Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [461]
Sushi-toku (; 22-3457; 1-4-23 Hanazono; sushi set from ¥630; 11am-9pm) For Japanese travellers, eating Otaru is all about sushi – Hokkaidō specialities include sake (salmon), ikura (salmon roe), uni (sea urchin roe) and kani (crab). Picture menus list the various sets available, which vary according to whatever is fresh and in season. The restaurant is directly across the street from the Otaru Grand Hotel Classic (above).
Uminekoya (32-2914; Ironai 2-2-14; dishes from ¥750; lunch & dinner) Housed in a crumbling brick warehouse laced with vines of ivy, this famous bar-restaurant across from the museum has been the setting for several novels of Japanese literary fame. The English menu helps with the ordering, though it’s best to ask the waiter for their osusume (recommendation) as the catch of the day and some local sake or beer is generally what you’re after here.
Otaru Sōko No 1 (21-2323; 5-4 Minato-machi; dishes from ¥800; 11am-10pm) A nice microbrewery with a selection of fresh brews on tap, plus both German and Japanese fare to complement its Bavarian decor. Potatoes and sausages are a big hit, though you’re free to choose something a little more heart-healthy from the English menu. There is live music here occasionally to provide some background accompaniment to your meal. An ‘Otaru Beer’ sign marks the brewery, which is along the banks of the canal.
Getting There & Away
BUS
Buses run frequently to Sapporo (¥590, one hour), and less often to Niseko (¥1600, 1¾ hours, three daily).
BOAT
From the port of Otaru-kō, Shin-Nihonkai (22-6191) ferries run at 10.30am from Tuesday to Saturday, and at 7.30pm on Sunday, to Niigata (from ¥6200, 18 hours), returning every day but Monday. Ferries also run daily between Otaru and Maizuru (from ¥9600, 20 hours), just north of Kyoto. To get to the ferry terminal, take the bus from stop 4 in front of JR Otaru Station (¥210, 30 minutes). There is a small ticket office at the pier.
CAR
If you’re driving, the Sapporo Expressway () runs between Otaru and the greater Sapporo area.
TRAIN
There are hourly kaisoku on the JR Hakodate line between Otaru and Sapporo (¥620, 40 minutes), and occasional kaisoku between Otaru and Niseko (¥1410, two hours).
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NISEKO
0136 / pop 6000
Hokkaidō is dotted with world-class ski resorts, but the reigning prince of powder is unquestionably Niseko. Despite its village status, Niseko boasts four interconnected resorts, namely Hirafu, Higashiyama, An’nupuri and Hanazono, which together contain more than 800 skiable hectares. Because of its blessed location, Niseko experiences northwest to southeast Siberian weather fronts, which produce a soft and light powdery snow that skiers and snowboarders love to carve. In fact, Niseko was recently named the world’s second snowiest ski resort, with an annual average snowfall of more than 15m! (Pipped at the post by Mt Baker Ski Area in Washington State, USA, according to Forbes magazine.)
Of course, the secret is out, and Niseko is currently experiencing an unprecedented boom, primarily fuelled by Australians and Singaporeans. Property values are soaring, new resorts and condos are springing up left and right, and the tiny village of Hirafu is rapidly becoming an international hotspot. Depending on whom you ask, Niseko is either losing its traditional Japanese character and in danger of rapid overdevelopment, or becoming floridly cosmopolitan in light of increased foreign investment. Regardless of your opinion, however, skiing at Niseko, with its jaw-dropping views of mountains, is unequalled.
Orientation
The ski resorts of Hirafu, Higashiyama, An’nupuri and Hanazono are run together as a single administrative unit, appropriately dubbed Niseko United. At the base of the ski slopes lie several towns and villages that comprise Niseko’s population centre. Most of the hotels,