Voting for "The Best of Niseko 2020" Awards is Open
Get involved today!
Launched in 2018, The Best of Niseko Awards are designed to give our Niseko visitors the opportunity to recognise their favourite Niseko spots by voting for them.
We have created a shortlist of Niseko favourites which were chosen by a local committee of 10 foodies, restaurateurs, business managers and owners. Details of committee are in issue #43 of Whats On Niseko. Voting is now open and will run until 29 February, 2020.
The winners will be announced in Whats On Niseko and we will be hosting an awards evening scheduled for early March, details of which will be announced later.
To vote, please visit scan the QR code above. For any questions please contact [email protected]
MAPTOTE x Niseko Original Products = The Perfect Souveniors
Looking for the perfect souvenirs during your trip? Come on over to Gentemstick Niseko Showroom today and check out the MAPTOTE x Niseko Original Product selections, including mugs, pouches, totes, etc. Bring a piece of Niseko fun back home with you!
GOYOH to Launch Gastronomy Japan in Niseko from January 24th, 2020!
GOYOH, who specializes in luxury and lifestyle concierge services has launched exclusive gastronomic event in collaboration with Tempura Araki and Ginger Restaurant in Niseko.
Chef ARAKI Yoshiyuki, owner of the best tempura restaurant in Sapporo, awarded 2 Michelin stars, will offer limited edition Deluxe “Ten-don”, available during this event only.
Event details
❖ Schedule: 2020, Jan. 24th (Friday) 〜 2020, Feb. 29th (Saturday)
❖ Opening Hours: 14:30 - 22:30 （Last Order - 21:45）
❖ Venue: Ginger Restaurant (AYA Niseko 1F)
❖ Menu: Deluxe Ten-don: ¥3,500+tax (Take-out available 4,000 ¥+ tax)
Tempura Araki by Chef ARAKI Yoshiyuki
After honing his cooking skills for almost 10 years in Tokyo, the city he was born and raised, chef Araki decided to settle in Sapporo, Hokkaido. Tempura Araki opened its doors in September 2015. Hardly two years later, his restaurant became the only tempura restaurant in the city with two Michelin stars.
Drop by Ginger Restaurant located on the first floor of Aya Niseko today to enjoy this exclsuive
2020 Niseko Classic Entries Open!
Come join this exciting international cycling race at Niseko this summer.
The 7th Niseko Classic Festival, combining Fun Ride, Time Trial and Road Race is being held 12-14 June this year.
An exciting weekend for all, the Niseko Classic Festival includes live music, stage events, food, drinks, fresh local farm produce, cycling gear booths, kids play area, prize giveaways and so much more.
Come enjoy Niseko's beautiful summer season, and see Japan's exclusive UCI Gran Fondo World Series qualifier event take place on pristine, closed
roads attracting 2,000+ riders from around the world!
Race Registration is open and filling up fast. ENTER NOW not to miss out!
For more Festival, accommodation and other details please visit the Niseko Classic website.
Enter Your Film for 2019-20 Niseko Short Film Festival!
Don't miss out on this must-see Spring event in Niseko! 
The Niseko Shootout Film Festival is the grand finale to this year’s Niseko Shootout series - and we want you to put your time in Niseko this winter to good use by entering your own film!
The finalists’ films will be shown on a big screen on Saturday, March 14 at Hanazono Edge, including winners judged and awarded on the night along with the winners of the #NisekoShootout Instagram Contest.
JPY250,000 in cash and seriously cool prizes including Icelantic skis and a Gentemstick snowboard are up for grabs!
Selected films (max 7 minutes) will be premiered in 5 categories:
- Person Profile
- Culture
- Nature/Environment
- Park Riding
- Adventure/Exploration
Registration is free and simple Just submit the registration form; open from now until March 2nd. Come one, come all for an end of season celebration of Niseko winter through film and photography!
1st Place: 120,000 JPY Cash Prize
2nd Place: 80,000 JPY Cash Prize
3rd Place: 50,000 JPY Cash Prize
MORE DETAILS on the 2019-20 Short Film Festival event will be announced soon.
Short Film Festival Guidelines:
Registration is free.
Entrants must fill out the Niseko Shootout Short Film Fest Entry Form by March 2nd, 2020.
Films must be submitted by March 2nd, 2020.
Entries can be of any duration - max 7 minutes.
Foreign language films must be accompanied by an English translation or have English subtitles.
Films must have been completed after March 14th, 2018.
Films must contain footage filmed in and/or around Shiribeshi region.
Films must not depict scenes of action deemed illegal by Japanese law. This includes, but is not limited to trespassing and the damage of public/private property, i.e. Avalanche barriers, rails, public/private structure, etc.
If the films contain words, captions are strongly recommended considering the native languages of the judges panel (English & Japanese).
Entrants are responsible for ensuring films have all music (festival rights) and talent permissions required for public display. Please submit relevant documentation with your film entry.
Entrants are required to supply promotional materials: 3x still images and a 10-15 second teaser clip for the purpose of promoting the film and film fest.
Entrants will be judged by the below 5 criteria:
- Niseko soul
- Story telling
- Innovation
- Cinematography
- Production & Editing
*I acknowledge that the Niseko Shootout jury will select the winning films and no discussion into the final decision will be entered into.
*The entrant acknowledges and agrees that all matters not covered by these guidelines, and questions arising from them, will be decided at the sole discretion of the Film Fest organizers.
Categories:
Person profile
Exploration/adventure
Park riding
Culture
Nature/Environment
There are 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners only. Each winner can come from any category. For Example: All winners can come from 1 category.
Technical Requirements:
Entrants are required to provide an HD high-resolution version of the film.
Means of submission will be discussed via email upon entrant's registration.
2019-20 Niseko Shootout ProAm Begins!
Tim McChesney, Gen Sasaki, Anna Segal along side with amateurs from Japan and around the world are ready to kick off Niseko Shootout ProAM.
A total of 22 professional and amateur athlete-photographer teams will take to the mountains in and around Shiribeshi region between January 9-12, day and night with the aim of capturing the best photo of the period, with ¥200,000 up for grabs.
Contest organiser Winstead Heyward noted with no significant snowfalls in the forecast, we could be looking at a similar comp to last year… teams getting creative with an edge given to local knowledge.
“Conditions wise its a level playing field. Japow doesn’t necessarily define Niseko. This place is magic regardless of snow depth which these teams have a chance to prove. ” Heyward said. “Fingers crossed for some fresh snow, though. Even small forecasted snow can turn big here and it’s snowing right now!”
“Stoked to see more local Japanese teams come out and looking forward to the level of competition this year’s line up offers!”
Pro Teams
| TEAM SPONSOR | ATHLETE | PHOTOGRAPHER |
|---|---|---|
| Oyuki Japan | Tim McChesney | Nolan Yoshiaki Isozaki |
| Oyuki Japan | Anna Segal | Nolan Yoshiaki Isozaki |
| Niseko Grand Hirafu | Gen Sasaki | Aaron Jamieson |
| DAYZE | Yusaku Horii | Junichiro Watanabe |
| K2 Snowboarding | Daisuke Watanabe | Dany kean |
| Yuki Kamui, Iwanai Resort | Haley Guttin | Kyler Chambers |
| Glen Claydon Photography (DNS) | Jaimi French | Glen Claydon |
Amateur Teams
| TEAM SPONSOR | ATHLETE | PHOTOGRAPHER |
|---|---|---|
| FinnAir | Freddie Mills | Nick Savage |
| Independent | Theo Morton | Shotaro Koyama |
| Independent | James Winfield | Teddy Laycock |
| Independent | Ryu Atobe | Tanner Dobbins |
| Independent | Aron Hayes | Tomasz Ustupski |
| SnowPlus Snowsports | Eden Gao | Eason Kuo |
| Dragon Alliance | Samuel Nelson | Neil McNair |
| Independent | Robert Buchanan | Lukas Eibenstein |
| Independent | George Treble | Jonas Eibenstein |
| Hanazono Niseko | Jimi Oertli | Toshi Pander |
| Independent | Patrick Schuster | Markus Paul |
| Yama Plus | Evan Wilcox | Toshi Pander |
| Niseko Black Snowsports | Simon Pervez | Justin Owers |
| Niseko Black Snowsports | Manuel Ruiz De Somavia | Toni Rodriguez |
| Niseko Black Snowsports | Juan Berthold | Bianca Peralta |
Voting & judging
ProAM Judges' Choice Winners: ¥120,000
ProAM Public Vote Winners: ¥80,000
The public judging will take place over another four days between January 17th and 20th – voting is by liking photos that will be uploaded into the 2019-20 Niseko Shootout ProAM photo album on Niseko Tourism’s Facebook page! Voting ends at 23:59 on Jan 20th! So VOTE!
Winners will be announced on January 21st at the Award Ceremony Party@Rhythm base.
Japanese / Chinese / English Conversation Classes
◆Japanese Language Class
All classes are free and are located in the Niseko Chomin Center. Participants are expected to cover their own textbook fees.
Beginner Japanese I (Updated Jan 2020)
Instructor：Michael
Learning Points：Finished hiragana, starting katakana and elementary grammar
Schedule：Every Tuesday, 10:00-11:30 am (90 mins)
Textbook：Genki 1（Chapter 2）
Beginner Japanese II (Updated Jan 2020)
Instructor：Mitch
Learning Points：Conjugating adjectives, using te-form
Schedule：Every Wednesday 10~11 am (60 mins)
Textbook：Genki 1 (Chapter 6）
◆Eikawa TALK
Eikaiwa Talk (Updated Jan 2020)
Instructor：Michael, Mei, Mitch, Ema
Event Description：Relaxed environment for non-native English speakers to practice casual conversation with each other, receiving general talking points and instruction from English speaking staff and volunteers. Open to English speaking volunteers who would like to interact with Japanese locals.
Schedule：Every 2nd & 3rd Saturday 10~11 am (60 mins)
◆Chinese Class
Chinese Language & Culture Class
Instructor：Mei
Learning Points：Simple conversations, various daily life situations
Schedule：Every Thursday, 10:00-11:15 am (Class is out of session during Jan 2020)
＜INQUIRIES＞
International Exchange Association Niseko FRIENDS（Niseko Town）
担当：Mitchel Lange TEL0136-44-2121 [email protected]
Modern Japanese Izakaya, Tomo Niseko, Opens This Winter
A new place in the heart of Niseko to BE TOGETHER.
Tomo Niseko is a modern Izakaya restaurant that features local ingredients, a welcoming and knowledgeable service team, and is housed within a contemporary chalet style design featuring views of Mt. Yotei. The Japanese Kanji for Tomo, 共, means together and the dishes are created to be shared. The guest experience centres upon enjoying a meal in either the main bar, the private room, or the upstairs dining area. The restaurant’s interior utilises a clean, welcoming aesthetic with
locally sourced materials, and artworks by Jonathan Jay Lee.
Johan Soignet is the Head Chef of Tomo Niseko, with experience working in restaurants around the world, most notably Ronin in Hong Kong, Sake no Hana in London, and Kikunoi in Kyoto, Japan. Johan’s cooking is influenced by flavours from Europe and Asia using classic and progressive cooking techniques. The result is a menu that reflects his global experience, and also pays homage to traditional Japanese cooking with ingredients-driven dishes showcasing local, seasonal produce.
The restaurant is managed by Tim King. In addition to managing food and beverage events in Niseko since 2014, Tim has been a key contributor at events in Hong Kong such as Taste of Hong Kong, Wine & Dine Festival, Art Basel and Art Central while working with Yardbird and Chinos restaurants, and the craft distiller Fernet Hunter. His experience abroad and within Niseko brings a professional and warm service style that will welcome out of town and local guests alike.
Tomo Niseko provides a space where resort guests and local residents can gather to eat, drink, and share together in a casual setting. The restaurant is located within The Orchards, an award-winning community of luxury homes managed by MnK Niseko, located 1km from Hirafu Village. The restaurant is open daily in the winter from 4:00pm until late. While reservations are encouraged, walk-ins are also welcome. The restaurant seats up to 50 people with a private dining room and bar on the ground level. The address is 48-37 Aza Kabayama, Kutchan-cho, Abuta-gun, Hokkaido, Japan 044-0078, phone +81 0136-55-5524, email [email protected].
About MnK Niseko:
MnK Niseko is an integrated real estate company that provides year-round accommodation and hospitality solutions to guests across three unique resort properties – Akazora, Country Resort and The Orchards. The team at MnK Niseko also provides EdVenture camp, the internationally recognised education and adventure programs for children and young teenagers. For more information visit
2019-20 Lake Toya <=>Niseko <=> Kutchan Winter Shuttle Begins from Dec 21st!
Access all the scenic spots can be easy breezy through February 11th!
Coming to Niseko this winter and wanting to explore more? Starting from Saturday, Dec 21st till Tuesday, Feb 11th, you can visit the famous Lake Toya with this convenient shuttle from Niseko/Kutchan area. Please note that after Jan 14th, the shuttle operates only during weekend and holidays. View the flyer HERE.
Please contact 0136-22-1558 to book in advance - by 6pm the day before. First come first served!
Simply download the FREE official Niseko resort app to have all the useful transportation information available in the palm of your hand!
