How I Show Friends Niseko on Their First Day: Early Start, Early Finish, Dinner in Kutchan

Short answer first. When I show a friend Niseko for the first time, my rule is: start early, finish early, and eat in Kutchan. Rentals get done the evening before, and we're on the mountain by 8:30. By 2:30 or 3pm we stop skiing and head for an onsen, then an izakaya. After years of showing friends around, this is the plan that makes them happiest — and gets the fewest people hurt.

• The evening before: sort out rentals
• 8:30: on the mountain. Two or three runs on Annupuri's wide, gentle slopes
• 11:00: early lunch, before the crowds
• Afternoon: if they can ski and the weather holds, traverse over to Hirafu
• 2:30–3pm: stop and go to an onsen
• Evening: an izakaya in Kutchan

The day before: rentals in the evening

Go to a rental shop in the morning and you lose one to two hours. Do it the evening before and you can go straight to the mountain.

Morning: Annupuri's wide slopes

We leave so we're on the mountain by 8:30. First up, two or three runs on Annupuri's wide, gentle slopes. There aren't many people, and first-timers don't feel scared.

Lunch at 11

We eat at 11. By noon, every restaurant starts filling up. Walking in ski boots is tiring, so we pick somewhere close.

Afternoon: over to Hirafu if it makes sense

If my friend can ski and the weather holds, we traverse across the top to the Hirafu side in the afternoon. If not, we stay at the same resort.

And we stop at 2:30 or 3. There's a reason.

The "one more run" that hurt my friend

A friend on their first day of snowboarding said "I can do one more," and on that last run they fell and hurt their wrist. The run at the end of a tiring day is the most dangerous one. Since then, I've always called it early in the afternoon.

A local tip: when someone says "one more run," that's where the day ends. Day-one afternoons are when people don't notice how tired their legs are.

Onsen: an outdoor bath in the snow

When a friend from my university days in Beijing came, the highlight wasn't the powder or the sushi. It was an outdoor onsen with snow falling. They stayed in for 30 minutes with snow piling up on their head.

There are plenty of onsen in Niseko that take day visitors. You don't wear a swimsuit in an onsen (I get asked a lot). Follow each onsen's rules.

Evening: an izakaya in Kutchan

In the evening we go to an izakaya in Kutchan town. My friend from Beijing had yakitori and zangi (Hokkaido-style fried chicken) and said, "This is the best thing I've eaten."

I show Japanese friends and friends from overseas around a little differently.

• Friends from Japan: I take them to a lively Hirafu spot full of international visitors. Even just having lunch there feels like being abroad
• Friends from overseas: Hirafu doesn't have many places that feel Japanese, so we eat yakitori and Japanese food in Kutchan

What I always ask friends to bring

• Goggles with a bright lens for cloudy days
• Shoes with grip
• Something to cover your face (a neck warmer)
• Spare gloves. Wet gloves turn the afternoon into misery

And in the morning, we agree on "if we get separated, meet here." A friend's phone once died in the cold and we didn't find each other until evening. Phones lose charge fast in the cold.

FAQ

Where should first-timers start skiing in Niseko?

Annupuri's wide, gentle slopes. They're quiet, and first-timers can relax.

How late should we ski on day one?

Stop at 2:30 or 3pm. The last run of a tiring afternoon is when people get hurt most.

Do I need a swimsuit for an onsen?

In Japanese onsen you normally don't wear one. Follow each onsen's rules.

Is it true phones die quickly in the cold?

Phone batteries can drop fast in the cold. Agree on a meeting spot in case you get separated.

— Niseko Hub Editorial Team