Niseko has many faces throughout the year.
If you’re reading this during the hype of a busy winter you could be forgiven for thinking that it’s a buzzing hive of activity all year round.
But you might be surprised to hear that after the snow melts, so too does the tide of tens of thousands of visitors. As the resort shuts off the ski lifts in early May, the town recedes into what could be best described as a post-winter hibernation… before coming alive again for the warmer months.
First and foremost, Niseko is a farming region and in spring the whir of ski lifts, the sirens of ski patrols and the grumble of snow ploughs are replaced by the sounds of summer – wind whistling through the trees, birds chirping, insects buzzing and farm equipment maximising the production of the summer soils.
Niseko in spring, summer and autumn is all about enjoying the cool, laidback Hokkaido environment – slow-cooked barbecues in backyards, afternoons playing around lakes, cycling through fields, farms and forests.
Many of the Japanese and foreign people who live here year-round say they came for the winters and stayed for the summers. Billions of dollars are being invested into Niseko’s winter tourism industry, and all that investment is in turn building the variety of summer activities and amenity and the viability of the “green season”.
The world’s biggest brand-name ski resorts these days are busier in summer than they are in winter, and the architects responsible for some of those resorts I have spoken to say Niseko is guaranteed to follow in their footsteps with even greater potential in many areas. As you read through this magazine I hope to entice you back to be among of the first foreigners to discover this unique natural wonderland sans snow.
– Kristian Lund
THANK YOU FOR READING SUMMERLIFE
Summerlife is a privately funded, non-profit-making initiative by Niseko Media KK – publisher of Powderlife. It’s designed to introduce Niseko’s other spectacular seasons to potential visitors and help build the “off-season”, which will greatly benefit the local economy, residents and the positive development of the region.
If you’ve picked up this magazine in Niseko, please take it home as a souvenir to remember your trip and to show friends and family. If you’ve come across it overseas or are reading online, we hope to see you here soon!