Picture is just missing Mich, who is taking the photo, and Dre who was in his Kiddy class.
I must admit, this Japan trip was one of the highlights of 2010. Sigh, wish I could afford to go snowboarding every year!
Hokkaido is known for their seafood, and on our last night at Niseko, we decided to check out Ezo Seafoods. Every time we walked down that road, our heads would instinctively turn towards the restaurant. Maybe it’s the quaintness of the place that appealled to us, or perhaps just a reflex from our hungry bellies because we always seem to be walking past that stretch around dinner time.
We ordered a few items from the menu, but the one that looked pretty good was the Ezo Seafood Platter for 4 which consists of fresh Sashimi, Snowcrab, Black tiger prawns, Oysters, Scallop, smoked Salmon and Calamari rings. Taste-wise it wasn’t anything spectacular-out-of-this-world, but it was nice especially if you’re looking for a seafood fix.
Ezo Seafoods
Address: 170-165 Aza Yamada Kutchan Cho Abuta Gun Hokkaido 044-0081 JAPAN
Tel: 0136 22 3019
Mobile: (James Gallagher) 090-12037879
Website: www.ezoseafoods.com
Opening Hours: Everyday 4pm-9pm
Vegetarian Options: Yes
Price Guide:
- Main Meal: ¥3000-5000
- Beer: ¥600
- Soft Drink: ¥300
Phil and Michelle joined us on the second day in Hirafu, and since we were in Japan, we definitely should try as much as possible to go local. The first night was an exception with the Mexican just because it sounded right to the tummy at that point of time.
After getting Mich’s skis sorted at INSKI, just across the road was a Izakaya, Bar and restaurant called A-Bu-Cha/ Abucha First*.
Abucha has a generous selection of over 250 alcoholic drinks and a pretty large food menu to boast. We opted for the Nabemonos because it was cold, and that looked like the hottest thing on the menu!
Atmosphere was great, it felt like we were eating in a lodge with its wood-planked walls, floor, table and chairs. Minus the cold draft leaking from the window, it was a comfortable and enjoyable dining experience.
Food was good and service was great. But then again I wouldn’t expect anything less from the Japanese. Like I said in my previous post, eating out is expensive in Niseko, so just be prepared for the wallet to feel a lot lighter when you’re there.
*It’s called Abucha First because they opened another one in the area, and called that Abucha Second.
A-Bu-Cha
Address: 190-13 Aza-Yamada Kuchan-chou Abuta-gun Hokkaidou
(next to seicomart)
Tel: 0136-22-5620
Opening Hours: Winter Season 18:00~2:00am （Winter Season Open Everday ）
How does hot fondue sound après-ski on a cold snowy winters night? Pretty damn good I’d say!
Say hello to Grand Papa lodge restaurant in Hirafu. Grandpapa is one of the few lodges in Niseko still owned and operated by its founding Japanese family. But we weren’t staying there, but we did hear about it’s infamous fondue dinner.
So we made a reservation for 6 of us a day in advance. I didn’t take many photos, so below is all I’ve got to show.
Grand Papa offers a traditional Swiss cheese fondue made from Emental and Gruyeres from Switzerland.
The set menu comprises of the cheese fondue, bread, vegetables, meatballs, potatoes, soup, dessert and coffee for the price of 4000 JPY ~ 62 SGD which was quite pricey for what it was. But then again, this is Niseko. All restaurants there are pretty expensive, so be prepared to pay premium prices for not-so-premium food.
If you really want to save money, cook your own food at your chalet, or just go to the seikomart just up the road open from 7am to 11pm, for instant Katsu curry, sandwiches or ramen.
Grand Papa
Address: 163 Niseko Hirafu, Kutchan town, Hokkaido Japan
Tel : +81-136-23-2244
Email:info@nisekopowder.com
website: www.niseko-grandpapa.com
*Highly advised to make reservations 1-2 days in advance.
‘N Sync actually stands for Niseko Sync. Niseko’s slope girls lookin’ all baller and keepin’ it Fresh!
Again I apologise for the duck face.
Don’t want to eat out? Another option is to cater in! If you have a large group of friends, why not have a Shabu Shabu dinner at someone’s place.
Concidently, Stef, Mai, Alexis and gang were in Niseko the same time as us, which was a perfect excuse to get our crunk on. Well in reality it was everyone else but me.
I left a bit earlier than the rest because I was shattered from the day’s boarding, and Andre was my sleepy golden ticket back to the lodge early.
Nonetheless, it was great fun Shabu Shabu-ing, comparing happy socks and dancing on chairs.
And I apologise for the duckface but there’s only so many smiles and expressions you can do in front of the camera!
*Check out the marbling on that beef pictured bottom left. Nom.
There are 3 ways to get to the top. Gondola, Ski lifts, trekking and the morning tractors.
The gondola takes you pretty high up, probably half way up the slopes. It’s sheltered from the elements, so it’s quite a comfortable ride up.
Then comes the ski lifts which are usually used to get to small sections of the slopes. Make sure you’re bundled up, because it gets pretty cold on those things! And be forewarned, you thought getting on was easy? Getting off was terrifying!!
If you want to get to the very top and experience the barren and almost solo decent, you got to earn it. The last bit of Hirafu requires a 30min trek to the last “checkpoint”.
And last but not least, for the more advanced skiers and boarders – the morning tractors. As the night brings about a fresh coat of powder, the dedicated few wake up before dawn to get the morning tractor up to the top. There you will be rewarded with deep untouched snow which was dumped during the night.
“Kimmy, it looks like snow goat poo!”
Snows every day, every night.
Can’t help taking so many photos in Niseko. It’s just so beautiful!
How to make a Snow Angel and Snow Angela!
- Ensure you’re all covered including hats and gloves.
- Find an area of snow that is clean and untouched.
- Fall gently on to the snow face up on your back.
- Then start waving/brushing your arms between your head and waist in a sweeping motion. Same with your legs, moving them apart as far as they will go and then together. Repeat these motions (like jumping jacks while lying on your back) until you have made indentations in the snow.
- Get up without stepping on your snow angel.
- Take a picture!
How about a Snow Angela?
Just jump her in the snow as shown by Kimmy pictured above top right.
Back to the Japan Niseko posts, by the third day, we were feeling more confident and decided to venture higher up the peak.
Morning ritual: I’d be the first one to get out of bed. So I’ll sneak out quietly to wash up without waking drea, and prepare some brekkie and hot water for the rest. I make myself a hot cup of coffee and that’s when the rest of the chalet starts to stir.
Over the kitchen island, Chris and Mich will start planning the day’s routes and runs.
Soon we all start to get ready and gear up, and make the long trek up to the ski lifts. And for the rest of the day till dark, we’re on the boards or on our bums.
But I must admit, was really proud of first-timers Kimmy, Drea and myself for tackling the blue and black runs. And we had blue and black bruised bums to prove it. Even if we were doing the “Falling Leaf” most of the way down, at least we gave it a solid attempt to stay up!
I really really enjoyed snowboarding, and hope I’m able to do it again sometime soon. Korea? China? Kashmir? Canada?
Hirafu Village is where all the action is…accommodation, restaurants and night life. All locations are accessible via free shuttle buses and menus are in English and Japanese to cater for the influx of foreigners to the Niseko Resort Area.
The streets of Hirafu becomes a whole different place at night. After a long day of skiing and snowboarding, the town is filled with people rewarding themselves with a good hot meal or a drink at the bar.
Evening is spent recounting the days thrills and spills, and how amazing the powder is.
If you’d rather stay in, you can buy food back from the restaurants, get delivery or get cook your own meal. You can buy your food ingredients from the two convenience stores in the village. One of which is open 24 hours a day.
So before going to Japan, I wasn’t too sure what to wear. In Tokyo it wasn’t much on an issue because we were only there for a night. For Niseko, I wasn’t sure what I had to wear to snowboard or the kind of footwear to cover my trotters and handle the snow and iced walkways. Thankfully the very kind Marisa loaned me some of her gear for the trip.
Layer-by-layer detail below:
For Snowboarding
Out and about in town
By the way, that blue beanie on the right was made by Kimmy’s mum! Thanks Auntie! 
Love it.
Was a beautiful day in Hirafu, and after our half day class in the morning, we were ready to tackle the ski lifts and blue runs. From then on, it’s all a matter of practice. Less time on the bum this day, and more time doing the skills below:
Credit: Snowboarding abc
Photos from left to right: Michelle gracefully takes a break. Kim and I just before we headed out the door. View from the bottom of the slopes. And a shot from the ski lift!
Chris and Kim looking all so pro!
I know how to wakeboard, so does that mean I know how to snowboard? Most definitely NOT.
When me and Kim signed up at the ski school, we had the choice to learn skiing or snowboarding. With our background in wakeboarding, we chose snowboarding. Also for another superficial reason – Snowboarding looks way cooler than skiing.
Snowboarding seemed like it had the same sports attitude as mountain biking. Cool, relaxed, chilled, and at times, extreme. We decided to sign ourselves up for 1.5 days of ski school and see how it goes.
First morning in Niseko, board in hand, we walked up to the slopes, dropped Andre at kids ski school and went for the adult classes. Veterans Michelle and Chris went ahead and did their own runs on the slopes while me and Kim spent most of the time on our arses!!
Snowboarding is not as easy as it looks. Be prepared to fall down ALOT on your bum and your knees. I was in pieces by the end of the day but chuffed.
Here’s a summary of what we learnt which I managed to find online.
Credit: Snowboarding abc
First picture below was taken by Chris and Michelle from the cable car while me and Kim were having our lessons on the slopes. So glad I had a buddy for ski school, am so proud of Kimmy and I. We really learnt a lot in 1 day.
Another item off my bucket. Snowboarding.
We stayed at the Forest Estate in Niseko. Here’s a video I found of the place.
We stayed at Hirafu in Niseko, which is right smack in the centre of all the activities. Everything is within walking distance or short bus ride away. Most of the time, we would walk up to the ski school, lifts, shops and restaurants. Very very convenient.
Food-wise, there are lots of local deli’s, pubs, cafes, and fine dining establishments to choose from.
TIP: Unless you want to be eating cup noodles from Seikomart, make reservations! A lot of these places get booked up by late afternoon.
It was getting late by the time we got round to dinner on our first night in Niseko. We decided to just walk into a place called Wild Bill’s Bar in Hirafu for Mexican food. We will be eating lots of Japanese for the rest of the week, so we broke the rule and decided to go with the Quesadilla, Tacos, Nachos, Fajitas and Guacamole instead.
Snap!: The bottom right photo in the collage is the view from the top of our steps at the house. Look at the amount of snow collected by the railings! That’s how much snow has been falling this season in Niseko. Non-stop. Everyday.
If you’re partial to Tex Mex, Tequila, Mint, Mohitos, Margaritas & Music, step out of the snow and into our gorgeous log cabin, Wild Bill’s offers the quintessential apres ski atmosphere.
Warmed by a log fire, it’s a cosy, casual, family friendly dining atmosphere… until the younger crew roll in for party time later in the evening.
Portion sizes are generous for hungry skiers, so don’t order too much.
Wild Bill’s Bar
Address: 189-8 Aza Yamada, Abuta-gun,Kutchan-cho,Hokkaido,Japan.
Opening Hours: 5:30pm till 1:00am -ish
Food last order: 9:30pm
Reservations: +81 (0)136-22-5652
Website: www.wildbillsniseko.com
We arrived at Niseko in the late afternoon, quickly got settled into our chalet and off we went to Inski to get our snowboarding gear sorted for the next 5 days.
I need to mention this again, but it was snowing. Alot. Non-stop. 
Check out this view from outside our window.
Niseko is a well known for its ski resorts, because of its consistent snowfall producing impressive amount of power. Niseko Hirafu ski resort is particularly popular with foreigners because of the bilingual signs and English speaking ski instructors. They also have fast and efficient chairs taking you up to many different runs from blues to double black diamonds.
The Niseko Ski Season is long, usually starting in the last week of November till March/April, varying slightly from year to year. The Niseko All Mountain Pass gives access to all three resorts for 4900 yen per day.
Niseko’s resorts are all located on Niseko-Annupuri Mountain. The three major resorts are Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village (formerly known as Higashiyama) and Annupuri. They are connected with each other at the top of the mountain, while shuttle buses connect them at the base.
Grand Hirafu is the largest of the resorts and the only one with a sizable town at its base. Hirafu Town has many hotels, holiday homes and an interesting range of restaurants and bars with an active nightlife. An evening stroll about town will take you past many places packed with foreigners.
Just to recap on how we got there
Singapore – Tokyo Narita International Airport
Tokyo Haneda domestic airport – New Chitose Airport (Sapporo)
New Chitose Airport – Niseko
There are several bus services that provide the transfer to Niseko including the Skybus, which takes you to your hotel.
Next Stop: Mexican in Japan?!
After my eventful trip to Tsukiji Fish Market, I came back to the hotel and had a one hour kip before the alarm rang again.
We had a 11:30am domestic flight to catch to Sapporo.
We took the train to Tokyo Haneda Airport and hopped on to our Hokkaido International Air flight to New Chitose Airport, Sapporo.
Chope!
So I should first mention here how I felt/feel about snow.
The last time I’ve played in snow was a VERY long time. Think I was 7 years old and it was snowing in England en route to Auntie Christine’s place in Wales. Ever since then, I’ve been longing to see snow again. I correct myself, not just seeing snow, but I wanted to be standing outside in the falling snow.
It was also one of my items on the bucket list.
So can you imagine my excitement when we were flying overhead snow covered fields and mountains! I was smiling ear to ear, heart pounding with excitement. Get me down there quick!!
After touching down at Sapporo, we had a quick lunch at one of the ramen houses in the airport before we set off for the long drive. To be honest, we didn’t expect much, it being an airport restaurant. But oh my word, absolutely freakin delicious! And of course you can’t come to Sapporo and not have Sapporo biru!
With the tummy-filled, we were soon on our way on our 3hr mini-van ride to Niseko.
We spent the time in the van watching a DVD on Chris’ computer and chit chatting. I took a short snooze, and when I woke up, I promise you my eyes were welling up. It was snowing outside!!!!
We stopped at a rest house for a toilet break, and I just stood there in the snow with arms out, head up and tongue out! Snow flakes danced down so lightly and kissed my cheeks.
Pure elation from the simplest thing. I’m a happy girl.
