-class powder snow field ❄DAY4｜Warm Jozankei ♨Experience the stunning holiday in Jozankei Hot Spring in Sapporo's backyard ❄DAY5｜Play with the Snow Festival ⛄Play with one of the world's four major snow festivals, the Sapporo Snow Festival, factory visit and production experience ❄DAY6｜Farewell to Hokkaido 👋🏻Return/Continue to travel to other cities in Japan

Hanazono

Hanazono is located in Niseko and it is a place for playing ski and snowboard. Also, there is a hotel which is Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono is established there as well. There is Louis Vuitton (Pop-up Store) as well, but if you would like to visit Louis Vuitton,you should check first because it is a pop-up store there. Also,you can take picture with Louis Vuitton igloo as well. For park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono, you might have to book in advance. Furthermore, there is a Pierre Herme Paris dessert section at this hotel as well. You can enjoy your time with your friends, family and lover. #Niseko #Hanazono #snow

An amazing hotel experience, enjoy the ultimate skiing fun!

This hotel is really outstanding, and the snow scene is excellent! The overall atmosphere makes people feel very relaxed, the hardware facilities and services are very outstanding, of course, the price is correspondingly high, but it is worth the money, haha😂. Hilton provides free airport shuttle service, which can go directly to the hotel from New Chitose Airport. This bus is equipped with comfortable seats, water and blankets. The whole journey takes about two and a half hours, and there will be a 20-minute rest stop in the middle. It's very cozy to watch the snow and relax along the way! However, if you want to take this bus on the return journey, you need to pay and make a reservation in advance, because there are not many shifts. In terms of rooms, the double room we chose is very spacious, with a living room and dining room, and the bedroom has a partition, which can be considered a suite. The room also provides a lot of storage space, and the cloakroom is also large. There are also two complete bathrooms and a bathtub, and you can enjoy the beautiful view of the garden ski resort directly from the window. There are several restaurants in the hotel to choose from, and you need to make a reservation in advance. We tried three of them this time, and the taste was very good. Especially the Sichuan cuisine of China Kitchen, with the snow scene, it's just too good! The L floor of the hotel has a public hot spring, which is booked by the hour, controls the flow, and is a very comfortable hot spring experience. Although the gym is small, it is fully equipped. Next time you can try a one-bedroom suite with a private hot spring, or consider living in the residence near the hotel, I heard it's also very good! 🎿 - The ski resort is right outside the hotel, and there is a ski coaching agency, which also seems to need to be booked in advance. The hotel also provides ski equipment rental services, including helmets, ski suits/ski pants, ski boots and snowboards, and the daily rent is about 15,000 yen. In addition, there are products from brands such as Ancestor Bird and Peak Performance available for purchase in the store, and everything needed for skiing can be solved here. 🚠Remember to buy a cable car ticket before sliding and put it in the transparent pocket of the jacket. The validity period is from 5 hours to 2 days. In addition, please carry a physical bank card with IC function to avoid having to buy at the 308 window, where you usually need to queue up.

The best hotel ever!

#hotelreview Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono was awarded with the best luxury hotel recently and I can really understand why. the hotel is absolutely stunning with its close to nature setting, the interior is tastefully decorated. not to mention the architecture of the building itself! even toiletries are Le Labo 🥰 breakfast spread was amazing, they had fresh sashimi every day and fresh fruits too!

You must visit Niseko at least once!!!

🌿【Green Wonderland】: In the embrace of Niseko, explore the secret realms of forests covered in snow, and feel the magical charm of nature. 🌸【Cherry Blossom Avenue】: In spring, stroll along the Cherry Blossom Avenue in Niseko, as if you are in a vivid oil painting. 🏠【Traditional Japanese Inn】: Experience a night in a Japanese inn, enjoy authentic Japanese service, and make your trip even more heartwarming. 🍲【Japanese Culinary Journey】: Taste authentic Japanese ramen, sushi, and other delicacies, letting your taste buds also enjoy a feast. 🌊【Hot Spring Relaxation】: Take a bath in the hot springs of Niseko to sweep away fatigue and completely relax your body and mind. 🚗【Transportation Guide】: The transportation around Niseko is convenient, with the option to drive yourself, take a bus, or a taxi to various attractions.

This time I stayed at the popular Setsu hotel in Niseko

First of all, the location is really good, five-star praise. Although it is not ski in ski out, there are many popular restaurants nearby, and there are restaurants such as Afuri, Michelin Tempura, Crab Sushi in the hotel, and a famous Western restaurant that provides breakfast. The breakfast variety is very rich, it is worth mentioning that the breakfast here is really delicious! There is also a convenience store next door, a bus to and from the ski resort, and a Rhythm shop in the hotel for renting ski equipment, which is really very convenient. The hotel facilities are very new, and the decoration is also good. After skiing, you can soak in the hot spring to relieve muscle soreness. During my stay, I met many internet celebrities from various countries, and it is indeed the popular fried chicken in Niseko. However, perhaps because there are too many foreign tourists in Niseko, I really can't feel the Japanese service. As a high-end hotel with not low prices in the snow season, there is no bottled water provided in the room, all toothbrushes and combs have to be taken at the front desk when checking in, and the service attitude of the staff is also slack. Overall, the hardware facilities here are indeed in place, but the software needs to be improved. However, as a Hyatt fan, I still love Hyatt in Niseko more. However, as a popular fried chicken, it is still worth trying. Especially for friends who love skiing, it is really convenient here.

The backyard of Sapporo people - Jozankei Hot Spring!

Jozankei Hot Spring is located about 30 minutes drive from Sapporo city, many facilities are built along the valley! There are 56 sources of hot springs, which naturally gush out from the banks or rock cracks of the Toyohira River! Jozankei Hot Spring was known to the Ainu people very early, and a hot spring inn was opened during the Edo period! The hot spring water here is extremely effective for frozen shoulder, falls and injuries! There are unique spring water and hot spring facilities here, which are very convenient for visitors!

Unlock the 'Love Letter' limited travel, enjoy hot springs, skiing, and gourmet food

❄ Many people's longing for Hokkaido comes from the movie 'Love Letter', which depicts Otaru, Hokkaido as a romantic snow country town. Now this 'Love Letter' will invite you to a date in the snow country - 【Travel Highlights】 🦀Top Seafood｜Taste the fresh and sweet taste of the famous Hokkaido cold water seafood 🏂Quality Powder Snow｜Experience the silky world-class powder snow at Niseko/Rusutsu Ski Resort ✨Glass Workshop｜Feel the magical change of glass under high temperature, witness the craftsman's blowing process, and experience the production course ♨Hokkaido Hot Springs｜Bathe in the winter hot springs in the Sapporo backyard hidden by locals at Jozankei ⛄Snow Lantern Road｜In the winter-limited festival, feel the beautiful winter of Otaru decorated with warm candlelight and snow sculptures 🥃Visit Whiskey Brewery｜Taste the rich flavor of single malt whiskey - 【Encounter on the Way】 ✅Otaru｜Music Box Hall, Tengu Mountain, Asari, Triangle Market, Canal Warehouse, Funamizaka ✅Niseko and Rusutsu｜Skiing, drifting, horse riding, sledding, ice fishing, snow house sauna, helicopter tour, etc. ✅Sapporo｜Snow Festival, Sapporo Tower, Hokkaido Old Government Building, White Lover Factory, Tanuki Koji Shopping Street - 【Stay】 🏡Otaru Ginrinso｜Experience the Showa Japanese retro style, the vast and pure Ishikari Bay and the bustling romantic Otaru market are all in sight 🏡Niseko Park Hyatt｜Enjoy the private terrace hot spring, overlooking the magnificent scenery of Annupuri and Mt. Yotei 🏡Rusutsu Westin｜All rooms are duplex design, enjoy the fun of ice and snow in the mountains 🏡Jozankei Chalet｜Japan's latest SLH hotel, you can bathe in the hot spring in the room and enjoy the scenery of the four seasons - 【Delicacies】 🍣Otaru Sushi｜The top seafood produced in the cold water area makes the sushi chef adhere to the 'original flavor', highlighting the freshness of the ingredients 🐏Genghis Khan Grilled Lamb｜Thinly sliced lamb and vegetables are grilled on an iron plate, which is one of Hokkaido's local dishes 🏮Sapporo Miso Ramen｜One of Japan's three major ramen, with a representative flavor of rich soup - 【Itinerary Overview】 ❄DAY1｜Love Letter of Snow Country 💡Go to Otaru to watch the night view of Tengu Mountain and walk on the Snow Lantern Road ❄DAY2｜Fairy Tale Cross Street 🎏Triangle Market, Funamizaka, Music Box Hall, Glass Shop Tour, Taste Yoichi Distillery Whiskey ❄DAY3｜Dancing Niseko/Rusutsu 🏂Experience winter sports in the world-class powder snow field ❄DAY4｜Warm Jozankei ♨Experience the stunning holiday in Jozankei Hot Spring in Sapporo's backyard ❄DAY5｜Play with the Snow Festival ⛄Play with one of the world's four major snow festivals, the Sapporo Snow Festival, factory visit and production experience ❄DAY6｜Farewell to Hokkaido 👋🏻Return/Continue to travel to other cities in Japan

October Maple Leaf Tour, Hokkaido Dingshanxi Dingshanyuan Spring Park is behind the Grand Hotel Ruiyuan where I stay. The area is super-fine, much like the park in our real estate community, but there is a description of the origin of the Dingshanxi Hot Spring. In the past, a sorghum named Dingshan discovered that the hot springs here have special effects on diseases such as neuralgia and have since devoted all their efforts to develop this place. Therefore, it was named Dingshanxi Hot Spring. Although the park is small, there is enough hot spring water to wash the statue of stilts. There is a small artificial hot spring waterfall and a large foot soup pool that is very clean and especially suitable for the elderly to walk in the morning to soothe their sore feet. 

Dingshan Creek | An underestimated beautiful snow country town!

It's really too beautiful Completely beyond expectations No city's high-rise neon lights All you can see is snow white and branches Dingshan Creek is a small town quietly flowing in the bustling It has a kind of calming power ☁️ But it's still the Spring Festival after returning to the country It makes people feel more warm and solid🥰 Eating reunion dinner at home and watching the Spring Festival Gala is the happiest!! What you want to ask and chat about is all here!👀 Come and feel the strong Spring Festival atmosphere🥰🫶🏻

Purple air comes from the east, the valley of the second world

The endless snow white in the winter of Hokkaido is a holy land for us who love skiing. My father's motto is either on the snow mountain in winter or on the way to the snow mountain!