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ON THE SLOPES
Sanni Oksanen
Photo: Katherine Beard
(Photo: Katherine Beard)1. Start your visit strong with a face shot of powder, bamboo, or both.
In early December, I arrived at Niseko Tokyu Grand HIRAFU. This meant early-season JAPOW (light and fluffy powder snow) turns, paired with the cutest bamboo shoots sticking out above the sea of white. The bamboo is covered by feet of snow midseason, but it made it all the more Japanese skiing to have them out and about. A few of us were even graced with “face shots” of bamboo as we traversed pillowy terrain or through the trees.
Bonus points if you take a shoot and throw it into the back of your helmet!
Note that conditions and scenery will change depending on the snowpack, but regardless, Niseko Tokyu Grand HIRAFU offers jaw-dropping views in a natural atmosphere.
2. Fill your pockets with Japanese konbini snacks.
Konbinis (twenty-four-hour groceries and convenience stores) are one of the icons across Japan. Lawson, Seven-Eleven, and Family Mart are the top three, carrying the famed onigiri triangles, fluffy egg sandwiches, sweet treats, and more. My personal favorites to keep handy in a jacket pocket are the pre-filled syrup pancakes or the fruit and cream sandwiches.
You can find a Lawson sitting below Mount Yotei in HIRAFU area, making it a quick pit stop and ideal photo opportunity.
3. Enjoy the little hat put on your board as you ride the gondolas.
Each time you ride up the gondolas at Niseko Tokyu Grand HIRAFU, they place an adorable little hat atop your skis or snowboard. Later, I learned from our host, Kei Inoue, that they do this to protect the gondola windows from scratches.
Mount Yotei view from NEST813.
Photo: Katherine Beard
(Photo: Katherine Beard)4. Take in Mount Yotei views from NEST813, over a glass of Sapporo. If you decide to eat a full lunch here, the food is delicious!
NEST813, newly opened atop the ACE Gondola, is the perfect spot for a mid-mountain lunch break. Plus, on a bluebird day, the view of Mount Yotei is unmatched! One of my favorite dishes was Snow Crab LasagnaとTonkatsu Bolognese. I washed it down with a Sapporo, of course. Only in Japan can you enjoy food so delicious right off the lifts.
5. If the slopes are your “religion” (or you’re superstitious, like me), pick up an Omamori at KING BELL or ALPEN NODE.
Traditionally, omamori are sold at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples across Japan. They act as amulets or charms of good luck and fortune. On the hill, omamori include wishes for safety in the snow, endless powder days, luck that piles up like snow, healthy and active kids, and more.
Typically, a year later, people return omamori to their place of origin and receive a new one for a “fresh start,” per se. (So you’ll have to plan a trip back to Niseko next year, too!)
Photo: Katherine Beard
(Photo: Katherine Beard)6. Try night boarding between birches as your tracks get refilled each lap.
As the lights come on, the ACE Family Quad, Ace Gondola, King Gondola (until January 25), and the King Holiday Pair continue to run, creating intertwining shadows of birch branches, interrupted by pow slashes, twisting tracks, and later filled in by the ever-falling snow. The terrain weaves through birch trees, is quieter than during the day, and is arguably one of the best in the world for night skiing.
OFF THE SLOPES
Photo: Katherine Beard
(Photo: Katherine Beard)7. Soak in a local onsen before and/or after a day of skiing.
While staying at the AYA NISEKO, we had access to both a private onsen in our room, a real treat, and a shared onsen for guests.
One morning over breakfast, Alex, an X Games medalist and creative, asked Nathaniel (Nat) Baker, a fellow writer on the trip from Newschoolers: “What time were you up?”
Nat replies, “5:30.”
Alex asks again, “What were you doing at 5:30?”
“I was in the onsen.”
“My dawg.” Fist bump.
A soak in the onsen is always the answer.
8. Get a character keychain in remembrance of your trip. Typically, you put it on your pack!
Before leaving for Niseko Tokyu Grand HIRAFU, I talked to a few Crested Butte locals who had already been there and gave me this piece of advice. The tradition likely comes from Japan’s yuru-chara, regional mascots. In Niseko’s case, it’s Jagata-kun, a skiing potato that nods to Hokkaido’s agricultural roots, complete with a Mount Yotei–inspired beanie.
At ユーカラ ニセコ店, located on Hirafu-Zaka St., I got a Hokkaido potato slice that smiles super awkwardly and now dangles from my zipper.
Another great option to find your little character, knick-knacks, postcards, and the coolest buffs in Niseko is at the shop inside ALPEN NODE, right at the base of the resort area and ACE gondola. If you stop by POWDERHOOD, a restaurant within ALPEN NODE, check out their locally brewed beers offered on tap and canned, such as the Air Borne West Coast IPA and First Track Golden Ale, or the locally made matcha ice cream, for an après moment.
Sanni Oksanen.
Photo: Remi Fukamachi
(Photo: Remi Fukamachi)9. Snap a photo with your board in front of the iconic, snow-capped vending machines.
You’ll find them all over Niseko, their tops piling up with fresh snowfall each day.
Photo: Remi Fukamachi
(Photo: Remi Fukamachi)10. Head to a local food truck for a bite, and grab a Niseko/Hokkaido sake at a local izakaya.
Arguably, Niseko’s food scene might be just as good as the snowboarding.
The Niseko Tokyu Grand HIRAFU area is home to iconic food trucks, such as Elvis The King of Kebabs, one near Yuki Market serving handmade udon noodles, and right at the base, Houzenji Sanpei serves delicious yakisoba. A stop at the ice cream truck for a soft-serve cone is the perfect sweet treat to top off a day on the slopes.
Local izakayas, such as Kougetsu and JAM, serve delicious Hokkaido seafood and other classics, including yakisoba and ramen. Bar Gyu, known as the refrigerator door speakeasy, is the spot for local sake, curated cocktails, and a cozy and intimate space to spend the evening.
For one more bite before you go, I had some of the butteriest salmon and tuna at さっぽろ魚 (Sapporo Fish) located inside the New Chitose Airport.
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Katherine Bea
(Katherine Bea)11. If you have the time, spend a few days or layover exploring Tokyo, Sapporo, and/or Kyoto!
You’re already on the other side of the globe. What’s an extra few days for a completely different experience from Niseko?
I loved staying in my very first pod hotel at Nine Hours Narita, indulging in a matcha latte at Matcha Passport, finding vintage Goldwin ski bibs at Gaslamp in the Shimo-Kitazawa neighborhood, and exploring Gotōkuji, more commonly known as the cat temple, all within just a couple of days.
Plus, if you have a few days to spare, you can even directly ship your skis to your next airport or hotel for easy pickup or transfer; Japan is always thinking ahead.
Photo: Katherine Beard
(Photo: Katherine Beard)Conclusion
Niseko Tokyu Grand HIRAFU is more than just the amazing JAPOW. It’s bamboo face shots, onsen mornings, snow-capped vending machines, and meals that make you drool (even just thinking about them). Somehow, before you’ve even zipped your board bag to head home, you’ll already be thinking about when you’ll come back next.
Related: The Best Competition In Women’s Snowboarding Is Headed To Japan
This story was originally published by Snowboarder on Feb 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the Resorts section. Add Snowboarder as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
AloJapan.com