Niseko is a small rural town set in the middle of a large national park. Nestling at the foot of Mt Yotei and surrounded by the Annupuri ranges,
Niseko is one of Japan`s best year-round
tourist destinations. Offering a broad range of accommodation and a wide selection of restaurants, alongside traditional cultural experiences and modern sporting activities, it really does have something for every visitor, no matter what their ages or tastes. A winter sports paradise, Niseko transforms in the summer into a centre for hiking, golf and horse-riding.
Niseko’s history
Before the 1990’s Niseko was virtually unknown, with few foreigners seen in the area, plus off-piste skiing was not popular with the Japanese. In the mid 90's Niseko’s potential as a centre for consistent powder skiing became noticed. Small group tours were started and accommodation built for them. As still more tourists flooded in tour operators sensed an opportunity and started organised trips, and resort-style hotels were developed.
From around 2000, with Niseko offering perfect skiing in the Australian off-season, the
Australian began to move in, building apartment style accommodation and opening Aussie-themed bars and restaurants. Around the same time English language signage became more common, increasingly making the non-Japanese speaking tourists feel more at home.
Chinese tourists have now begun visiting the area in considerable numbers, and today Niseko, resident population of around 5000, welcomes as many as 1.5 million tourists annually, and alongside agriculture, tourism is the area’s main industry.
The local area
The name Niseko derives from the Ainu language, meaning "a cliff jutting over a riverbank deep in the mountain”, a description which conjures up a picture of this beautiful region.
Originally an agricultural area, in recent years Niseko has been transformed from a sleepy village into a trendy winter sports resort. Huge numbers of visitors from Australia and south-east
Asia have caused a revolution in the area with a large increase in western-style apartments and chalets. Japanese investment in the region is also increasing as more of the native people discover the delights of country
skiing. The speed at which the area is growing has caused some problems because the infrastructure hasn’t developed at the same rate, but this does result in the area still having an air of rustic charm still. In comparison with some other resorts of international renown, street lighting, rubbish bins etc may be less evident, and the range of retail outlets is not that extensive, although it is growing at a great rate. A wider range can be found in Kutchan, only a short drive away.
Niseko has continued to develop as a leading agricultural area, meeting the expectations of the many visitors that now flock to the town. Production is increasingly environmentally friendly, with use of chemical kept to a minimum. Recycling and composting are also wide-spread. Locally grown and delicious potatoes, melons, tomatoes and asparagus are served at many of the local restaurants, whilst rice and lily bulbs are also farmed here.
