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. From December to April, skiers from Japan, Australia and Asia descend upon the normally quiet village as ski resorts reopen for the season.
The Majestic Mount Yotei provides a magnificient backdrop for the resort.
Snowshoeing in Niseko.
restaurant, facing a large picture window where I can watch the skiers and snowboarders negotiating the powdery slopes. It is like watching winter sports live on a giant television screen while enjoying my lunch. Watching the snow frolic inspires me to sign up for a snowshoe trek, which feature large contraptions that look like tennis rackets on steroids strapped to my snow boots. My guide Naomi commandeered my party of four into the woodland by Hilton Niseko. It is quite laborious to walk on these snowshoes through the thick snow and we look like a family of yeti clumsily leaving giant footprints on the snow. To add to the thrill, Naomi suggests we fl ing ourselves backward
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onto the snow and wave our arms in a semi-circle to create “wings” to form “snow angels”. It is fun until we try to get up on our feet, which is not a very dignifi ed sight when we struggle with bums in the air amid the entangled shoes as we try to hoist ourselves upright. With adrenalin still pumping, snow mobiling is next on my agenda. Riding in tandem with a resident guide, we go sledging through the powdery snow. Every time we encounter a dip or mogul, the guide will accelerate to spice up the thrill of a rollercoaster. I cling on to the machine for dear life while we navigate the vast snowfi eld, which is a golf course in the summer under the shadow of the majestic Mt Yotei. Today, the sun is shining with clear blue skies and Mt Yotei is practically
illuminated in its full glory. Standing at 1898m high, it is quite a diva of a mountain and is known locally as Ezo Fuji, a smaller version of Mt. Fuji. T e scenery around this dazzling vista is breathtakingly stunning and now and again, we would stop and savour the sheer beauty of the snowfield against this moody mountain, which is a slumbering volcano, after having erupted three times in the past. Surrounded by volcanic mountains,
Niseko is famous for its onsen, a natural volcanic hot spring. Its heat and minerals are purportedly great for health and relaxation of mind, body and spirit. After a vigourous day of winter sports, what better way to relax than to immerse in the open-air onsen. T ere is nothing more snug and exhilarating than to soak neck
MARCH 2014 | F ENGSHUIWORLD 47
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