Winter in Sapporo and surrounds: Full guide to snow activities in this part of Japan

With a new direct flight meaning Hokkaido can be reached by Helsinki in just nine hours, there's every reason to make Sapporo and its surrounds your next winter break...

6 mins

1. Winter in Niseko

The highlights

Spend a day at any of the four resorts on Mount Niseko Annupuri and it’s easy to see why Niseko is considered Japan’s premium winter sports area. The Annupuri, Grand Hirafu, Hanazono, and Niseko Village resorts all enjoy vast amounts of fine powder snow, while combining to offer a great mix of winter activities and world-class facilities well geared to international travellers. Away from the sport, Niseko also has two dozen natural hot-springs baths for unwinding post-ski, such as the piping-hot indoor and outdoor baths at Goshiki Onsen.

Food experiences

Restaurants in the resorts serve up everything from local soul food like miso ramen to high-end sushi. You could also try the artisanal cheeses and yogurt made at Takahashi Farm – or make your own ice cream there – then sample the whiskey at the new Niseko Distillery.

Where to stay

There are choices for all budgets in Niseko, from five-star to friendly bed and breakfasts. The luxury serviced apartments at Hinode Hills are firmly in the splurge category, while somewhere like Hotel Niseko Alpine, located right in front of the lifts at Grand Hirafu, provides a much more affordable option close to the restaurants of Hirafu’s town centre.

2. Winter at Niseko Hanazono 

The highlights

With heavy amounts of Niseko’s famed powder snow, the Hanazono Ski Resort delivers top ski and snowboard experiences throughout the December to early April season. But there’s far more to the resort than that. Snowshoe tours, snow rafting, winter horseriding, terrain parks, a tube park and snow mobile tours, to name but a few. 

Food experiences

Right next to Hanazono’s main ski lift, Edge offers daytime meals and drinks between runs, but once you are done on the slopes, there are also 10 bars, lounges and restaurants at the resort’s Park Hyatt, including a swanky sushi bar and teppanyaki restaurant.

Where to stay

For ski-out, ski-in accommodation right on the slopes, stay at the uber-luxe Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono. The spacious guestrooms all exude a contemporary luxury, while suites come with private natural hot-spring baths, plus a terrace and a balcony with winning views of Mount Yotei.

3. Winter in Rusutsu

The highlights

The Rusutsu Resort – about 90 mile drive from Sapporo – offers high-quality powder snow and varied terrain for skiers and snowboarders across its 37 courses, with the eye-pleasing view of Mount Yotei, also called Mount  Ezofuji. For a more extreme experience, they also run guided heli-skiing/snowboarding tours on Mount Shiribetsu. You’ll need a brief avalanche safety course first, but then the helicopter will ferry you and your guide to the 1,107-metre summit for multiple runs through deep virgin snow.

Food experiences

Named after legendary Mongol leader Genghis Khan, jingisukan mutton barbecue has become a Hokkaido classic, but in Rusutsu it comes with a snowy twist: here you can eat it in traditional kamakura igloos.

Where to stay

Voted Japan's Best Ski Resort four times, the Westin Rusutsu Resort mixes ski-in, ski-out access to some of Hokkaido’s most pristine powder with plush guestrooms, mountain views and soothing hot-spring baths that are ideal after a day out on the slopes.

4. Winter in Jozankei

The highlights

About 40 minutes outside of central Sapporo, on route to Niseko and Rusutsu, the small town of Jozankei is famed for its onsen (hot springs). Tucked in among woods along the Toyohira River, you’ll find dozens of ryokan (inns) with natural hot-spring baths, plus lovely tatami-mat guestrooms and oodles of traditional atmosphere. There are baths open to non-ryokan guests too, including the soothing footbaths at Jozankei Gensen Park.

Food experiences

One joy of visiting an onsen town like Jozankei is the food served at the ryokan. Breakfast and dinner are almost always part of the package, and the latter is typically an elaborate affair, with a succession of up to a dozen small courses, each centred on local, in-season produce and highlighting an array of traditional culinary techniques.

Where to stay

There are other options besides ryokans. Opened in 2021, the Grand Blissen Hotel offers a more international, luxury option, with elegant European interiors, roast beef on the menu, and – this being Jozankei – hot-spring baths. The Grand Blissen Hotel also promotes sustainable practices in consideration of the natural environment.

5. Winter in Sapporo

The highlights

Japan’s fifth-biggest city is well known for its heavy snowfall, hearty winter food, and the annual Sapporo Snow Festival, but it’s also a winter sport heavyweight, having hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics and numerous other events. Southwest of the city centre are a handful of places to get active in the snow, including the Kokusai Ski Resort, which offers a collection of runs for skiers and snowboarders of all levels.

Food experiences

Nowhere does warming winter food quite like Sapporo, with its moreish miso ramen, spicy soup curry and jingisukan mutton barbecue. Add to that some of the best crab, sushi, and other seafood in Japan, as well as lively seafood markets to explore. After dinner, there are the bars of the lively Susukino entertainment district too – great hunting ground for craft beer and whisky produced in Hokkaido.

Where to stay

There are many hotels and Japanese style ryokans in Sapporo with various options to choose from. Many hotels have airport limousine stops and also are conveniently located near JR stations. 

How to get to Hokkaido and getting around

Hokkaido is best reached via New Chitose Airport just outside Sapporo, which serves flights from all over Japan plus some international routes. From July 2022, the latter will include twice-weekly flights to and from Helsinki. Within Hokkaido, domestic flights can also be a good option, but the easiest way to get around is using the extensive Japan Rail train network.

Make it Happen

For more information and inspiration, head over to the official sites for Skiing Hokkaido and HOKKAIDO LOVE!

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