| Niseko ニセコ町 |
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| — Town — | |
| Location of Niseko in Hokkaidō (Shiribeshi) | |
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Niseko
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Hokkaidō |
| Prefecture | Hokkaidō (Shiribeshi) |
| District | Abuta |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Ryūichi Satō |
| Area | |
| • Total | 197.13 km2 (76.1 sq mi) |
| Population (March 2008) | |
| • Total | 4,667 |
| • Density | 23.7/km2 (61.4/sq mi) |
| Time zone | Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) |
| City symbols | |
| - Tree | Japanese White Birch |
| - Flower | Lavender |
| - Bird | Great Spotted Woodpecker |
| Phone number | 0136-44-2121 |
| Address | 47, Aza Fujimi, Niseko-chō, Abuta-gun, Hokkaidō 048-1595 |
| Website | Town of Niseko |
Niseko (ニセコ町 Niseko-chō) is a town located in Abuta District, Shiribeshi, Hokkaidō, Japan. To the Japanese people, Niseko principally refers to a mountain range and a municipal area. However, overseas the name has come to refer to a wider area of ski resorts encompassing Hokkaido's Mount Yōtei, often referred to as the "Mt. Fuji of Hokkaido", and Annupuri ranges. The name Niseko derives from the Ainu language and means "a cliff jutting over a riverbank deep in the mountains". Its main industries are agriculture and tourism.
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The town had an estimated population of 4,667 as of 2008 and a density of 23.7 persons per km². The total number of visitors during the 2009 winter season was 201,000.[1] The total area is 197.13 km².
Niseko is composed of six ski areas, in order of size:
Niseko Mt. Resort Grand Hirafu, refers to the combined areas of Hirafu and Hanazono. Both of these and Weiss are within the municipality of nearby Kutchan. The other three resorts are within the adjacent municipality of Niseko.
Of these six ski areas, the main four (Annupuri, Higashiyama, Hirafu, and Hanazono) are sequentially interconnected and may be skied on one ski pass. The lift systems are owned respectively by the Chuo Bus company, YTL Resorts (which purchased Niseko Village from Citigroup in 2010), Tokyu Corporation and Pacific Century Premium Developments. Together they form 2,191 acres (8.87 km2) skiable of what is known as the Niseko United. The lift system comprises 38 gondolas and lifts connecting 61 ski runs. Kutchan's sister city is St. Moritz, Switzerland in a relationship established in 1964. Niseko Moiwa, adjacent to Annupuri, can be skied to from Annupuri but is not currently connected by the lift system. Niseko Weiss has not operated its lifts for decades, but people can still ski in this area, being taken uphill by snow cats.
Niseko also has back-country ski-courses that are unofficially on the maps. To the furthest right of Annupuri lies Sannozaka, an area prone to avalanche but with high quality snow. To the far right of Hirafu lies Higashi One, also prone to avalanche but with a challenging back-country terrain. Near the lower half of Hanazono is a forest route called Strawberry Fields, which is perhaps the most famous run in Niseko. Climbing Mount Yōtei also provides back country skiing.
For the first time, in March 2008, Niseko was voted into the world's top 10 ski resorts. Coming in at #6 it was the highest ranked of the new entries in the poll.[2]
Originally known primarily for winter sports, Niseko has gradually gained a reputation as a centre for a wide variety of summer activities, including golf, tennis, fishing, horseback riding, sea kayaking, white water rafting, trekking, and bicycling.[3]
Because of its northern location, Niseko is fed more by weather fronts that come from Siberia than from Eastern Japan, although all of Japan, especially the west coast of the main island (see Yukiguni), experiences northwest-to-southeast Siberian winds in the winter. The resort is internationally renowned for its consistently good falls of the lightest powder snow and its long ski season which runs from late November until early May. The snow is not as dry as other areas in Hokkaidō, but the volume is high, with the average snow depth in March reaching 351 cm.
Niseko was named as the world's #2 snowiest resort in December 2007 with annual average snow fall of 595 inches (15.11 m)[2] First place went to the Mt. Baker Ski Area in Washington State with 641 inches (16,300 mm).
Niseko, although a growing area, does lack public and private infrastructure in certain areas. Simple public items such as rubbish bins, street lighting and winter footpath clearing are left wanting in comparison to other international ski resorts. Private infrastructure includes shopping and retail areas from which both are still in growth phase. These facilities, along with entertainment and a wide range of nightlife, are best accessed in Kutchan a short 7 minute drive away. Significant infrastructure development - initially focused on the road heating and redevelopment of the main street "Hirafu-zaka" - has been approved and is slated to begin in the summer of 2012.
Counteracting this lack of infrastructure is the high demand for real estate. Foreign-owned companies are developing in the area along with Japanese companies. Purchase demand has expanded from Australian markets to include Hong Kong, Singapore and mainland China.
Nightlife and accommodation can be found at and around the main village of Hirafu. The village is an eclectic mix of the old, new and traditional bars, restaurants, hotels, and lodges. The Japanese dining experience is extremely popular among foreign visitors.
The area has been gazetted for the Hokkaidō Shinkansen (bullet train) linking Kutchan with Tokyo and Sapporo.
Niseko is located in the southwestern part of Hokkaido. The nearest airport is New Chitose Airport.