By Bear Luxe Japan

Japan’s northern island Hokkaido has always been known for rugged, otherworldly landscapes, particularly in winter. The gloriously long ski season in the resort town of Niseko, for instance, famously characterised by powder-soft snow called Japow, offers a holiday window that extends from December to April.

But as the destination’s offerings continue to evolve, providing guests with access to a more diverse suite of experiences that varies from one season to the next, the case for more days in the island – at the very least, a whole week – is gaining more traction. Here’s a peek at what to expect in Japan’s northern frontier.

1 Source-to-table dining

Hokkaido is dotted with Michelin-starred restaurants and numerous noteworthy dining experiences – from seaside dining in the Shiretoko Peninsula and refined French cuisine beside Maruyama Park in Sapporo, to a century-old kaiseki joint in Hakodate that’s made the Michelin Guide more than a few times.

Among the key reasons is proximity to high-quality ingredients whose provenance can be easily mapped within the island and its surrounding waters: the freshest catch from the cold depths of the Sea of Okhotsk, organic produce from upland farms and livestock raised in the island’s south.

Top new tables to book

Sushi Kato INORI

Located at the one-Michelin Key Setsu Niseko in Grand Hirafu, Sushi Kato INORI offers the freshest Hokkaido seafood – sea urchin, hairy crab, fresh flounder, scallops and fatty tuna – expertly selected every day at the island’s markets.

Tempura Araki

The sister restaurant of Sapporo’s two-Michelin Star Tempura Araki is also housed

in Setsu Niseko. The extraordinary omakase experience takes place in an intimate setting – in winter, 10 seats along a fragrant cypress counter – and features delicately crafted fine tempura. Bookings for the winter seating (November 29, 2024 to March 31, 2025) open on October 1.

Haku Steak

Exceptional dining is a key ingredient to the Haku Life, a lifestyle concept anchored on H2 Group’s ultra-luxury ski villas in Niseko. Haku Steak serves rare A4 wagyu from a small town farm, where four generations of farmers have been raising Japanese Black cows since 1946. In Niseko, this wagyu is exclusively available at Haku Steak.

TAKAZAWA / WINE TABLE micasa

This unique private dining and accommodations concept, a spinoff of chef Yoshiaki Takazawa’s celebrated Tokyo restaurant – the eponymous 10-seat dining room in Akasaka – weaves the beauty of Niseko’s landscapes, its produce and cuisine, and its people into one incredible experience.

2 Niche attractions

Apart from endless snow-borne adventures, the island is home to a number of niche attractions, including breweries (it’s where Japan’s world-famous beer-brewing tradition began) and distilleries (including Yoichi Distillery, which makes the acclaimed Nikka Whisky).

Art lovers will revel in the sheer variety of museums and art parks, including the Isamu Noguchi-designed Moerenuma Park in Sapporo, a large expanse of nature and art in what used to be a waste treatment plant. Onsen fans have plenty of resorts to choose from in this hot spring-dotted island.

3 Design-led ultra-luxury accommodations

A raft of new hotels have opened in the past several years, adding to the island’s fast growing inventory of luxurious and unique properties with envelope-pushing concepts.

Among the most highly anticipated was 2023’s ultra-swish Haku Villas, H2 Group’s hotel and residence in Niseko, just 400m to the slopes. It features four multi-level villas that come stunning vistas of Mt Yotei and private stone-paved outdoor onsen, among a number of made-for-fantasy appointments. Best of all, each villa comes with its own staff – personal host, butler, chauffeur and chef.

For more information on luxury bespoke travel experiences in Hokkaido, please email:info@bearluxejapan.com