Zuma Opens 30 November 2026 in Hirafu: London Brand's First Restaurant in Japan, 141-Seat Winter Pop-Up

Zuma is coming to Niseko. The London-born contemporary Japanese restaurant opens its first address in Japan on 30 November 2026, as a seasonal pop-up in Hirafu with up to 141 seats (Zuma / Snow Brains). Founded in London in 2002 and now operating in Dubai, New York, Hong Kong, Rome and Vail among others under the UK's Azumi Group, Zuma has never kept a permanent address in Japan (Mountainwatch). A global high-end brand picking Hirafu for its Japan debut, during a winter when peak-season evenings are already a race for tables, is unusual for Niseko dining. If you are planning around that pressure, read Do you need to book restaurants in Niseko? first; the booking window matters more than the shortlist.

What is Zuma, as a brand?

The operator is UK-based Azumi Group, led by CEO Sven Koch (Mountainwatch). The first Zuma was opened in Knightsbridge, London in 2002 by German chef Rainer Becker, who built the concept during six years living and cooking in Tokyo (Wikipedia)). The food runs on three legs: robata grill, a sushi counter for nigiri and sashimi, and contemporary Japanese plates built to share. It is not a kaiseki tasting menu, and it is not a quiet sushi omakase; it is a long-table room where two to four people order several dishes and keep the plates moving. Pricing in Niseko is not published at the time of writing, but reading from Zuma's existing cities, dinner typically lands around 200 to 400 US dollars per guest. Budget for the upper end.

141 seats, winter only, doors open at 3pm

The Niseko site is 141 seats, open Monday to Sunday from 3pm until midnight, with dinner service starting at 5pm (Zuma / Snow Brains). The 3 to 5pm window is apres-ski: drinks and small plates after the lifts stop, before the dinner crowd arrives. A private dining room seats up to 12, and flexible layouts accept groups of 10 to 20. The site sits in Hirafu, about four minutes by car from Niseko Tokyu Grand HIRAFU (Zuma). The restaurant is a seasonal pop-up, not a permanent venue, and the closing date for 2026-27 is not published yet; only "winter 2026-27" is on the record.

Why Niseko for Zuma's first Japan location?

Zuma's permanent cities so far have been London, Dubai, New York, Hong Kong, Rome, Vail and other hubs where the international wealthy travel and stay. The seasonal rooms sit in Courchevel, Gstaad, Cortina and Kitzbuhel, mostly in the European Alps (Mountainwatch). Niseko fits that map in a way Tokyo or Osaka doesn't: it is Japan's top ski resort for overseas-visitor share and nightly room rate, and Hirafu alone clusters Setsu Niseko, Ki Niseko, Aya Niseko and The Vale Niseko in a small radius, with Park Hyatt Niseko HANAZONO in the neighbouring Hanazono area. Choosing a Hirafu pop-up over a permanent Tokyo site reads as a decision to target that specific international winter crowd first. If you are still choosing your base, start with Where to stay in Niseko and then compare the Zuma address to your hotel.

Before you book for 2026-27

As of 2 November 2026, Zuma Niseko's dinner menu pricing, New Year and Lunar New Year availability, and dress code are not published. Reservations opened on 14 August 2026 through the Zuma website (handled by SevenRooms), and peak-week evenings are likely to sell out well before opening (Snow Brains). Nail down these four points before you commit.

• How to book: use the Zuma Niseko reservation form (SevenRooms); pick date and time
• Which slot: 3 to 5pm apres or 5pm onwards dinner. Length of stay and total bill move with it
• Group and room: within the 141 seats, there is a 12-seat private room and flexible layouts for 10 to 20
• Closing date: pop-up, so keep your date inside winter 2026-27 (the final day is not published)

Hirafu's other high-end restaurants also see heavy peak-week booking pressure, so the January and holiday evening plan goes in When to book Niseko restaurants for peak season.

Who it's for, and who it's not for

Good fit: travellers who already know Zuma from London, Dubai or New York and want the same evening in Niseko; groups of two to four who want robata and sushi plates to share; skiers who like a 3 to 5pm apres with Champagne before a long dinner. At 141 seats, Zuma also widens the shortlist for peak-week visitors who struggle to find any high-end table in Hirafu.

Not a fit: diners who want a quiet single sushi counter or a traditional kaiseki room; travellers who want a Japanese dinner at 3,000 to 8,000 yen per head; anyone who prefers a permanent restaurant they can return to in future years. For price-led planning, Where to eat in Niseko by budget is a saner starting point.

FAQ

When does Zuma Niseko open?

On 30 November 2026. The restaurant runs through the 2026-27 ski season only, open Monday to Sunday from 3pm to midnight, with dinner from 5pm (Zuma / Mountainwatch).

Is it permanent, or a pop-up?

A seasonal pop-up. The Azumi Group describes it as Zuma's first Japan location and labels it a pop-up; there is no announcement of a permanent Japan address at the time of writing (Snow Brains).

Where is it?

In Hirafu, about a four-minute drive from Niseko Tokyu Grand HIRAFU (Mountainwatch). The published address is 163-53 Niseko-Hirafu 2-jo 1-chome, Kutchan, Hokkaido (Zuma).

How many seats, and is there a private room?

Up to 141 seats in total, a private dining room for 12, and flexible layouts for groups of 10 to 20 (Snow Brains).

How do I book, and what should I budget?

Through the Zuma Niseko website (via SevenRooms); reservations opened on 14 August 2026 (Snow Brains). Niseko pricing is not published, but reading from Zuma's existing cities, a dinner budget starting from about 200 US dollars per guest is a safer baseline than a lower number.

— Niseko Hub Editorial Team