There’s a little more than just fresh powder to celebrate this winter season, with each of Japan’s major ski resorts having dramatic makeovers over the summer months, offering major changes in infrastructure, amenities and mountain access just in time for the snow season.
New lift-lines, updated gondolas, faster access to the top of the mountain – we almost don’t know what we’ll do with all the extra time out on the mountain (except chase pow, of course).
Not sure what’s new? Let us get you up to speed so that you can impress your family with Rick Steves level JaPow knowledge this trip.
What’s New In Hakuba
Store renovations, faster ways up the mountain, and fancy new accommodation options, there’s a lot to be excited about if you’re visiting Hakuba this winter!
Rhythm Wadano Revamp
It’s only one day until Rhythm Wadano officially opens their doors for the 2024/25 winter season and for those planning on waking up early to be the first ones through the doors, you might find a few pleasant surprises when you arrive in-store.
Why’s that? Well, over the summer months our hardworking Hakuba crew have put a bunch of time and effort into fully revamping our Rhythm Wadano store. As explained by the newly appointed Store Manager and all round local legend of the valley, Brendan Robinson:
“We have removed coffee from the centre of the store and created a new designated cafe which will be serving toasties, croissants and Hakuba Brewing Co. beer on tap.”
“We’ve also joined the rental teams together, creating a conjoined boot pit and rental area which increases space for queuing and streamlines the overall customer experience, offering a faster and more efficient fitting process as all of our techs are trained on both Ski and Snowboard.”
We have also rebuilt our guest services counter which allows for more computers which mean more customers being processed through the register once they have picked up their equipment.”
Iwatake New Gondola
It sounds like a sci-fi movie, (specifically one featuring Justin Timberlake from the mid-2000’s), but in two weeks time, if you spend the day riding at Iwatake and get 10 laps in, you will have ten minutes added to your day.
How? Their brand spanking new ¥2.1 billion yen gondola.
Featuring larger gondolas with expanded space and comfort, Iwatake’s newest gondola offering makes it even easier for visitors to pack more laps each day, with the updated line shortening the commuting time up the hill by one minute.
At this stage, Iwatake’s new gondola system is still under construction but is set to start spinning around the 19th of December, just in time for in time peak pow season.
evo Hotel
If you’ve trekked the short walk back from Lawsons to the Happo-One precinct recently, you may have noticed something pretty new – evo’s brand new evo Hotel Hakuba! Offering one of the most modern and premium hotels in the Hakuba Valley, a fully fledged bar, communal onsen and vibrant atmosphere, evo Hotel Hakuba stands out as not only the newest but the hottest hotel in all of the Hakuba Valley.
“evo Hotel is the perfect place for adventures to gather and enjoy all the exciting experiences that Hakuba has to offer. We are thrilled to open the doors later this month and can’t wait to connect with community.” – David Snowball, evo Hotel Hakuba Manager
What’s New In Niseko
Last visit to Niseko was 2023? You won’t even recognise the mountain when you arrive this winter!
Center Four Upgrade to 10-Person Gondola
If you’ve made it out for an early season shred you might have noticed something slightly different about Niseko’s oldest lift, Center Four – it doesn’t exist anymore!
Having been in operation since 1985, back when Hirafu was still under the management of St. Moritz Lift Company and referred to as the Alpen Course, Center Four marked the oldest and longest-standing quad lift in all of Japan. And it served us well, with the 30-year-old lift still maintaining the highest transportation volume in all of the Niseko United resort as of 2023.
But now in 2024, we’ve been treated to the upgrade of all upgrades, a brand new 10-seater gondola!
Offering a more efficient option of skiers and snowboarders getting up the mountain in winter, the 10-person gondola aims to streamline convenience for travelers, increasing the hourly transportation capacity from 1,800 people to 2,800–and it’s got heated seats, score!
If you get lucky, you might even stumble onto one of the special gondolas with a glass bottom, allowing you to pick out your lines before you even get to the top!
Hirafu #1 Parking
You’ve hired your gear, picked up a rental car….and now you can’t find a parking space.
Not anymore. As of December 21st, Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu is now offering reserved parking spaces, meaning you can shred all day, duck down to Lawson’s for a cheeky lunchtime onigiri and come back without the worry of someone taking your parking spot.
All up there will be 20 paid reserved spaces available near the Hirafu #1 parking lot entrance, with all remaining parking spaces remaining free and available on a first-come, first-served basis for all you frugal ski bums out there!
King Quad Lift #3
Ok, so we may be getting a bit too excited about this one because it won’t actually be in operation until December 2025, but Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu’s ‘King Quad Lift #3’ will also be getting upgraded as an epic new high-speed 6-seater lift, allowing up to 600 more passengers to get up the mountain per hour.
Pair that with heated seats, a loading carpet station for the young ones, and Center Four’s upgrade, and it seems like Niseko is gearing up for a full mountain makeover, offering visitors improved infrastructure and even more beginner-friendly chairlifts.
What’s New In Furano
If you’re visiting Rhythm Furano this winter, make sure you check out these store operations updates to guarantee you have the best gear to shred on this winter.
It seems like Hokkaido’s best kept secret, Furano, isn’t such a well kept secret anymore, with bookings for our Rhythm Furano store going absolutely through the roof this winter!
As such, throughout the peak season dates of December 21st to January 12th, Rhythm Furano will only be accepting rental pre-bookings made online. We will not be accepting walk-in customers throughout this period.
The plus side? Pre-booked customers will have access to an exclusive pick-up window from 1pm onwards every single day, allowing you to rock up, collect your gear and get out on the mountain even faster!
It’s not too late! If you haven’t booked your trip yet, check out our all inclusive TRIPS packages to score accommodation, lift passes, lessons, guiding, rentals and airport transfers all in one sweet package. Spring skiing has never been easier!
