Niseko
ニセコ · Powder-snow ski village under Mt. Yotei, year-round mountain onsen and dairy country
Niseko sits 100 km southwest of Sapporo on the eastern flank of the Niseko mountain range, where four ski resorts (Hirafu, Hanazono, Niseko Village, and Annupuri) connect across a single summit ridge to form Niseko United. Winter is the international draw, with consistent dry powder from December through April and an après-ski village concentrated at Hirafu. Summer reopens the gondolas for ridge hiking and the Niseko Recreation Forest boardwalks across Shinsen-numa marsh. The foothills below the mountain hold the Goshiki, Konbu, and Yukichichibu onsen, the Takahashi Farm dairy works, and the long view across to Mt. Yotei, the 1,898-meter volcano known locally as Ezo Fuji.