How Niseko Became a Ski Resort for the Rich and Famous

Every winter, Niseko is welcoming hundreds of thousands of guests in search of its white powder snow. The town's transformation into Japan's most famous ski resort is creating a buzz on social media and more demand than ever. Not everyone is pleased.

"Could you help me?" Adilah Samae inquires. The influencer from Thailand is in search of a snowboarder who can spray some of Niseko's famous powder over her. Samae is not alone in her quest for pristine powder snow for her social media feed. Japan's internationally best-known ski resort has become a Mecca for "snowfluencer." Some make Niseko look like a serene Kyoto in the snow. Others simply like to model at well-known hotspots in the town.

Whatever the style, the arrival of influencers has been one of the major drivers in transforming Niseko from a humble ski resort to a fashionable winter hangout. Movie stars, billionaires, and celebrity chefs come to spend time in Niseko's ethereal snow. Riding on this wave of glamor and fame are investors, developers, and luxury brands. Cheap lift passes, serenity, and Japanese culture are a thing of yesterday. Niseko and its surrounding areas now receive around 1.5 million visitors per year – most of them from Australia, China, and other Asian countries.

Rapid Development

Hundreds of new houses, chalets, and other developments have sprung up in the past decade. For people who last visited Niseko ten years ago, the once-quiet town is barely recognizable. Many shops and restaurants have been replaced with lodging. The town's only supermarket, curiously named "Gorilla Niseko," closed in 2018. The tried and tested izakaya A-Bu-Cha shut its doors in 2023. Other long-established culinary crowd favorites have said goodbye, and Niseko has moved steadily upmarket to cater to the rich and famous. This, in return, has made the place even more attractive to international visitors.

*New developments with the Hirafu ski area in the background. (©Agnes Tandler)*

Niseko has made it onto plenty of the bucket lists. Lei from Kuala Lumpur has come to find out what the Niseko hype is all about. "Once in a lifetime," he says. The businessman admits that he had a difficult time finding a reasonably priced hotel room for himself and his family. A one-night stay in Niseko can easily cost $1,000 USD.

Standing in Line

For some, Niseko's transformation has gone too far. "There is hardly any restaurant where you can book a table for today, tomorrow, or even the same week," says an Australian engineer. He has been coming to Niseko for his winter vacation for the past 15 years.

The Fridge Bar, a long-standing hangout, has extended its opening hours well into the afternoon. It does little to help thin out the crowds. At 3:45 PM, more than 15 people have already lined up waiting to get inside the bar for drinks. Waiting has become part of the Niseko experience during the winter season. Tourists lining up at bus stops, ski lifts, bars, restaurants, and even convenience stores have become a common sight.

*Visitors lining up to get into a bar in Niseko. (©Agnes Tandler)*

Growing Expectations

This does not sit well with Niseko's image as a luxury destination. With growing fame comes growing expectations. "This is one of the most poorly operated resorts I have ever seen," complains a young American tourist waiting for the local shuttle bus. As Niseko struggles to keep up with the demand, almost everything except the snow seems to be in short supply.

Mini-buses that run between the accommodations and the ski lifts are constantly late or do not even show up. When they do, it is sometimes a fight of the fittest. Waiting people are trying to skip the line, fearing another wait of 40 or 50 minutes for the next bus.

Drivers try their best to prevent guests from hopping on board when the bus is already full. Some people just walk – kids, skis, or boards in tow. Walking is sometimes the only transport option. Taxis are in short supply, and free taxis are a rarity. Car parking spaces are crowded. Roads are jammed with traffic. A master plan, like in European resorts, is dearly missing.

Niseko's four main skiing areas, Hirafu, Hanazono, Anupuri, and Moiwa, are not really linked and see themselves rather in competition than in cooperation with the other locations. The result is an uncoordinated, often chaotic infrastructure. Getting from one part of Niseko to the other on public transport can be a challenge.

*Food trucks are serving as casual dining options. (©Agnes Tandler)*

Food trucks and Convenience Stores

Infrastructure remains a challenge. Niseko's few convenience stores are now answering to the demand of hungry tourists. Supplies can run out fast with a constant stream of shoppers eager to get their hands on a rice ball or cans of cold beer. The more sophisticated crowd can pick up white strawberries and French champagne next to fried chicken and cup noodles.

*Busy convenience store in Niseko. (©Agnes Tandler)*

Not only the convenience stores are doing brisk business with food and drinks. Plenty of food truck parks have sprung up all over town, selling curries, ramen, gyoza, burgers, and hot dogs. This way of dealing with the scarcity of casual dining options makes Niseko look a lot less like Switzerland's chic St Moritz and a lot more like West Valley City in Utah. In addition, Niseko's food trucks only look cheap. A simple bowl of ramen or curry sells for ¥3,000 JPY (approximately $20), but the captive audience seems not to mind much.

While the town is booming, businesses are struggling to find workers for the winter season. Demand is high, and so are salaries. Housekeepers who clean and make beds in hotels can make ¥2,000 ($13) per hour – double what they would be paid in other places in Hokkaido. People have taken note of the opportunity, and buses are now ferrying cleaning staff into town every day from as far as Sapporo, a two-hour drive away.

*Food truck parks have sprung up around Niseko. (©Agnes Tandler)*

Hokkaido's Exception

Niseko's international appeal has made it an outlier in Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island. It is blessed with long and snowy winters and has over 120 ski resorts. Most of them belong to the local town and are used by school classes, farmers, and town folks. Lift prices can be as low as ¥100 ($0.66) for a single lift ride. A lot of these local ski spots struggle to survive, and every year, more are being closed down because the town does not have the money to maintain them.

While the small resorts disappear, Niseko is still growing. The list of hotels planned to open in the next three or four years is long: La Plume Resort by Hong Kong-based Rosewood Hotel Group, with 219 guest rooms and five villas, is expected to start business soon. Japan's Hoshino Resorts wants to have its Hoshinoya Hütte operational by 2028. Other luxury hotels like Aman Resorts and IHG's Six Senses are also planning to bring new five-star offerings to Niseko.

Big Snow, Bigger Prices

Investors are betting on Niseko's enduring appeal and reliable snowfall. While it is an expensive place by Japanese standards, it is still good value for money compared to winter destinations in the USA and Canada. A day pass for the lifts starts at ¥10,500 (approximately $70), less than half of what people would pay in Aspen.

And Niseko still attracts winter sports fanatics and young people who want to have a good time. "Niseko is not Japan," the shop assistant at a fancy boutique explains. Next to her, a group of girls on work holiday visas are busy exchanging information on upcoming parties in town. Maybe they will all be back next year to enjoy "Japow," Japan's famous powder snow.

Author: Agnes Tandler