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INTERVAL INTERNATIONAL
1. WHITE ISLE NISEKO:
Pick
your vehicle — snowmobile,
banana boat, sled, tube —
and speed your way along
miles of powdery park trails past a
stark, untrodden backdrop of white fields, bare
trees, and snowcapped peaks.
2. JAGA MATSURI:
Celebrate the potato harvest
by watching parades and traditional Yosakoi
dance performances, and eating the local
specialty — a bowl of
gosetsu-udon
(potato-
flour noodles) at this popular summer festival in
Kutchan.
3. NISEKO MOUNTAIN RESORT GRAND HIRAFU:
Even if you don’t ski, the panoramic view of Mount
Y
ō
tei volcano is worth the price of a lift ticket.
4. LAKE HANGETSU NATURE PARK:
Follow the path to the shore and commune with nature in the
densely forested northwest foothills of Mount Y
ō
tei.
5. TORIMATSU:
Sit on a traditional tatami mat and make like famous chef and television personality
Anthony Bourdain, who loved this Kutchan eatery’s
yakitori
(skewers of grilled food) dishes such as
maitake mushrooms and chicken hearts.
6. NISEKO UNITED ALL MOUNTAIN PASS:
Ski the slopes of Niseko Mountain Resort Grand Hirafu and
Niseko Hanazono, Niseko Village, and Niseko Annupuri.
7. COCOROYA:
In Kutchan, browse a broad selection of authentic souvenirs such as silk kimonos,
kokeshi wooden dolls, sake cups, and kakejiku scrolls with antique calligraphy.
8. DAIBUTSUJI TEMPLE:
Make an appointment to see the ornately painted circular ceiling at this
Soto Zen temple near the Asahigaoka Park in Kutchan.
9. SHU OGAWARA MUSEUM OF ART:
View
paintings depicting scenes from China,
India, and Tibet, created by Kutchan’s
renowned avant-garde master who was
once a World War II army artist.
10. GYU+ BAR:
Après-ski (it’s only open
December through March), stop in at this
chill hangout in Hirafu lower village. Also
known as the Fridge Door Bar, it’s a great
spot to listen to jazz and enjoy a sake or
Hanyu single malt whiskey.
w
hy Go?
For a world far removed from the bright lights of Tokyo. Boasting up to a staggering 46 feet (14 meters) of
annual snowfall, Hokkaido, Japan’s second-largest and northernmost island, transforms into a dreamy white wonderland
for skiers and snowboarders from around the world. Rural Kutchan is the perfect springboard to Japan’s most popular
ski scene, the Niseko United region, with 61 runs, and bare countryside for off-piste skiing. Après-ski entertainment
abounds at
onsens
(hot springs) and karaoke bars, and culinary delights await at ramen-noodle shops, and
yakitori
and
sushi restaurants. The area is a lively summer retreat as well, offering numerous outdoor activities.
Japan, Mountains
If you’re impressed by
Hokkaido’s winter sports
offerings …
there’s plenty of
premium powder in
Whistler,
British Columbia
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