Why This Japanese Ski Resort Might Be the Best Place in the World to Ski at Night

By the point I had strapped on my snowboard on the high of the King Gondola, the wind was howling and snow was coming down exhausting. Niseko, a ski resort on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, is thought for epic snowfall, and my first run lived as much as the hype. My knees felt wobbly as I plowed 3,500 toes down the mountain by contemporary powder, barely in a position to see the bottom beneath me, not to mention the skiers whizzing previous.

As soon as night time fell, nevertheless, all the things modified. The flurries stopped, the crowds melted away, and visibility sharpened underneath big floodlights that lit up the slope like a Christmas tree. As my legs started to hit their stride, I carved vast S-turns and glided effortlessly round bends. At one level, I caught an edge and flipped over, however it didn’t matter. The snow in mid-February was so fluffy I laughed it off, then zipped right down to the gondola for an additional run. 

Evening snowboarding is on the rise, as resorts all through North America and Europe have prolonged their hours, promising novelty, comfort, and extra elbow room on the mountain. (Snowboarding at twilight appears to be like nice on social media, too.) The capital of after-dark snowboarding is arguably Niseko. Whereas most ski resorts flip frigid and blustery at night time, Niseko softens, because the winds die down and temperatures develop milder. It additionally boasts considered one of the brightest lighting methods on the market, illuminating your complete mountain, not simply the bunny slopes. Niseko is so nicely lit, you possibly can even enterprise off-trail at night time­—a rarity amongst ski resorts anyplace.

My very own backcountry journey, nevertheless, must wait. After a half-dozen runs, I used to be able to unwind. Whereas Niseko has just a few slopeside bars, it doesn’t supply the type of raucous après-ski scene you may discover in Vail or Verbier. As an alternative, it leans in to one thing quieter and quintessentially Japanese: the onsen, or pure sizzling spring. 

The better Niseko space is ready in an lively volcanic zone that’s dwelling to greater than two dozen onsens. Most upscale resorts have their very own sizzling spring, together with Higashiyama Niseko Village, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve—a contemporary, 50-room property on the base of the resort, the place I stayed for the first two nights. After stowing my gear within the high-tech locker room, I made a beeline for the bathhouse—a serene, minimalist area clad in darkish stone—and sank my banged-up physique into the steaming water. In contrast to the recent tubs I’ve sampled all through the Rockies and the Alps, this one had no harsh chemical compounds, only a piping-hot stream of mineral-rich water.

Rejuvenated, I saved my spa slippers on and padded over to Sushi Nagi, the lodge’s intimate omakase restaurant. Surrounded by chilly, plankton-rich waters, the island of Hokkaido, the place Niseko is positioned, is heaven for seafood lovers. An amuse-bouche of snow crab with salmon roe and yuzu was adopted by a jewel-like procession of sashimi and nigiri—ending with a ribbon of tuna so fatty, it melted like butter. I started to marvel if the meals may rival the snow.

Snowboarding, in fact, is just not restricted to nighttime. The subsequent morning, I opened my curtains to blue skies and the snowcapped silhouette of Mount Yotei—a smaller, however no much less majestic lookalike of Fuji. The vista from my stone-lined tub was too stunning to withstand, so I drew a shower. After breakfast, I equipped and met Tsuyuki Nakabayashi, a information with Niseko United, which promotes and oversees the ski space. As we waited for the gondola to open, the easygoing Nakabayashi defined that the mountain is definitely made up of 4 impartial resorts. Annupuri, the resort furthest to the west, is much less crowded and subsequently her go-to. 

Yesterday’s storm had left a pristine layer of snow. Cruising down the Panorama run, I lastly understood the fuss over “Japow”—the fluffy Japanese powder produced when frigid Siberian winds collide with vapor rising from the Sea of Japan. The consequence was silky and clean, like browsing on velvet. 

After just a few runs, Nakabayashi advised we strive the Shirakaba path, named after its wispy Japanese white birch timber. In contrast to bushy conifers, their elegant, paper-white trunks are skinny and extensively spaced, making them supreme for tree snowboarding. “Go at your personal tempo,” she stated encouragingly. Zigzagging by birches, it seems, was surprisingly simple and enjoyable, like a wintry model of Tremendous Mario Kart.

By mid-afternoon, I wanted a power-up. I made my solution to Boyo-so, a family-run izakaya housed in a log cabin midway up the mountain. It serves consolation meals like hen katsu, soba noodles with shrimp tempura, and my favourite, miso ramen—a Hokkaido specialty—which I slurped down at a fireplace desk, following it with a chilly beer. On the ski resorts in upstate New York and Vermont the place I discovered to snowboard, I might have been fortunate to search out something past burgers.

When the wind cooperates and the summit of Mount Annupuri is open, it’s simple to hop between the 4 resorts. Over the subsequent few days, I hit the difficult runs of Hanazono, dropped in to the Osawa bowl, tree skied at Annupuri once more, and rode the well-known King Elevate #4, which appears to be like like a meat hook connected to a pizza field, earlier than gliding again to the Ritz-Carlton.

After sharing so many gondolas with strangers, I couldn’t assist noticing the resort’s variety. There have been extra foreigners than Japanese skiers; I used to be advised that about 30 p.c have been Australian, 15 p.c have been Southeast Asian, and, to my shock, 20 p.c have been from america. The surge in American guests started in 2018, when Niseko joined the lists of resorts included within the Ikon Move and Mountain Collective. Since then, rising ticket costs within the U.S. and a positive trade charge have meant that snowboarding in Japan might be cheaper than in Colorado. I even ran right into a neighbor from New York Metropolis at Tsubara Tsubara, somewhat restaurant that makes a speciality of Niseko “soup curry”—a brothy twist on the Japanese traditional.

The combo of social lessons was placing, too. I chatted with a coal miner from Australia, a CEO from Germany, a pupil from Malaysia, and a tech bro from Seattle. Maybe that was why the sense of entitlement I’ve encountered at different ski locations felt refreshingly absent. There was no line chopping, no slope rage, no velvet ropes. I questioned if it had one thing to do with the Japanese idea of hairyo—an emphasis on being considerate and thoughtful towards others. 

Regardless of the case, I hope it lasts. Midweek, I moved to Setsu Niseko, a 190-room lodge complicated with 5 eating places (together with Afuri, a terrific ramen spot) that blends fashionable design with conventional Japanese craftsmanship. Opened in 2022, it’s a part of a brand new wave of luxurious improvement that’s remodeling what was as soon as a backpacker haven into what some are calling “the Aspen of the East.” Along with the Ritz-Carlton Reserve and a Park Hyatt, which each opened in 2020, an Aman and Six Senses are slated within the subsequent couple of years, together with a fancy of $4 million villas, a few of which have been designed by the architect Shigeru Ban.

The Setsu is positioned within the coronary heart of Grand Hirafu, the liveliest of the 4 resorts and the one one with a downtown full of bars, eating places, and resorts. As I strolled Predominant Road, Niseko’s high-low distinction was on full show: I handed meals vans meting out ramen, gyoza, oysters, and sushi alongside slippery, ice-crusted sidewalks earlier than arriving for dinner at Kitchen, which marries fashionable Japanese and Western delicacies.

After one other flawless meal, it was time to hit the bars. The gang was younger, tipsy, and overwhelmingly Australian, particularly at fratty-sounding spots like Freddy’s and Wild Invoice’s. However there have been just a few trendy lounges, together with Bar Gyu+, recognized for the classic Coca-Cola merchandising machine that serves as its entrance. It sounded gimmicky, however as soon as inside I used to be immediately received over by the bar’s cozy, candlelit vibe, hand-illustrated cocktail menu, and curated record of new-wave Japanese whiskies.

On my stroll again to the Setsu, I came across a futuristic steel shed that housed a techno membership referred to as Hertzz. The sound system was pristine, pink lasers sliced by the haze, and the DJ created a down-tempo soundscape that jogged my memory of Berlin. The one factor lacking was a crowd: I used to be advised it wouldn’t get busy for an additional hour. I checked out my cellphone—it was 10 p.m.—and realized one other perk to nighttime snowboarding: I might sleep in and nonetheless get loads of runs. So I sidled as much as the bar and ordered one other drink. 

A model of this story first appeared within the December 2025 challenge of Journey + Leisure underneath the headline “Evening Shift.”