There is an endless number of things to do in Niseko after the snow melts. Use this handy checklist to look for ideas or to challenge yourself to complete the Niseko Hottest 100.
The summer core
01. GOLF There are five golf courses within 15 minutes of Niseko, all stunningly beautiful and well-maintained.
02. ROAD CYCLING With super smooth, quiet roads and clean mountain air, Niseko is becoming a renowned road cycling and endurance training destination.
03. MOUNTAIN BIKING The local mountain biking crew is dedicated, motivated, and expanding the trails and organisation every year.
04. RAFTING All that melting snow makes for great rapids in spring before subsiding for quieter rafting in summer.
05. HIKING Dozens of volcanic mountains, nourished by melting snow and spring water makes for endless scenic hiking opportunities.
06. FISHING The local rivers and lakes are home to a wonderful array of freshwater fish species, including salmon and trout and other local species.
07. CAMPING You could camp at a different spot every day for a year around Niseko and you wouldn’t find them all.
08. BALLOONING Niseko’s scenery is spectacular in winter. It’s something else from a hot air balloon in full colour.
09. HORSE RIDING Exploring Niseko’s lush, dense forests on foot is amazing – on horseback is even better.
10. PARK GOLF Invented in Hokkaido, this is a cross between golf and croquet and is great fun for all ages from kids to seniors.
For sports fans
11. Sapporo has been named host of the 2020 TOKYO OLYMPIC MARATHON – what better excuse to experience Niseko’s green season and witness the most iconic of Olympic events on the same trip!
12. Almost 40 years old, the autumn NISEKO MARATHON FESTIVAL is a fun-run event for families and budding long-distance runners.
13. Test your mettle up and down the slopes of Niseko’s Mt Annupuri for the NAC TRAIL RUN – 5km, 10km, or torturous 30km courses.
14. The HANAZONO HILL CLIMB is a fast and furious sprint from Kutchan Town to the mountain-top Goshiki Onsen.
15. Niseko regularly hosts major cycling events, including the NISEKO CLASSIC – one stage of the UCI Gran Fondo Amateur World Tour.
16. MOUNTAIN BIKE COMPETITIONS are held several times throughout the summer. Tune into Niseko’s MTB social channels to find one to enter.
17. Japan has one of the world’s biggest BASEBALL leagues, so if you’re here in season, why not head to the Sapporo Dome, catch a baseball game and cheer on the amusingly named local team, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters!
Summer festivals
18. KYOGOKU COLD WATER FESTIVAL July: Celebrate the region’s abundance of spring water at the Kyogoku spring.
19. MAKKARI PORK FESTIVAL July: That’s right a pork festival. Makkari pigs are fed herbs and spices, making them so delicious it’s worth celebrating! (Not held every year)
20. SAPPORO BEER FESTIVAL Jul-Aug: Head for the park in the middle of town, buy a beer tower and celebrate summer like they do in Sapporo!
21. NIKO NIKO NISEKO VILLAGE FESTIVAL July: Music, dance, food, drink, fun and fireworks at the base of Niseko Village Ski Resort.
22. KUTCHAN POTATO FESTIVAL August: The “Jaga Matsuri” is the local summer headline act for this little potato farming region.
23. HIRAFU MATSURI August: Don a summer kimono and get festive!
24. RISING SUN FESTIVAL August: Hokkaido’s own Fuji Rock Festival featuring more than 100 acts.
25. FIREWORKS & STAR FESTIVAL August: Fun summer evening festival in Niseko Town for kids and families.
Just for kids
The ski resort bases transform into summer fun-derlands in the green season – as well as zip lining and tree trekking there are: 26. inflatable slides, 27. inflatable play equipment, 28. horse riding, 29. bike trails, 30. aqua balls, 31. cart explorer, 32. gondola rides, 33. treasure hunt, 34. nature walks and more!
35. Nearby RUSUTSU SKI RESORT is like a Disneyland of powder skiing in winter, but come summer the resort has its own fully fledged Disneyland-style theme park. Eight roller coasters, thrill rides, Ferris wheel, water park, train rides and more!
36. Hanazono, Hokkaido International School Niseko and Edventure run SUMMER SCHOOLS AND CAMPS in the green season. Kids will enjoy activities like rafting, making ice-cream, picking vegetables and much more. Meanwhile parents can have their own holiday.
Get extreme
37. CANYONING Jump, slide and swim down a network of canyons, creeks and rock pools deep in the mountains. Finish with a 6m cliff jump (optional)!
38. PARAGLIDING Paragliding is an activity that soars above the rest. Catch the gondola up, fly down like the birds. Simple physics!
39. WAKEBOARDING A half or full day wakeboarding in the delicious crystal clear waters of nearby Lake Toya will leave you in no doubt that this is one of the most pristine places on earth.
40. TREE TREKKING Climb your way high into the tree tops up to 20m above the ground for this super fun and challenging ropes course experience at several locations across Niseko.
41. ZIP LINING Strap in and buckle up — Niseko takes zip lining seriously! The Hirafu tree trekking course has several zip lines woven into its park, and Niseko Village has a dedicated network totalling 1.4km – the longest in Japan.
42. INDOOR ROCK CLIMBING In the middle of Hirafu, the Niseko Adventure Centre (aka NAC) has several climbing walls of varying heights and difficulties.
43. SURFING There’s a good selection of surf breaks a short drive from Niseko on either side of the island. It’s fickle and hard to get it really good, but fortune favours the brave and you could score epic waves.
44. SKY DIVING Finally, for those who have truly lost the plot, strap yourself to a parachute and jump out of a perfectly good plane over the Sea of Japan on the coast near Niseko.
Local delights
45. FRESH SPRING WATER Every day millions of litres of water gush from springs around the base of Mt Yotei. It’s listed as one of Japan’s purest sources. Cup your hands and gulp down for instant refreshment then fill a bottle for later.
46. BOULANGERIE JIN Find the little mountain road behind Niseko Town, drive until you’re in the middle of nowhere, then keep driving. A tiny black, steel sign marks the mountain cabin that is Jin, a truly magnifique French bakery.
47. MEISUI TOFU Right beside the Makkari spring is a bustling little tofu shop, whose key ingredient is Mt Yotei spring water. Sample as many of their dozens of varieties as you like. For tofu sceptics, start with the tofu doughnuts.
48. SANSAI These little fronds, leaves, stems and buds grow everywhere as the snow melts. Get someone in the know to point you in the right direction. They can be fried in tempura batter, marinated, pickled and more. A Hokkaido delicacy.
49. MILK KOBO When the local dairy needed to combat falling milk prices, it started selling ice creams, choux cream puffs and other dairy products. Now it’s a summer tourism icon complete with restaurant and souvenir shops.
50. FRUIT PICKING There are a variety of orchards in and around Niseko where you can go to pick everything from strawberries and cherries to pears and plums. There aren’t many places around the world with so much beautiful quality fruit available.
Take it easy
51. ONSEN An onsen in summer is a different experience to winter, but surprisingly refreshing.
52. GREEN BIKE Niseko has a free “Green Bike” scheme, where bikes can be picked up at one place and dropped off at another.
53. BIRD WATCHING Niseko has many avian residents including the great spotted woodpecker (akagera) as well as several migratory species in spring and summer that may be new to visitors and unique to Hokkaido.
54. PHOTOGRAPHY Niseko is photogenic all year round with no shortage of sterling subjects. Take a photography workshop and get some local knowledge.
55. NATURE TOUR The hills of Niseko are alive with bugs, plants, flowers and animals. A nature tour will reveal just how much life is lurking in them thar hills.
Au naturale
56. Try to catch a glimpse of Haru no Taki – SPRING WATERFALL – in the valley beside Hirafu caused by melting snow from higher up the mountain in spring.
57. A month or so after Tokyo and Kyoto’s CHERRY BLOSSOMS bloom, it’s Niseko turn. Take a local photography tour to find the most photogenic spots.
58. Gain a deeper understanding of MT YOTEI by hiking it in summer. See what it looks like up close and personal and see inside the crater.
59. Get a local to show you the SECRET MUD ONSEN for your own natural mud-pack therapy. It’s a hike to get there but worth it.
60. High in the Niseko mountain range is SHINSENNUMA MARSH. Stroll along the raised wooden walkway and enjoy the scenery that changes with the seasons.
61. Take a drive out to the coast, find a river mouth and watch the ocean swells thick with SALMON heading upstream as they return to spawn in autumn.
62. Late September is an exciting time —see the FIRST SNOWS dust the mountain peaks, and the hills come alive with the reds, yellows and browns of autumn.
Be inspired
Take a workshop in 63. glass art, 64. jewellery, 65. pottery, 66. woodwork, 67. leatherwork, 68. fishing fly making. 69. try a Japanese cooking class, 70. make jam from Niseko produce, 71. authentic soba noodles, or 72. ice cream.
Or visit one of the many interesting local galleries and museums including:
73. ST GALLERY A small Hirafu gallery of works by Shigeru Tokumaru.
74. RAM KOBO An interesting wood and metal workshop and gallery.
75. YUNOSATO DESK A unique furniture workshop and gallery in an old school building.
76. SHU OGAWARA MUSEUM OF ART A gallery of works by famous Hokkaido artist Shu Ogawara.
77. KUTCHAN NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Introducing the history and culture of the local area — lots of fun.
78. ARISHIMA TAKEO MEMORIAL MUSEUM The headline local gallery celebrating Niseko and Hokkaido’s art culture.
Sightseeing / day trips
If you HIRE A CAR in Niseko, you’ll open up a whole new world. The following places are all within an hour of Niseko.
LAKE TOYA is a stunningly beautiful volcanic caldera lake, famous for the onsen resort town on its southern shoreline. 79. Go for a swim in the crystal clear water.
80. Take a boat out to explore the deer-inhabited island in the middle.
81. Visit active volcano Mt Usu, and witness the impacts of its most recent eruptions in 1977 and 2000. 82. Bathe in one of many onsen on the shores of the lake.
83. Check out the Windsor Hotel, host of the 2008 G8 Summit. 84. Stop for an ice cream at the famous Lake Hill Farm.
OTARU is a small, historic port city about an hour from Niseko. 85. Explore the beautifully preserved old canal area by rickshaw. 86. Admire the old stone warehouses and other architecture, including mansions built by early herring tycoons. 87. Eat fantastic fresh sushi straight from the port in a converted warehouse. 88. Shop in the malls and galleries of the canal district.
SHAKOTAN is a compact, rugged peninsula that juts out into the Sea of Japan behind Niseko. 89. Drive along the coastline and admire some of the most spectacular coastal scenery in Japan. 90. Venture out along the spine of Cape Kamui. 91. Jump in a glass-bottom boat and marvel at the clarity of the Sea of Japan. 92. Kayak along the coastline and explore caves in the cliff sides. 93. Eat live uni (sea urchin) straight from the sea floor. 94. Drink a cold beer while soaking in an outdoor onsen and watching the sun sink into the sea.
YOICHI is another seaside village near Niseko, most famous for its apples, apple juice and Nikka Whisky distillery. 95. Tour the whisky distillery whose 1987 single malt was voted world’s best in 2008. 96.Visit the Space Dome Museum, in honour of Japan’s first astronaut who was born there. 97. Witness the Fugoppe Cave paintings, believed to be the first signs of prehistoric life in Hokkaido.
