The new season is just a few weeks away in Japan, and the latest news is in from the leading resorts of Rusutsu, Tomamu, Hanazono and Myoko.
On The Slopes:
Tomamu, one of Japan's newest resorts celebrating its 30th season this winter, has invested £4 million on a new a high-speed quad lift and new runs. Tomamu also installed a separate quad lift last season, making it one of the top investors in its lift facilities in Japan in recent years.
The resort will also offer a guided service to ski around Mt. Asahidake and Mt. Furanodake from 13 December 2014 to 31 March 2015. It will also run a daily return bus service to the nearby ski areas of Sahoro and Furano giving their guests the chance to ski different areas.
Hoshino Resort Tomamu is the only hotel in Hokkaido that has its own snow CAT operation. Tomamu's deep powder specialist, the Powder Team, operate CAT tours every weekend from 10 January until 29 March 2015, for those who want to experience the most pristine powder snow.
Meanwhile Salomon and Rusutsu have teamed up to create a new terrain park, easily accessible from the West Tiger Pair Lift. The park is built entirely with wood, with giant log features, jibs and jumps as a playground for pros and everyday shredders.
In Niseko's the onus this winter is on facilities for families with the resort's first designated kids learning trails. The Strawberry Bells Adventure Trails cater to kids' love skiing the trees and make it safe, fun and great for learning. It is located on the right side of Strawberry Fields, with colourful bells and sign posts to guide classes over and around the best features for learning and development. It is bound to be noisy, fun, colourful, safe and a new exciting way to learn.
In addition NISS, Niseko's premier snow sports school is celebrating 10 years of offering snow sports services to ski and snowboard enthusiasts from around the globe. To mark the occasion, they will be holding special events throughout the season, see their website for details. NISS is an official resort-operated Snow sports School with two convenient locations in Hanazono and Hirafu.
By the 1930's Myoko Kogen had become Japan's first international winter resort. It is a traditional winter holiday destination for Japan's imperial family and each year receives an average of 14 metres of snow, with the Seki Onsen Ski Resort area getting as much as 24m of snow from December to March and a maximum snow depth of 8m!
Myoko has strengthened its appeal to family skiers with enhancement to its kids programmes at the Myoko Snow Sports International Ski School. Learning is made easy with two dedicated kids' ski areas, an indoor kids' centre and easy lift access to excellent terrain. Their caring instructors will ensure your little one has a positive ski experience with other children of similar ability.
Enchanted forests to explore, adventures to pursue and games to play all create a fantastic learning environment, leaving your child with a real love of skiing. Lessons are available in English, German and French and ski school staff numbers have grown to 40 professionals from around the world.
Off the slopes:
Back in Tomamu the resort's Ice Village should be better and open longer for this winter thanks to new snow making machines to ensure the Ice Village can be open from 1 December 2014 up until 31 March 2015.
In Niseko, Japan's most westernised resort, the newly expanded Restaurant and Café Hanazono 308 will give you the chance to start the day with a homemade muffin and a Lavazza coffee or a hot chocolate freshly prepared by a barista at the 308 Café. Or you can stop in for lunch at the newly expanded 330 seat restaurant, offering a great range of tasty options including the famous Kani Ramen. www.hanazononiseko.com.
New for rental this year in Myoko is The Red House. Whether you plan to stay for just a weekend or several weeks, the Red House has all the facilities you need to enjoy your Myoko stay in comfort. This wooden house is new, warm and comfortable—you'll soon feel like you're in your second home.
The Red House is equipped with everything you would need in a house. Additionaly, it also has WiFi access throughout and comes with the house's Mitsubishi Delica car for trips to the supermarket and to explore the area.