TRAVEL
WHITE FACE and GREEN HEART of NISEKO YIN
backcountry of Niseko in the northern island of Hokkaido for a spot of Zen time. Accessed by a 3-hour road journey through mountainous road from Sapporo, it is as different from Tokyo as yin is from yang. This is rural Japan with swathes of farmlands punctuated by hamlets and villages against awesome mountain ranges. Te landscape is a winter wonderland in white, carpeted in thick powder snow – the dream of skiers.
I 46 FENGSHUIWORLD | MARCH 2014
ntoxicated with too much yang energy in Tokyo, it is time for me to detox the body and mind in a more tranquil atmosphere. Where better to seek repose than the
Niseko Village is a premier and the most famous ski resort in Japan. It is also the winner of Japan’s Best Ski Resort in 2013. It boasts of the best and longest skiing and snowboarding trails through beautiful natural forest, as well as offering one of the steepest courses for ski-wizards couples with gentle slopes perfect for beginners. From December to April, skiers from Japan, Australia and Asia descend upon the normally quiet village as ski resorts reopen for the season. I am staying at the Greenleaf
Niseko Village, a purpose-built ski hotel with ski-in-ski-out facilities right at its doorstep. It was originally built to cater for school parties, so the design
is more functional than luxurious, though my delightful corner suite is like an observation deck with floor to ceiling windows that command a stunning vista of the snow-covered landscape. Te resort is built at the foot of Mt Niseko An’nupuri that rises to an altitude of 1,308m with groomed ski runs for beginners as well as for the more experienced. It shares a gondola service with Hilton Niseko Village, the posh sister hotel of Greenleaf and winner of Japan’s Best Ski Hotel 2013. The last time I skied was over
twenty years ago and it was not a sport I enjoyed due to my fear of heights. So I take up “armchair skiing” sitting at the best table in Goshiki, the resort’s
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