Niseko Higashiyama Japan

The Higashiyama Ski & Golf Resort is located on Mt. Niseko An’nupuri, on the island of Hokkaido, Japan. The resort is accessible by bus from Chitose International Airport, or Tokyo.

The size of the ski area and its easy connections to three other ski areas on Mt. Niseko make this resort area an international ski destination that attracts guests from Australia, China, Korea and Taiwan. The existing ski facilities include a six-passenger gondola, three double chairlifts, three single chairlifts, a large restaurant in the base area and a mid-mountain restaurant. Other winter activities include cross country skiing, snowmobile rides and snowshoeing on the golf course. The base lands, including two 18-hole golf courses and the resort’s main hotel, the Prince Higashiyama, cover a total area of approximately 600 hectares.

In January 2007, Citigroup Corporation commissioned Ecosign to prepare a Master Plan Alternatives report for Niseko Higashiyama. The tasks included analyzing the ski terrain and the existing lift system to find the best solutions for improved lift access and ski terrain expansion; improvement of the ski and lift connections to the neighbouring ski areas; and to analyze the development capability of the base lands, on which to ultimately base the Master Plan document. Completed in June 2008, the Master Plan’s final phase of development includes 13 new or renovated lifts, 61 ski pistes on 157 hectares, and a capacity of 10,070 skiers per day.