Niseko Village
The Niseko Village sits at the base of the Niseko Village Ski Area of Niseko United. Formerly known as the Niseko Higashiyama ski resort, the rebranding has drawn more visitors to the area, but perhaps increased potential confusion about what’s in a name. Niseko Village shouldn’t be confused with Niseko town, which is located 6km to the south, or Hirafu which is the most vibrant of the Niseko villages. Meanwhile Higashiyama (east mountain) village still exists, which is the pension village that’s situated a short distance from the ski-in ski-out resort areas.
The Niseko Village base area is very resortified and is dominated by a series of resort hotels: the
Green Leaf Hotel;
Hilton Niseko Hotel;
Hinode Hills; and
Higashiyama Niseko Village, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. There is also a small business strip called “The Village” which has been built to replicate a traditional machiya architectural village.
Pros and Cons of Niseko Village
Many of the general pros and cons for
Niseko Japan also apply.
Pros
- Niseko Village is popular with beginners, due to the predominance of ski-in ski-out accommodation, the varied beginner slopes, and the many English speaking instructors for both adults and children.
- In addition to ski school, Niseko Village is also good for families due to the activities on offer.
- It’s ideal if you’re looking for large ski-in ski-out resort hotel accommodation.
- Of the 8 lifts, 3 are gondolas (1 is a chondola) so beginners will be protected from the elements whilst riding up the hill.
- The Niseko Village ski slopes are a little quieter than those at Hirafu and Hanazono.
- Like the other Niseko ski areas, the snow is phenomenal and an average of 18 metres of powder falls per season.
Pro or Con Depending On Your Perspective
- With the exception of some of the Higashiyama lodges and pensions, a Niseko Village ski holiday is targeted to those with a very generous budget. Slopeside accommodation, dining, lessons, and equipment rentals are all very costly.
- Despite being called “Niseko Village”, there isn’t really (much of) a village where you can wander around shops and restaurants as you’d find in Hirafu. It’s a very curated resort experience. If vibrant nightlife is high on your priority list, or an abundance of shops and restaurants, this is probably not the area for you, although you can get a bus or taxi into Hirafu if you are seeking this.
Niseko Village Ski and Snowboard Terrain
The Niseko Village Ski Resort (formerly Higashiyama Niseko) is one of the four inter-connected ski resorts of Niseko United, and is located between Hirafu and Annupuri. Niseko Village Ski Resort offers 27 marked trails (12 beginner, 7 intermediate and 8 short advanced trails) and access to off-piste and
sidecountry terrain. The ski area has 890 metres of vertical drop (280 - 1,170m). See the
Niseko Village ski resort page for more information.
Where is Niseko Village?
Niseko Village is located in the
Niseko region about 9km southwest of the
Hirafu village. The New Chitose Airport (Sapporo Airport) is the main gateway airport and there are airport shuttle buses and private transfers available. See the
travel to Niseko Village page for more information.
Travel around the base of Niseko Village is very easy via gondola or shuttles, and transport to and from the other Niseko base areas is also available.
Niseko Village Accommodation
Niseko Village accommodation includes the ski-in ski-out
Greenleaf Hotel, the
Hilton Niseko Village,
Hinode Hills, and the opulent
Higashiyama Niseko Village, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. Also close to the slopes is
Kasara Townhouse, which offers incredibly luxe apartment style accommodation.
A little further away from the slopes are Higashiyama lodges, pensions, and a small amount of self-contained accommodation. See
Niseko Village Accommodation Listings.
The Village
The Village at Niseko Village (is it just me or are all these similar names so confusing?) is a collection of new-made-to-look-old buildings adjacent to the Hilton Hotel, that house a handful of restaurants and a couple of shops. The traditional Japanese architecture looks lovely, but it also feels a fraction cheesy when you can see the backdrop of the towering semi-modern Hilton Hotel.
Niseko Village Restaurants
Niseko Village restaurant options are somewhat limited and tend to charge a premium. Most restaurants are contained within the hotels.
The Hilton Hotel is home to various restaurants with a range of cuisine on offer. Expect dining to be rather expensive. Even simple fare such as burgers at the Ezo Pub is very costly.
The Village features a few eateries including a patisserie and an izakaya.
The Greenleaf Hotel has a lounge bar and a buffet restaurant, and if you venture away from the slopes there are a few dining options at lodges such as Black Diamond Lodge.
[AdListings collection="Japan" category="Niseko" subcategory="Niseko Village Restaurants"]
Ski Resort Facilities
Niseko Village ski lessons and snowboard tuition are big business. There are huge numbers of snowsports instructors, but it would be wise to pre-book lessons because the instructors are in hot demand due to the massive number of beginners that flock to Niseko Village. Group lessons are available for kids (ages 6 & up for skiing, 7 & up for snowboarding), whilst group lessons for adults are just for beginners. Group lessons are pretty expensive but not compared to private lessons which are only for those with an infinite budget.
Ski and snowboard equipment rentals are available at the Green Leaf Hotel, Hinode Hills, the Higashiyama Niseko Village The Ritz-Carlton Reserve, and the Niseko Gondola base (opposite the Hilton), with the main emphasis being on beginner to intermediate equipment.
[AdListings collection="Japan" category="Niseko" subcategory="Niseko Village Rentals"]
Activities
In the region there are a host of
Niseko ski guiding options available to explore the powder in the off-piste, sidecountry or backcountry.
Niseko cat skiing is also a popular way to ensure you get plenty of fresh powder, and there are snowcat skiing outfits that cater to intermediate powder riders up to experts.
At Niseko Village there is first tracks cat skiing, whereby you get in one powder run before the hordes arrive via the lifts. You have to book 5 days in advance though, so it may be hard to know whether it’s going to be a powder day or not.
Niseko Village also has other snow activities, with a major focus on family oriented and kids’ activities which include snowmobiling, cross country skiing, guided snowshoe tours, snow rafting (inflatable raft towed behind a snowmobile), and reindeer sled rides.
Shopping
Most of the
Niseko shopping is situated in the Hirafu village, with only a handful of shops in Niseko Village.
The Village features a ski shop which sells lots of ski and snowboard accessories and ski clothing but no hardware. It features lots of different upscale apparel brands, yet only a small range for each brand. For ski and snowboard hardware, you can head to Boot Solutions.
There is also a boutique, selling handbags, upscale giftware and dresses and clothing that most people wouldn’t wear at a snowy destination!
The lobby shop at the Hilton sells a small range of snacks, drinks and simple gifts, and the Green Leaf also has a basic store for snacks and souvenirs.