Momiji Lodge: An Original Niseko Lodge Restored to Modern Glory

As a modern wave of development rolls through Hirafu, many older houses and lodges are being demolished to make way for new developments that readily accommodate the modern international skier.

As is often the case in places like Niseko, some feel history is being lost in the name of progress.

In Hirafu’s case, however, many of its buildings were built on the cheap and without architectural planning, with little consideration for their position in the wider community. This becomes all too obvious on a summer tour of Hirafu, with no snow to mask the technicolour splatter of oddly shaped pensions and shoestring-budget, shoebox-sized cottages.

Some of these buildings do happen to be just quirky enough to  have earned a positive place in the eclectic environment of the village though. A draft village master plan by architect Riccardo Tossani has identified the more important historical or aesthetically valuable structures and puts in place mechanisms to preserve their heritage.

One lodge that has been restored to modern glory is Momiji Lodge. A Hong Kong-based expat family came across what was then called the “Village House” for sale, and saw its potential to be remodelled into a perfectly liveable – and ultimately luxurious – four-bedroom chalet.

“In Hong Kong it’s all concrete, steel and glass.  We wanted to preserve as much of the traditional Village House as possible and create a modern ski lodge with a rustic mountain feel.

“We tried to leave a much of the house as possible – all the original wooden flooring, walls, windows, skylights and traditional Japanese bath. The only things we added were mod-cons like a modern, open-plan kitchen and new bathrooms.

“My favourite thing now is the feel of the house when you walk in – there’s so much wood in the house you get a wonderful cedar smell and can’t help but kick back and relax.”