Niseko Village

The ski area has two decent runs for advanced skiers and seeing as it is the last resort on that stretch it is not too crowded so can be good fun. Has good snow due to the altitude. Good family resort if you live in or near Tokyo and want to teach kids or learn to ski/ride. I often see foreign families from Tokyo there in winter. An expert skier would get bored. The hotel has been refurbished, good onsen and decent food, nice area up on the top floor. The residences there are incredible Probably not too many places in Japan like it and no one really knows about it. Good golf courses if

Mizuno no Sawa is going ahead as planned. The final meeting with all concerned parties with the Niseko Avalanche Committee where the Mayors of Kutchan and Niseko towns, the heads of all the ski resorts in the area, the heads of all related government and NPO bodies from the police, self-defense force, etc, and other related parties such as the Niseko Avalanche Institute met and approved the project on Monday. The Niseko United Trail Map is available now in Japanese and English should be arriving from the printers today so when you look at these you will be able to see the changes in class

Here I am, (the police officer in the Village People) We are stil in the process of deciding certain details and confirming these with the local parties. Issues such as helmuts, beacons, Recco use, numbers, as well as costs and all are being negotiated. Everyone has opinions on all these and I imagine there will be mixed feelings about how we run operations in the short term. This is due to the process of getting the terrain open, I think we will find the right balance, methods and systems eventually. The resort is ready to open the terrain and we have to work within the laws or the land

The main people behind this entire project have been Kamiharako San who is now GM of Hanazono (previously GM at NV), Nomura San, Patrol Captain at NV as well as the entire patrol team here who are mostly full-time year round staff here as well as Tanaka San, the Ski Resort GM here. Also Motomura San from the Hakuba region and a lot of the staff at NV who have put 5 years into this. Niseko United map revisions have been approved and the process with which we wil be allowing guests in the area this year has been approved. We do hope to expand the operations from what they will be at the start

Mizuno no Sawa cannot be controled until about 8:30 each morning so even on a day with operations in Mizuno it would only occur until after 9am after it is deemed operational on any given day. It is always fun watching guests on Limited 1,2 and 3 now Superstition, Jagaimo and Misoshiru when the blasting occurs in Mizuno. Mizuno no Sawa is a different case to the gates and back bowls in Niseko and is controled unlike those areas.

Niseko Village has been working hard on the Mizuno no Sawa project and we have taken some big steps recently. Yesterday we have released that we will be running some limited skiing operations in Mizuno no Sawa this season. We have not completed the English release for this as yet but under conditions negotiated with the local and regional governments as well as local parties guests will be allowed into Mizuno no Sawa this season under certain conditions, on days determined by the resort and in a manner which reflects the 'test-case' scenario of this project. I believe this is what

Niseko Village's lifts will be opening on November 28 from the present plan. Other lifts in Niseko United may open around the 22nd/23rd if snow permits. There is generally enough snow to open the Niseko Gondola at this time as well as some of the chair lifts. Wonderland Chair and Hirafu's and Annupuri's top chairs will not open until later December as per usual. All Mt. buses are operating at that time which you can ride for free with an All Mt. pass or pay for if you are using a single area pass. Hilton has shuttle buses running to major centres including Hirafu on a regular basis. Northern