FIRST SNOW AND FRESH PLACES TO SHOP! WHAT’S NEW IN NISEKO AND HAKUBA THIS SEASON.

Winter has well and truly moved on in the Southern Hemisphere, which means it’s time to get ready for skiing and snowboarding in Japan. In fact Mt Yotei and the Annupuri Ranges have already experienced their first dusting for the season! Over the years the Niseko and Hakuba ski areas have evolved into international snow sports destinations, which means every season more shops, restaurants and entertainment options are made available to holiday makers. Along with more infrastructure to make your skiing and boarding experience even better. This year is going to be no different, in fact it may even be the most exciting yet! Keep reading to find out more about what’s new in Niseko and Hakuba this winter.

NISEKO 

Zaka – A Unique Collection of Alpine Apparel 
New this season, Zaka is home to a range of performance brands that combine technology with style making them the perfect fit for Niseko’s conditions. The store is located in the brand new Odin Place building, which you’ll find on the intersection near Seicomart in the Hirafu Village (see below for more details). Zaka has been custom designed to provide a premium shopping experience and their knowledgeable staff will be more than happy to help. Zaka’s exclusive collection represents the very best in snow sports outerwear, including Moncler, Kjus, Fera and Spyder.

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Rhythm Summit – Equipment for Mountain Adventures 
Rhythm Summit is your newest destination in Niseko for everything related to backcountry skiing and snowboarding. You’ll find top of the range BC gear for rent plus we stock a large range of skis, snowboards, outerwear, helmets, goggles, gloves, snowshoes, avalanche safety gear and more. Custom boot fitting will also be available, perfect for getting your new alpine touring boots ready to take you beyond the resort boundaries. Available in store will be gear from BCA, Black Diamond and Pieps, along with hardware from Armada, K2, Volkl and Jones, outerwear from Arc’teryx, Dakine and Strafe along with accessories from Oakley, Smith, POC and Oyuki and boots from Scarpa, Dynafit, Deeluxe and Sorel.

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Odin Place – Niseko’s Commercial Hub – Opening in December 2016, Odin Place will feature three floors dedicated to bars, restaurants and shops, including Zaka. The development looks very sleek and stylish and is sure to be an exciting addition to Niseko’s entertainment and shopping scene.

New Lifts and Groomed Terrain for Niseko Village
Two new lifts are expected to open in the Niseko Village ski area in time for the 2016/2017 season. The Village Express will be an 830 meter long high speed detachable lift, comprising of six person chairs and 8 person gondolas on the same line. The Upper Village Gondola, a new 300 meter pulsed gondola, will allow guests staying at Niseko Village properties to access a beginner ski lift and also link to the new Village Express.

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A completely new 1.2 kilometer ski run will be created from the top station to the Village Express lift base. Two magic carpet surface lifts will also be added to the Niseko Village beginner area.

HAKUBA

Integrated Ticket System for the Hakuba Valley 
Resorts of the Hakuba Valley have invested in a common automatic ticket and gate system for the coming winter season. This ticketing system will join together all of the Hakuba Valley area’s lifts, creating Japan’s largest snow resort area. The new system is in response to the needs of both the domestic and international ski community, in particular the number of foreign skiers who are staying for longer periods in recent years. The resorts included in the ticketing system are: Hakuba Goryu, Hakuba47, Hakuba Happo-one, Hakuba Iwatake, Tsugaike Kogen, Hakuba Norikura Onsen. A ‘ticket exchange’ system has been implemented at Cortina, Hakuba Sanosaka, Jiigatake, Yanaba and Kashimayari.

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Freeride World Tour Event Announced For Hakuba 
Asia’s first ever Freeride World Tour event will be held in the Hakuba Valley in January 2017. Hakuba has been chosen specifically for its spectacular scenery, challenging peaks and optimal early season snow conditions. The event will assist in putting Hakuba on the map as a destination for riding steep terrain.

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