yukitopia

Kutchan’s two-day winter festival Yukitopia kicks off in Kutchan Central Park on Saturday, February 18. We’ve listed the main events and bus times for you, but if you have more questions please contact Mayumi Kinoshita at the Tourism section of Kutchan town hall. Tel: 0136 56 8009.

Saturday, February 18:

10:20   Opening

AS we approach the middle of the season, it has become apparent that the shift towards growing numbers of Asian visitors to Niseko is a firm reality. Australians were the initial impetus for the globalisation of Niseko, but with the current weakness of the Australian dollar, Asian visitors are beginning to make their presence felt. As the Chinese,

THE Japanese love a festival and February sees the winter festivals throughout many of the alpine regions. While most people will have heard of Sapporo’s world-renowned snow festival (see p.36 for Powderlife’s run down), Niseko’s service town, Kutchan, has its own snow festival, Yukitopia (Yuki means snow).

If

The Japanese love a good festival. Festivals the length and breadth of the country mark all sorts of occasions, most often to celebrate the seasons. Perhaps the biggest celebrations happen across the country at the start of spring when the cherry blossoms come into season. But in snowbound Kutchan, the biggest festival of the year celebrates the