Sakura is the Japanese word for cherry blossom. You may heard this in the media recently because the people of Tokyo have not been able to attend the annual cherry blossom or Hanami celebrations due to Covid-19. Here in Hokkaido cherry blossom viewing and revelry comes later, this year it is forecast for April 20th but from around mid February there is another sought after sakura in Hokkaido too, the Sakura Masu or Cherry Salmon.

Foxes are a common site here in Hokkaido and can often be spotted in the early morning or evening and it's not uncommon to hear their eirie howl or scream at night. The character below was spotted from the spare room window early one April morning. Upon realising he was in front of the lense this little red fur ball became coy and camera shy and after a fleeting moment of curiosity bounded off into the snow covered brush faster than you can say Bunce and Bean.

Have you ever seen the sun rise across Mt Yotei, Niseko's very own volcano? If you've visited the area the 1,898m snow covered peak is a pretty hard to miss! That said with the snow we get in Niseko it is not unusual for it to be in the clouds for weeks on end. Any avid skiers or boarders upon seeing Yotei for the first time can't help but wonder what it would be like to ski down it.

In the light of uncertainty surrounding the current global situation Holiday Niseko would like to offer our future guests an extended flexible cancellation policy.
Holiday Niseko is currently offering a money back guarantee on bookings made after March 25th 2020, with a refund given on cancellations made before July 1st, 2020 (*conditions apply).

After a short fuel stop in town I continued on around the south side of Lake Toya, stopping only to take photos of active volcanic vents steaming from the top of Showa-Shinzan and other views of Lake Toya. The Eastern side of Toya has one of my favourite campsites in Hokkaido. The Nakatoya campground is a wonderful place to relax by the lakeside with a very convenient onsen located on site, and well stocked camp store.

March 10th, 2020 -  Was the first day this year that was a balmy 9C and warm enough for all of the ice and snow on the roads to melt giving me my first opportunity to go for a cruise. My first thought was to take a short ride close to home to make sure everything on the bike was still in working order. A quick 40 minute ride around the base of Mt. Yotei was all I had in mind...

You’re here. It’s happening. Of course, it takes a while to get familiar with your surroundings and learn the lay of the new lands. Niseko is no different, with four resorts spread out on Mt. Niseko An’nupuri, the possibilities are as endless as the snow is deep. The hardest part is choosing a destination and spoiler—there’s no wrong answer.

February and March have been challenging months across the globe and here in Niseko we have been experiencing one of the quietest March's in years. Here in Hirafu daily life has continued mostly as usual and we've been lucky enough to enjoy one of the best March's we've had snow wise for a couple of years. We've been getting consistent top ups of fresh snow through out the month plus plenty of the beautiful sunny days the spring time brings.

If you are reading this you have probably heard of our good friend Trevor Ponting's situation. Trev has just had brain surgery and is about to undergo intensive chemo and radiation therapy. This is going to be a huge challenge for him and his family physically, mentally and financially. We're behind Trev 100% and hope that if you are too we can make Trev's battle a little easier wherever we can. So who is Trevor Ponting?

Kids ski free in March! Sound good? Sounds awesome! So what's the deal? With every adult All Mountaiin Lift Pass purchased in advance through Holiday NIseko you will get 1 free equivalent kids pass (for kids 12 or under) and if that wasn't enough the same deal with rental equipment applies with Rhythm or Niseko Sports!