Niseko, Japan
Dec 4, 08:20 pm
Niseko, Japan: Downhill Skiing in the Land of the Rising Sun is an excellent travel article in the New York Times talking about the enormous boom in budget ski-travel, particularly Australians, to Niseko, Hokkaido:
JAPAN is a country with extensive mountain ranges, literally hundreds of ski resorts and plentiful snow, yet a language barrier and the country’s distance from Western markets have long prevented it from becoming a major international ski destination.
That’s starting to change, especially at a resort called Niseko. Situated on Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan’s main islands, Niseko has become wildly popular among Australians, who are attracted by the chance to ski world-class snow without suffering the jet lag they associate with North American and European resorts.
If you’re coming from Australia, Sta Travel has some crazy cheap deals on bundled travel to Niseko. The best time is in January or February, athough the season can last until early May on colder years. SnowJapan has an excellent travel guide to the region and is an excellent resource to any snow-related sport in Japan.
TBE Travel Tip: If you’re travelling around Japan on a JR Pass and want a cheap way up to the fields, the Niseko Ski Express runs in season (December 18 until March 26) from the New Chitose Airport departing at 12:51 and from Sapporo departing at 08:03, and runs direct to Niseko every day. Regular cost is ¥4560 but free for JR Pass holders, and it makes the trip in about 2 hours. If you arrive out of season, you can fight with local trains and change in Otaru, or a better bet is one of the express buses from New Chitose Airport which make the trip to Niseko in around 2 and a half hours and cost about ¥2500.
Dec 4, 08:20 pm | Digg this!
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