Staying at Japan’s Ice Hotel in extremely cold Hokkaido | Hoshino Resorts TOMAMU Ice Village

📌It’s Time to Travel Map
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1jon84Y-_3WyjALR0oQSPBDFw3KPLcLA&usp=sharing

💻Website (Thank you for the cooperation in filming!)
https://hoshinoresorts.com/en/hotels/risonaretomamu/

🗒How to book
Official: https://www.snowtomamu.jp/winter/en/reserve/
Trip.com: https://www.trip.com/hotels/shimukappu-hotel-detail-1548042/hoshino-resorts-risonare-tomamu-hotel-hokkaido/?Allianceid=3822208&SID=21734476&trip_sub1=&trip_sub3=D146386
Expedia: https://expedia.com/affiliate/Fs7HEgc

🚃🚶‍♀️How to get to there
About 90 minutes by train from New Chitose Airport Station to Tomamu Station. Approximately 10 minutes by free shuttle bus from Tomamu Station.
MAP: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZWkfQTDS15qNeFkd8

💰Price
RISONARE Tomamu Designed Suite Twin Room: 2 people with half board 54,000 yen (362.78 USD / € 336.71).
Ice Hotel: 28,000 yen (188.42 USD / € 175.55) per person per night.
*The ice hotel is limited to one group per day. A separate reservation for a room at RISONARE Tomamu or Tomamu The Tower is required.
*Prices vary depending on plan and season.

🚃JAPAN RAIL PASS is the economical and convenient means of traveling throughout Japan by rail!!
https://click.jrpass.com/aff_c?offer_id=19&aff_id=1038

⌛️Time Stamp
0:00 Opening
0:12 How to Get to the Hotel
2:26 Hoshino Resort Tomamu
3:06 Risonare Tomamu Suite Twin
5:52 About Other Facilities and Hotels
6:38 Room Amenities and English-Friendliness
7:44 Exclusive Cafe Lounge for Guests
8:07 Tea Time
8:55 Ski/Snowboard Gear Rental
9:16 Dinner -Buffet Dining Hal
10:47 Ice Village
12:25 Ice Bar
13:42 Ice Seicomart (Convenience Store)
14:37 Ice Atelier
15:42 Ice Ramen Restaurant
16:33 Zipline Over Ice
17:00 Fireworks
17:37 Water Chapel
18:14 Ice Chapel
19:39 Before Going to the Ice Hotel
20:16 Ice Hotel
25:01 Ice Open-Air Bath
26:25 Night at the Ice Hotel
28:28 Surviving the Ice Hotel
29:14 Breakfast -Buffet Dining hal
31:25 Slopes on a Snowy Day
32:28 Walking Around the Hotel Property
33:06 Ski-In Ski-Out Kotatsu Lounge
35:44 Thank You for Watching!!

♫Ending Music
Akira Okumura (https://lit.link/akiraxxxx)

#japantravel #hokkaido #japanvlog #icehotel #ski #cc_for_subtitle

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・Titles, descriptions and subtitles done by auto translation so may not be correct.
・The price in the video uses the exchange rate at the time of editing.
・Prices may change depending on the season.
・We may be using affiliate links.

Hi! We’re staying at an “Ice Hotel” in Hokkaido, the northernmost part of Japan. You can see the Tokyo Skytree from here. Tokyo looks like a miniature model from up here. Over there, you can see Mount Fuji! The flight from Haneda Airport in Tokyo to New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido takes about 2 hours.

I fell asleep and before I knew it, we had entered a snowy country. Beautiful. We’ve arrived at New Chitose Airport. We’re moving to TOMAMU Station, the closest station to our hotel. It takes about 90 minutes from the airport to TOMAMU Station. TOMAMU Station is unmanned. From March 2024, all seats will be reserved.

Consider getting your paper ticket at a major station ahead of time. Look! There are horses running! We’re taking a shuttle bus from the station. There are several buses, but the staff will guide us. The bus ride from the station to the RISONARE Tomamu where we’re staying takes about 10 minutes.

It’s amazing how the bus drivers navigate through the snow. Suddenly, a hotel-like building appears in the midst of nature. Is that it? We’ve arrived. Thank you very much. “Hoshino Resort TOMAMU” is one of the largest stay-type snow resorts in Hokkaido.

There are two hotels on the premises, and we are staying at “RISONARE Tomamu.” The front desk & lounge area looks like this. It’s stylish with a fire pit. We’re checking in and getting our amenities, keys, and meal tickets. To stay at the “Ice Hotel,” you also need to book a regular room inside.

Check-in for the Ice Hotel starts at 10 PM, so let’s go to the indoor room first. We’re in a ‘Designed Suite Twin Room.’ It costs 54,000 yen (362.78 USD / € 336.71) for two, meals included. Let’s change into slippers. Oh, it’s beautiful and nice! The atmosphere is calming.

You can see the ski slope from the large window in the back. This ski slope is also within the Hoshino Resort TOMAMU premises. It’s huge. Everyone is skiing! I’d like to go if we have time. The guest room is spacious at 100 ㎡, with the bath and other facilities towards the back.

The high-ceiling observation jet bath has a great view. There’s a large mirror at the washbasin, and two faucets make it easy to use. Skincare products and a hairdryer are provided. Towels and bathrobes. And there’s even a sauna right in front. Wow, that’s great.

Of course, there’s a shower room and toilet inside the room. This is the bedroom. If it’s too cold at the Ice Hotel, we’ll switch to this bed. This room also has a large window with a nice view. Apparently, there’s a pool over there. That’s another hotel, “Tomamu The Tower.”

It’s closer to other facilities than RISONARE where we are, so it’s better for those who want to stay active. Our hotel is all-suite rooms, more for relaxing and taking it easy rather than playing around. Exiting the bedroom circles back to the entrance. It’s a spacious and nice room, isn’t it?

This hotel offers multilingual support, so you’ll be fine even if you don’t understand Japanese. This booklet contains guides in English and Chinese. Bubble bath additive. A squishy gel type. Lots of light switches. The room’s warm with good AC. Inside the shelf, there are tea cups and Japanese tea cups. Simple and clean.

Japanese green tea bags. Wine glasses and coffee drip bags. Melon tea?! Sounds delicious! Water is drawn into a dedicated pitcher. A water dispenser is located in the first-floor lounge. It’s stylish. Both hot and cold water are available. Back in the room, it’s tea time. Trying the green tea and the intriguing melon tea.

The melon tea has an amazing aroma! There’s a stylish round table in front of the large window, giving a café vibe. The melon tea is good. I’ll have to take one home. Rent wear for two days for 8,000 yen(53.87 USD / € 50.16). You can add ski/snowboard gear as an option.

The hotel is very large, so there’s a shuttle bus running about every 15 minutes. Came to the Buffet Dining hal for dinner! There’s a live cooking for meat and seafood dishes. Looks good. It’s bustling with many people. A must in Hokkaido! Definitely want to try crab and salmon. The desserts also look beautiful.

Brought back a lot. Udon, spring rolls, prosciutto, tempura, and just a variety of everything. The sashimi is plump and delicious. Love Hokkaido’s cuisine. Especially this crab gratin is so delicious and makes me happy. There are many restaurants within the facility, but if you’re drawn to all-you-can-eat crab, hal is recommended.

Wow, got to see fireworks by chance! Lucky. Thank you for the meal. It was delicious. Now, let’s go to the “Ice Village,” which also has an Ice Hotel. The Ice Village is a seasonal event held every winter. Here’s the ice gate. Amazing. Guests staying in TOMAMU can enter for free.

Apparently, the Ice Village alone spans 3.2 hectares. Wow, projection mapping. It’s currently -10°C. It can drop to -30°C (-22°F), so this is considered warm. We’ve come to a spot where you can see the entire Ice Village! It’s so beautiful. There are ice slides and an ice skating rink among other attractions.

Just ice and snow everywhere. It’s a fantastical world. In the back, there are many cute domes made of ice and snow, forming a small town. This dome is apparently an ice bar. Wow, amazing. All white. The drinks look cool. Everything pops in the clear, white setting.

Even the counter, tables, and chairs are all made of ice. There are cushions on the chairs, just in case. Let’s get a cocktail made. Frozen ice cocktail: 1,500 yen (10.09 USD / € 9.40). Let’s enjoy it in an ice seat. Blue Curacao + rum + sherbet-like soda. So pretty.

I’m not great at mixing it. The glass is of course made of ice. Too cold! Tastes like a Blue Hawaii shaved ice. Good. This dome is an ice convenience store. Products from Hokkaido’s local convenience store are displayed on ice shelves. Are they frozen? We’ll buy something. We chose a Hokkaido melon jelly.

It wasn’t frozen due to the temperature, but it’s cold and good. We also bought a dorayaki with a Hokkaido mark. If it were frozen, it would still be delicious like ice cream. This is the ice atelier.

The Ice Village has a 25-year history, and there were displays of timelines and photos from the past. Ice bread? Interesting. Got an Ice Village limited edition postcard. There are pens and desks, so you can write letters on the spot. Cute stamps. The temperature in this dome is -5.2°C (22.64°F).

There’s a postbox made of ice outside. It apparently really delivers. An ice ramen restaurant?! >> Staff: Thank you for waiting, here’s your ice ramen. Ice ramen: 1,500 yen (10.09 USD / € 9.40). Cold ramen in an ice bowl! The soup is added like seasoning on top, crunchy.

The noodles aren’t frozen, but the toppings are. The texture is interesting. Yes, it’s good! It’s kind of like cold chilled Chinese noodles. After eating so much, let’s try the zipline. It’s a bit scary, but here I go. From 7:30, there’s a 25th-anniversary fireworks event.

※Apologies for the interruption in music due to copyright reasons. It was very beautiful and moving. This is the “Chapel on the water.” It’s used for weddings during the day and open for viewing at night. A cross should be floating on the water, but snow has turned it into a ‘Chapel on the snow.’

The floating cross and trees look mystical. The Ice Village also has an “Ice Chapel.” You can actually have a wedding ceremony here. All ice and snow. So white, it’s almost blinding. It’s so cold inside. I wonder what kind of dress the bride and groom wear.

Pure white and really beautiful. It’s like another world. All the chairs are made of ice, so it’s tough for the attendees too. Thank you all for attending. An unforgettable wedding for all. (The staff opened it for us, thank you). And tonight, we’re staying in the Ice Hotel next to the Ice Chapel.

Check-in is at 10:00 pm. The Ice Hotel has hot springs but no showers. So, we’re heading back to RISONARE for now. It’s up to the guests whether to stay in the Ice Hotel or the indoor rooms. We plan to sleep in the Ice Hotel, so let’s warm up while we can…

The hair dryer is from Mod’s Hair. Let’s head back to the Ice Village. The Ice Hotel is exclusively for one group per day, meaning it’s all to ourselves. We’re climbing up the stairs made of ice. This is the entrance. The door is the only part not made of ice.

About 8.5m across, made from a single ice block without joints. Everywhere you look, it’s ice, ice, ice. >> Staff: The average temperature inside the Ice Hotel is minus 7°C. >> Staff: We offer down sleeping bags good to -30°C and warm pajamas for your comfort.

>> Staff: All is made of ice, so please be mindful to avoid damage or injury. It’s warmer than outside, but still quite cold. The floor around the bed is made of ice. The ice parts are very slippery. It’s a fantastical world of white and transparency.

The accommodation fee is 28,000 yen (188.42 USD / € 175.55) per person per night. Our midnight snack, clam chowder, has arrived! It comes with bread. It’s filled with Hokkaido seafood like shrimp, crab, and scallops. It’s the best. And there’s plenty of it. The spoon stuck to the ice table.

The warmth is soaking into my body… We’ll also enjoy the bread. This is really delicious! Even though I should be full, I ate a lot. Midnight snacks, and drinks are all included in the accommodation fee. We’ll have them later. Ice chairs and a mini table.

There are cushions, so your bottom won’t get cold. Sitting here, the ceiling and walls made of snow are incredible. There’s an ice bookshelf. It’s very quiet, so it might be good for reading. Though it’s cold. There’s also a Bluetooth speaker. There’s no particular echo, so it sounds nice. Is this an ice desk?

The outlet is embedded in the ice. There’s also a light switch for the room. And what’s behind this door…? We’re walking down a path surrounded by ice walls. This cabin is the only heated room. You can change here, and amenities like towels and toothbrushes are also available here. And further inside…

There’s an open-air bath made of ice! The surroundings of the bath are snow and ice. It’s nicely lit up. The water comes from ‘Yunosawa Onsen’ in the local village. So, I’m changing into a swimsuit for a bathing challenge. It’s so cold I might die. (The sound of bare feet on snow).

It’s hot but cold. Makes no sense. Towering birch trees. I got out early, but my body is getting super hot with a delay. Let’s head back to our room. We’ve changed into the fluffy pajamas. It’s like a costume. There’s a wide variety of alcohol, including wine and whiskey.

OMG, the wine bottle got stuck to the ice shelf and won’t come off. Juices and snacks are also provided. It’s time for an evening party. Surprisingly, the drinks aren’t frozen. Happy with these local Hokkaido cheese and potato snacks. The cheese crackers are a perfect match for the wine. It’s the best.

We also lit an ice candle for a romantic touch. Lovely. By the way, there are no toilets or sinks in the ice hotel. Heading to the external cabins is a hassle, but walking through the empty Ice Village is fun. There are two toilets available. At night, we’ll use sleeping bags.

These sleeping bags withstand temperatures to minus 30°C. Instead of directly on the ice floor, let’s sleep on a mattress. It already looks like someone is inside with that silhouette. It’s down-filled, so it’s fluffy. It even comes with something like a neck pillow. Here’s hoping we don’t freeze to death. Goodnight. Good morning.

We are alive!! The down sleeping bag was warmer than I expected and I slept well. Early morning in the Ice Village. Beautiful. Still not used to the cold… it’s cold in the morning too. It snowed during the night, so there are no footprints anywhere, just pure white.

Came for breakfast. It’s in the same restaurant as dinner. Arrived first at the restaurant this morning. There are lots of tables with various dishes. Breakfast includes a wide selection of bread, salads, and soups. There are also Hokkaido seafood dishes and Japanese cuisine.

The dinner menu is different, but the variety is just as rich. There’s a live cooking here. >> Staff: We have French toast. A beautiful and colorful breakfast awaits. The drinks are cute. Alright, we’ve brought a variety! Let’s eat. Everything is good. Thank you for the meal. The icicles are amazing.

The blizzard is amazing too. Since check-out from the ice hotel is at 8 am, we’re heading back to our room at the RISONARE. We wanted to have chocolate at a place called “Terrace of Frost Tree” on top of the mountain, but… The gondola stopped due to strong winds.

Oh, the lift has stopped too. But then it started moving again right away. It’s crowded! Please be careful, everyone. Check-out is at 11 am. Actually, you can walk around the premises, not just take the bus. Wow, so much snow has piled up! This is the forest restaurant “Nininupuri.”

It’s a buffet, but this restaurant specializes in meat dishes. Walking through the tunnel-like pathways is fun, but it’s as cold as outside. We’ve come to a mall in the middle of the ski slope called “hotalu street.” It’s about a 10-minute walk from RISONARE. Cafe & Bar Tsukino. Mainly burgers, perhaps?

Came here for these kotatsu seats! With the blizzard outside, we opted for indoor kotatsu seats. Warm and cozy. Happy. Special Oden Pot for two: 6,000 yen (40.38 USD / € 37.61). Hokkaido-style oden packed with seafood and vegetables. The kelp broth is so flavorful—warm and perfect. The boiled crab is incredibly good!!

Sake with broth: 600 yen (4.03 USD / € 3.76). Perfectly matches the oden. The finishing is Ochazuke (rice soaked with broth)! Comes in a cute gondola-shaped box with side dishes. Salmon roe, shredded kelp, crab miso, and about 10 types of condiments. You can top as much as you like and enjoy different flavors.

The rice in the clay pot is shiny and inviting. Pour the broth over it to complete the ochazuke. I couldn’t help but finish everything. Since we can’t ski, we’ll enjoy my ice cream while watching the slopes. Thank you for watching this far. See you next time.