Niseko single chairlift. Image: Brett Ploss.

Report from December 31, 2023

I looked out my window this morning to finally see snow coming down. Typically a usual sight in Niseko, but any trace has been absent the past few days.

Niseko snow flurries. Image: Brett Ploss.

Being New Year’s Eve, the crowds came. Lines aren’t often found in Japan, but since Niseko is rated as the #1 resort in the country, people flock here for the holidays. Lift wait times were about five to 10 minutes on main lifts and none on smaller two-seaters.

There is a noticeable lift infrastructure gap between each resort. Niseko Hanazono has a newer six-seater heated bubble lift and a Louis Vuitton-branded gondola. The lift upgrades found here contrast with the old ’80s lifts at Grand Hirafu and Village.

Niseko Grand Hirafu four seater lift. Image: Brett Ploss.

You haven’t skied trees in Hokkaido if you’re unfamiliar with Sassa: bamboo grass or panda food. Stalks grow to six feet, exposing many of them in the woods. They’re pretty easy to ski through, and often, you find leaves stuck in your bindings at the base of a run.

Sassa stalks poking out through the snow in the trees. Image: Brett Ploss.

It’s common to see people snapping off the top of the stalk and sporting new fashion throughout the day.

Sassa fashion the Hokkaido way. Image: Brett Ploss.

I went straight to Hanazono to start lapping skiers’ right trees off the 6-seater Hanazono Hooded Lift #1. Snow had filled in up top, making for some great morning turns.

It continued to snow throughout the day, but not enough for refills.

From Hanazono Hooded Quad Lift #3, I cut skiers left hard and found myself in an untracked area.

The run was completely untouched. Soft, light, dry snow proved to me the rumors about Japan were true.