Niseko Higashiyama, Japan - Hokkaido

Visitor reviews for Niseko Higashiyama

• March 29, 2008
  Ollie Harman from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  I worked the whole 07/08 season in Higashiyama and the first thing to say is that next year Higashiyama will be called Niseko Village, but if you are expecting things to do (i.e. base village with shops, restaurants, bars, etc..) then think again!! The village is a 5-10 year development plan so go when it's finished. Go to Niseko Grand Hirafu where there is a lively town with good stuff to do, plus the awesome night skiing is at Grand Hirafu only! The snow is very good for all of Japan but it's a short season. Don't go at Xmas or the Chinese new year (Feb 01-15) as it's too busy. Go in January if you can. If you stay in Higashiyama/Niseko Village then you will have to take a 20 min bus ride to get to Grand Hirafu for your apres-ski and then get the bus back, not cool at -11 in 3 feet of snow.

• January 31, 2007
  Stu from KOREA, REPUBLIC OF
  

  This mountain rocks, everyday is a powder day and it didn't seem like it was snowing that hard when I was there (12-16th Jan) but the flakes just keep floating down all through the night.
  Higashiyama is only good at the top slopes by the Ace Pair lift or if you ski down from the Prince gondola and take a short hike up to Panorama gate and then continue through the trees. But head over to An'nupuri an there is just great powder everywhere and nice easy tree runs with nothing too steep. Good if you are skiing/boarding pow for the first time!
  Spent an entire day on this side and was planning on exploring the Hirafu side but the wind picked up and the lifts got shut down...this seems to be a not uncommon occurrence!
  Downside to Higashiyama is night life is non-existent. You need to take a 20 min bus over to the main village in Hirafu and even this is pretty quiet when compared to something like Whistler or Val d'Isere