WHILE Niseko offers a dream-like landscape of lift-accessed, fluffy powder runs for the masses, beyond the bright lights there are mountains of consequence to be found in Hokkaido. Standing above them all is Kurodake – Black Mountain. Long-time Niseko and Hokkaido local Dale Riva is one of many die-hard mountain men who has been seduced by

ON its own, Niseko is an amazing place to go skiing. So much so that since it has been ‘discovered’ by the outside world in the past 10 years or so, it has gone from sleepy, locals’ ski hill to world-renowned international ski resort. The four interlinked resorts provide enough terrain to keep many locals from ever wanting to

The heavens open for Derek Begley and his fellow powder worshippers

Kamikawa National Park, in central north Hokkaido, is known in the local Ainu dialect as ‘the playground of the gods’.
In early November, some of the strongest disciples of the Holy Church of Hokkaido Powder converged on a lodge at the

One of the most popular sections of Powderlife this season was ‘Irasshaimase’, the catch cry meaning ‘welcome’ that staff in Japanese businesses greet their customers with. In each issue of Powderlife, Irasshaimase took a look behind the scenes of great little local businesses – the origins of its owners, the motivations

by Mick Baker
Founder of Hakuba Real Estate.

Your Real Estate Investing for Dummies guidebook will tell you that once a location has experienced a rapid increase in price, you should look for other areas nearby with similar attributes that have yet to boom, and invest. Whether or not you have missed the boat in Niseko is a

A huge 58,000-tsubo (19.2 hectares) block of land at Rusutsu has been sold to a ‘major’ company.

Despite Rusutsu - about 45 minutes drive from Niseko - being considered another area that could experience a property boom, the market has never really taken off.

While the mountain is great for skiing there

For most  visitors to Niseko, Annupuri has always been a bit of a mystery. A cursory glance at the lines on the course map is as close as many people get. You either need to face the elements close to the peak or take a bus from Hirafu. But one thing is for sure - it’s worth the effort. Partly because of its relative obscurity, and partly