Your Best Year Yet

No matter your clichéd ambitions for early 2020, take these tips from our comprehensive guide to making that resolution stick.   

You can get and stay fit while holidaying in Niseko in many ways. For starters, skiing and snowboarding serve as a great all body work-out.

For gym junkies, the brand-new Niseko Crossfit gym in Kutchan accepts drop-in guests for their regular group classes. The Kutchan Town gym is also a good budget option, is open most days and has a satisfactory range of equipment for a workout.

If swimming is your preferred method of exercise, the Niseko Alpen Hotel has a 25-metre lane pool open to both hotel guests and the public.

Yoga is a popular fitness activity in Niseko with a number of instructors offering regular classes. Powder Yoga Niseko offers drop-in sessions as well as convenient one-week memberships, perfect to keep your core active and your mind zen while on holiday.

For something slightly less conventional, try a snowshoe tour with Niseko Adventure Centre (NAC) for a fun and gentle workout, all-the-while seeing some of Niseko’s best ‘off-the-beaten-track’ nature and scenery. 

Saving money, it’s the quintessential New Year’s Resolution and often the hardest to keep, especially while on holiday!

But there are ways to be thrifty while here in Niseko.

Many businesses are involved in discount card programs which give guests the chance to make the most of their holiday while saving some precious ‘yennies’ too.

Our very own Experience Niseko Passport Card is a great example. Available when you stay with a wide range of accommodations, this free card gets you discounts on some of Niseko’s best dining, activities, onsens, shopping, and even on car rental.

Another great option to save money is to simply pre-book. Many ski schools and rental stores, such as YamaSport, incentivise guests to pre-book with discounts of 10%. How easy is that?

This great New Year’s Resolution aligns perfectly with a holiday in Niseko, because there is simply so much to see and do.

For adventure seekers, perhaps a cat-skiing tour in knee-deep powder with just your friends in the backcountry is the sort of once-in-a-lifetime activity that satisfies this resolution. 

Or for something unique at a slower pace, Glass Doumo in Niseko Village offers a fun and interactive glass-blowing class where you can make your own glass souvenir. 

On the snow, a private skiing or snowboarding lesson through GoSnow is a great way for the whole family to spend a day skiing together, with private coaching from a qualified instructor ensuring that everyone improves and has the best day possible.

Another option is to hit the slopes with your own private photographer capturing all of the fun and frivolity of your day in famous Niseko powder. Local photographer Glen Claydon offers this private service and always leaves his guests satisfied with a great range of their own heroic family skiing shots.

Off the snow, winter day tours to Hokkaido destinations such as Sapporo, Otaru, Lake Toya and Noboribetsu are great fun for all the family. SkyExpress offers tailor-made day tours in comfortable vehicles with private drivers. 

Niseko is foodie-heaven but it doesn’t need to be a destination of gluttony. Hokkaido produce ranks among the best in the world, so simple, healthy meals here are often surprisingly delicious.

For fresh, real food, sourced from local farms, it’s hard to go past Niseko institution Green Farm Café, open for breakfast and lunch everyday throughout winter.

Kumo Restaurant is another restaurant with a local farm to fork philosophy. The seasonal menu contains traditional Japanese soul-foods served with a modern twist, and many lighter, healthy options.

For vegetarian food, few options compare to Prativo, a great restaurant set next to the famous Milk Kobo. Check out their affordable vegetable and salad buffet at lunch time. 

Harvest Café in Kutchan focuses on creating a menu made of organic, additive-free, fresh ingredients. Healthy sandwiches are the staple and a range of green smoothies make sure you’ll leave feeling good about yourself! 

There’s no better time to meet new people than when everyone is on holiday, in a good mood and doesn’t have to work in the morning!

Get into Niseko’s vibrant social scene and meet fellow tourists and locals alike. Some of the better spots for fun after dark include the cosy-little-wine-bar called Mick’s; the sophisticated cocktail lounge with regular live music, Musu; Tamashii, which shifts from fancy food spot to DJ lounge most evenings; and the world famous, Bar Gyu+, which is hidden behind, of all things, a fridge door! 

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This article first appeared in the 2019/20 Experience Niseko Winter Magazine.

Check out our winter page for even more recommendations on how to spend your new year.