Niseko Town
ニセコ町42°49′ N 140°41′ ETownPop. 5,658Niseko
The quiet farm town on the south side of Annupuri has the Annupuri and Niseko Village slopes and some of the best farm food in the valley.
Photo by Asmut Dante on Unsplash and others, credited in the gallery
Who should base here
Base here for Annupuri and Niseko Village and the quieter western peaks beyond them. It suits couples and families who want calm evenings and good food over nightlife.
The name
nisey-ko-an-nupuri
ニセイ・コ・アン・ヌプリThe mountain of the river that runs toward the cliffs
ainu
The town took its name from Niseko-Annupuri in 1964. The mountain in turn is named for the Niseko-anbetsu River that rises on its south-west slope, nisey-ko-an-pet, a river flowing toward a cliff or gorge; nupuri means mountain. The town's own gloss is 'the mountain with a sheer cliff and a river below it'. Before 1964 the town was Kaributo (狩太), from the Ainu makkari-putu, the mouth of the Makkari River, where it joins the Shiribetsu.
SourceEat · 食べる
PrativoPRATIVO（ニセコ高橋牧場）cafe¥¥
The restaurant at the Takahashi dairy farm. Lunch is a walk-in buffet from 11:00 to 16:00 with unlimited farm yogurt; dinner courses run Thursday to Sunday by reservation.
Mandrianoマンドリアーノcafe¥
Pizza at the Takahashi farm with cheese made on site. The margherita is the one to order. Open daily 11:00–18:00.
Loft ClubLoft倶楽部yakiniku¥¥¥
A Genghis Khan grill in Soga that has fed the valley for decades. Open 17:00–22:00; closed Tuesdays and Sundays.
Del Soleデルソーレcafe¥¥
Wood-fired pizza inside the Potato Republic building. Lunch and dinner, with some closures in winter.
Jamiiジャミーcurry¥
This soup curry shop and bar by Niseko Station opens for lunch and again from 18:00 until 2:00. Closed Mondays.
Maguroya Juuwariまぐろ屋十割soba¥
Lunch only. Order the pure buckwheat soba with duck and burdock, or a bowl of three cuts of tuna. Closed Mondays and Fridays.
Sushi Hanayoshi鮨 花吉sushi¥¥¥¥
A serious sushi counter in Fujimi for the big night out. Closed Mondays and the second and fourth Tuesdays.
Saito Seipanさいとう製パンbakery¥
A town bakery on Hondori known for fried bread and cream buns. Opens at 9:00 and closes when it sells out; closed Sundays.
Drink · 飲む
Niseko Distillerybrewery
A distillery in Annupuri that opened in 2021 and makes the award-winning ohoro gin while its whisky matures. The shop and bar are open 10:00–18:00 from December to March; tours need booking.
Ezo Pubbar
The après pub on the second floor of the Hilton Niseko Village pours local draft beer from 11:00 to 23:00.
Honda Coffeecoffee
A small roaster on Hondori open daily 8:00–15:00 for cold brew and drip coffee.
Ponponbar
This Italian wine bar near the station opens 17:00–21:00; closed Wednesdays.
Do · 遊ぶ
Soica2001 (talk) / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain Kira no Yuactivity
The town onsen beside Niseko Station opens 10:00–21:30 for ¥800 and has a sauna where you pour your own löyly. Only one bath side is open until the end of November 2026.
Oga / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 Michi-no-Eki Niseko View Plazamarket
This roadside station at the Route 5 and 66 junction keeps its farm shop open 9:00–17:00 in winter and looks straight at Yotei on a fine day.
Soica2001 (talk) / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain Goshiki Onsenactivity
This mountain onsen inn high on the Niseko range stays open year-round. Winter day bathing runs 10:00–20:00 for ¥800; reach it from Niseko or Hirafu on prefectural road 66, about 20 km.
pinboke_planet / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 Arishima Takeo Memorial Museummuseum
A museum to the novelist who owned a farm here and gave the land to his tenant farmers. Entry ¥500; closed 9 November to 8 December for maintenance.
Niseko Town is the other side of the mountain from Hirafu, and most visitors only pass through it on the way to Annupuri or the Hilton. The town proper is small and agricultural. A few streets cluster around the station and the Shiribetsu River. Potato and dairy farms stretch out under the snow beyond them, with Yotei standing over the whole valley to the east. In 1964 the town dropped its old name of Kaributo and took the mountain's.
It is the base for Niseko Annupuri and Niseko Village, and for touring days at Chisenupuri and Moiwa further west, where the crowds thin out fast. Lunch at the Takahashi dairy farm is close to a ritual: a buffet with all the farm yogurt you want at Prativo, or a margherita next door at Mandriano made with the farm's own cheese. For dinner, book Loft Club for Genghis Khan. Jamii by the station serves soup curry and drinks until 2:00 for anyone still out late. Soaking at Kira no Yu beside the station costs ¥800 and makes the last train back to Kutchan feel shorter.
Quick answers about Niseko Townよくある質問
What does the name Niseko Town mean?
Niseko Town comes from the local name nisey-ko-an-nupuri, meaning the mountain of the river that runs toward the cliffs. The town took its name from Niseko-Annupuri in 1964. The mountain in turn is named for the Niseko-anbetsu River that rises on its south-west slope, nisey-ko-an-pet, a river flowing toward a cliff or gorge; nupuri means mountain. The town's own gloss is 'the mountain with a sheer cliff and a river below it'. Before 1964 the town was Kaributo (狩太), from the Ainu makkari-putu, the mouth of the Makkari River, where it joins the Shiribetsu.
Is Niseko Town a good place to stay?
Base here for Annupuri and Niseko Village and the quieter western peaks beyond them. It suits couples and families who want calm evenings and good food over nightlife.
How do you get to Niseko Town?
JR Niseko Station is about 90 minutes from Otaru by local train. The Chuo Bus ski bus from the airport and Sapporo stops at Annupuri and Niseko Village. Around town, the Nikotto Bus runs on demand for ¥200 and needs a booking. Driving from Sapporo or New Chitose Airport takes about two hours.
Ride from Niseko Town近くの山
Stay in Niseko Town宿
Hot springs nearby温泉
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