Hotel Ashiri Niseko (now called Moku no sho)

You could be forgiven for driving past this place every day for a month, and not knowing it existed. That’s what I did. Discreetly slotted away in the depths of the Konbu onsen valley, it was something of a surprise when Food Geisha pointed out the sign and translated the Kenji chracters.

“There’s an onsen down there” she intoned.

Always on the quest for new locations to scope out, and present here for your viewing pleasure, I smoothly applied the handbrake, put the truckasaurous through a 120 degree arc on the snow-packed roadway, and pointed her down the narrow lane beneath the sign. It would obviously help if I could read Japanese, but irrespective of that fact, within a few seconds we’d pulled up out the front of a very respectable-looking little hotel. This was an initial recce however, as we had places to be, and restaurants to review, but we agreed it would be worth checking out at some future point.

Fast forward a few weeks, and I was lounging in the outdoor onsen, as big fat Hokkaido snowflakes pounded down through the woods around the hotel. Considering it was March, this return to winter was a welcome surprise, and the fact that Slotty and I had the place to ourselves just added to the vibe. I rated this place pretty highly . . laid-back and tranquil, off the beaten track, not likely to ever be crowded, a serene natural outlook and a decent-sized outdoor onsen; all of these factors add up to one big plus for me. On the other side of the fence, in the ladies’ onsen, Food Geisha had a different story to tell. Whilst she appreciated the aesthetics of the outdoor pool, she felt that the indoor onsen area was way too humid, as was the changing room, and that the outdoor pool could have benefitted from having a few steps so as to be able to sit part way out of the water, and regulate your body temperature more effectively.

In retrospect, I’ll be hitting this place again, and Food Geisha was ok with it overall, but she felt that for 900 yen, they should have at least provided some skincare products in the change rooms for post-onsen Zen. Maybe it’s more of a chick thing, but she was also slightly incensed that there was no toilet in the changing room. Which is probably a valid point, as it’s not much fun getting naked, and then realising that you need to make a quick visit to the toilet located outside the change room. And then having to debate whether to get dressed again, or just go in the onsen.

Both onsen had a sauna, which, if you’re into steaming yourself after boiling yourself, would be ok. Some people just don’t know when to quit. Wi fi at the hotel is a good way to pass the time whilst waiting for your friends. The restaurant looked ok too.

On the Yumeguri pass, it’s a good deal. For 900 yen on a single visit however, there are better deals to be had.

Opening hours: 11:30 – 18:00

Tel: 0136 59 2323

Cost: 900 yen

http://www.ashiri.com/

 

Yugokorotei

Located just before the wooden arch signalling the turn-off to the Moiwa ski resort, and not far from the Annupuri resort turn off. Open daily between 6am and 11pm, 700 yen per adult.

Yugokorotei is in my top 3 onsen in the region. One, I’ve rarely been there and found it crowded, maybe because the long opening hours help diffuse the hordes. Two, the natural setting is superb; men and women both have a decent sized outdoor pool and smaller indoor pool, and the view is extremely relaxing, as you kick back and gaze up onto a hillside covered with silver birch trees, and watch sudden wind squalls send snow drifting into the rocks that line the pools. There is a small restaurant attached to the onsen, and a couple of massage chairs in the spacious lounge area, free for onsen guests to use. The onsen shuttle bus also makes a stop here, though it’s about 15 minutes from the main Hirafu ski village.

It’s clean, peaceful and the staff are friendly, so it ticks all of my boxes. Water temperature is consistently hot, making for a predictably enjoyable experience each time. It also serves as a guesthouse, and would make a pretty fine getaway stay if you wanted to impress someone special. Or even someone you didn’t really like, but felt like showing off to.

Opening hours: 0600 – 2300 (last walk in, so you can stay till midnight)

Tel: 0136-58-2500

Cost: 700 yen

http://www.niseko-annupurionsen.com/

 

Moiwa

Head towards Konbu onsen area and you can’t miss the black arch with golden words saying Moiwa. This is a great hill with a ski lift that takes you halfway up the hill (in twice the amount of time), or the hooded quad lift that takes you almost to the top of the hill, which gives you a magnificent view of Annupuri on skier’s left. Hike a little further to the top and you can drop down in any direction you want, including the gully leading towards Annupuri. Just make sure you turn back towards Moiwa or you’ll end up at Annupuri and either have to hike your way back or take the Annupuri ski lift. There is talk about a Moiwa-Annupuri ski pass which makes a lot of sense, we’ll keep our eyes and ears open for that.

The day pass is 4600 yen, and the 4-hour pass is 2800 yen. For us, we got there around 10am, and there must have been no more than 20 people skiing there, which meant there was lots of space for you to play around in. The 4-hour pass worked out well, as the lifts finish at 15:30 anyway. This place still uses the old school printed tickets which you have to show to the dude dusting off powder from the ski lifts, but after a couple of rounds he’ll recognise you, and after lunch, nobody really cares anyway (what I’m trying to imply here is that you can possibly ski a bit longer than the 4-hour pass should you feel so inclined).

For beginners, this is a great place to practice and also the top of the hill gives intermediate skiers a chance to try out new learnt techniques and improve their skills. I heard the gullies are great too, with trees sparsely peppered over the place and fresh tracks all day long, as this place really isn’t crowded at all.

I’ll highly recommend this for those who’ve done the rounds at Grand-Hirafu and looking for a short, fun day out. And after a day of hard work, pop into one the nearby onsen for a great relaxing finish.

http://www.niseko-moiwa.jp/english/about/index.html

 

Niseko Grand Hotel

The use of ‘Niseko’ in the title is a little misleading, as this hotel is actually located in the onsen village of Konbu, approximately 15 minutes drive from Niseko Hirafu ski village. Alternatively, there is a shuttle bus that departs from Hirafu, and will drop you off at the front door of the Grand Hotel.

It’s claim to fame (apart from being one of the few mixed onsen in the region) is that Emperor Hirohito visited the hotel in 1954. The fresh water spring from which he drank is directly opposite the hotel, and you can join the many locals in filling up your water bottle, and decide for yourself whether the Emperor was justified in his praise for its sweet taste.

There are separate male and female indoor baths, and women also have a private outdoor onsen for their exclusive use. Also, for women wishing to make use of the mixed outdoor onsen and uncomfortable with being completely nude, they can ask for a robe which can be worn in the onsen. The guys don’t have this option . . .

This wasn’t one of my favourites. The location is ok, and the outdoor pool is quite large, but the feel of the place is a bit dated, and in the konbu area there are a number of other onsen which are more aesthetically pleasing. It didn’t help that a roof load of snow fell into the onsen right next to me, which quelled my, ahem, enthusiasm somewhat. The water wasn’t as warm as some of the nearby onsen I’ve visited also; though the ground water temperature is between 56-68 degrees celsius, they must have been mixing in a lot of cold external water when I’ve been there, so be aware that the temp can be warmer or colder. This also applied to many other onsen in the area. Having said that, the novelty factor is pretty cool, and my girl and I enjoyed being able to chill out together, with the snow falling around us. The staff were friendly, and it’s easy to get to, so definitely worth a visit.

Opening hours are 11:30 – 21:00.

Tel: 0136-58-3800

Cost: 700 yen

www.niseko-grand.com/