Winter Holiday in Hokkaido in December 2010 - Section 2

Welcome to the second section of my winter vacation in Hokkaido, Japan in December 2010. This report will explain our journey to Niseko, and how we spent our time there.

Part 1 ~ The Journey to Niseko

The next day, which was Wednesday (15 December), I woke up at around 7.20 a.m. after a good night's sleep. Everywhere was quiet that morning. The view of the Sea of Japan was extremely pretty in the morning, so I grabbed some pictures of the scenic view.

The port of Otaru and the Sea of Japan in the early winter morning

The beautiful morning view of the Sea of Japan

The port of Otaru during an early winter morning

Cloud cover over the Sea of Japan

A clear view of the port of Otaru and the Sea of Japan

At around 8.30 a.m., all of us were awake. We all had a good and hot shower and packed up our baggage. A porter then came up to help us with our baggage. We then went to Wing Bay Otaru while the porter took care of our baggage. After a while, we decided to have lunch at a restaurant before heading to Niseko. We ate at a local restaurant called Sushidokoro Sakanaisshin, which was quite a good restaurant.

A snow-covered Otaru

In the walkway to Wing Bay Otaru

The port of Otaru as seen from Wing Bay Otaru

My brother lying in the snow, about to make snow angels

A snowy road beside Wing Bay Otaru

The Grand Park Hotel Otaru as seen from outside Wing Bay Otaru

A lineup of restaurants in Wing Bay Otaru

The interior of Sushidokoro Sakanaisshin

A sea urchin platter

A sushi platter

Beef and pork yakitori

A grilled scallop

A chicken yakitori

After having lunch at Wing Bay Otaru, we walked back to the Grand Park Hotel Otaru. As soon as my dad arrived with our car, we loaded our baggage and by 12.30 p.m., we were on our way to Niseko. We would be staying at the Hilton Hotel Niseko Village for 4 days until Saturday, 18 December.

Driving along a snow-covered road by Wing Bay Otaru

Otaru-chikko Station, where I would begin my train journeys in a few days' time

A snowy hill by an apartment building in Otaru

The Sea of Japan covered in snowstorm

A snowy road junction in Otaru

Crossing a snow-covered road bridge

A hilly forest covered in snow

Passing by a market in Otaru

Passing by several houses in Otaru

Some trees in winter

A snowy mountain in Otaru

The snowy Sea of Japan after exiting the Otaru tunnel

The Sea of Japan shortly after we left Otaru

Travelling along the Sea of Japan coastline

The Japan Sea view from another angle

A clearer and more beautiful view of the Sea of Japan

The Sea of Japan with some snow-covered mountains

A closer view of the Sea of Japan

Another view of the snow-covered mountains and the Sea of Japan

An even clearer and more beautiful view of the Sea of Japan

The Sea of Japan along the coastline road between Otaru and Yoichi

The Sea of Japan during a big snowstorm

The Sea of Japan during a huge winter storm while we were approaching Yoichi

On the way to Niseko from Otaru, we decided to stop at a cafeteria located by the Sea of Japan. This cafeteria is located in the town of Yoichi. While there, we had a nice cup of hot tea, before resuming our journey to Niseko.

The car park outside the seaside cafeteria in Yoichi

The extremely foggy winter storm by the Sea of Japan

A view of the Sea of Japan inside the seaside cafeteria in Yoichi

Another view of the Sea of Japan inside the seaside cafeteria in Yoichi

A view of the snowy beach outside the seaside cafeteria

Another view of the snowy beach outside the seaside cafeteria

The Sea of Japan as seen from outside the seaside cafeteria in Yoichi

My brother outside the seaside cafeteria window

After a short layover at the seaside cafeteria in Yoichi, we went somewhere to purchase some food and beverages, fill up petrol, and stopped at a shoe shop in Kutchan to look for some winter shoes, making a total number of stops to three.

The signboard of the seaside cafeteria in Yoichi

A snowy street in the town of Yoichi

Our rented Toyota car

A snowy road located just aft of the town of Yoichi

Crossing a snow-covered road bridge

Passing by a house in the snow

Passing by a house beside a mountain in the snow

A snowy landscape between Yoichi and Kutchan

Passing by a snow-covered forest

Crossing a snowy bridge onward to Kutchan

Passing by another snow-covered forest on the road bridge to Kutchan

Into the town of Kutchan

The shoe shop in Kutchan

Snow falling outside the shoe shop in Kutchan

After looking through some winter shoes, we resumed our final sector to Niseko. Almost all parts of the journey between Otaru and Niseko was covered in a blanket of snow.

Passing by JoJo's Cafe & Bar Kutchan

An Indian cafeteria in Kutchan

Several apartment buildings in Kutchan

Passing by a snow-covered forest in Kutchan and Niseko

A house in the snowy landscape in Niseko

After a journey time of 4 hours 10 minutes from Otaru, we finally arrived at the Hilton Hotel Niseko Village at 4.40 p.m.. Night was already falling by the time we reached the hotel. A hotel porter then came out to help us with our baggage.

My mum then went to the check-in reception to check us in. I went to the lobby lounge while waiting.

The snowy vehicle parking area outside the entrance to the Hilton Hotel Niseko Village

The logo of the Hilton Hotel Niseko Village on the carpet

The hotel lobby lounge of the Hilton Hotel Niseko Village

The Christmas Tree in the Hilton Hotel Niseko Village

Another image of the hotel lobby lounge of the Hilton Hotel Niseko Village

The overall view of the hotel lobby lounge of the Hilton Hotel Niseko Village

As soon as we received our room keys, we took the elevator up to our rooms. Our rooms were two separate rooms without connections. I shared one room with my brother whereas my parents took the other bedroom.

The other side of the hotel building

The night scenery of the snowy landscape

The room where my brother and I slept

An overall view of the room I shared with my brother

After a while, our baggage was delivered to us by two porters. Later that night, we had a nice and sumptuous steamboat dinner in my parents' hotel room. We then had a shower and did our own personal things.

However, I did not do anything much for that night after the long driving journey from Otaru. Feeling quite tired, I went to bed early by 10 o' clock that night.

Part 2 ~ Snowmobile Fun & Exploring Around Niseko

The next morning, which was Thursday (16 December), I woke up very early at 6.30 a.m.. It was still dark by the time I was up. Dawn started to break at 7 a.m.. With that I, snapped some photographs of the morning scenery.

The still very dark landscape shortly after I woke up

The dark landscape during the wee hours of the morning

The first sight of dawn over the snowy landscape

The snowy landscape during the first hours of the grey dawn morning sky

Another morning scenery over the snowy landscape

The first sight of sunrise over the snowy landscape in the morning

By 7.30 a.m., all of us were awake and had a hot shower in preparation for the start of the day. At 9.20 a.m., we went down to a hotel restaurant called Melt Bar and Grill for breakfast. We had delicious food such as scrambled eggs and bacon.

The logo of Melt Bar and Grill

The egg kiosk inside Melt Bar and Grill in the morning

The interior of Melt Bar and Grill

Scrambled eggs and omelette with sausage and ham

Some snow covered trees as seen from the restaurant

A snowy forest as seen from the restaurant

A large gingerbread house in Melt Bar and Grill

A mini gingerbread house in Melt Bar and Grill

At 10 o' clock, we headed to the Snowmobile Course Station to begin our snowmobile course of the day. Boots and spare clothes were provided for us. However, the staff permitted me to remain in my own clothes for special reasons.

Snowboarders gathering beside the cable car station

The alley way near the entrance to the hotel

The snowmobile course registering house, with the cable car station above it

The snowmobile course registering house interior

After we put on the extra rented winter clothes, a trainer took us to the snowmobile course area. We had an enjoyable time riding on the snowmobile. However, my only problem with a snowmobile is how to regulate the speed, as I tend to drive it too fast. Fortunately, I sat with my dad for safety.

The snow-covered forest beside the snowmobile course area

The cloudy winter sky just before we began our course

The snowmobiles ready to be used

The snow covered mountain as seen from my snowmobile

A view of my hotel taken from the open snow

Mount Yotei as seen from the snowmobile course

My dad and I posing for a picture on our snowmobile

My mum and brother posing for a picture on their snowmobile

A photograph of my family during the snowmobile course

My brother making snow angels

The exterior view of the Hilton Hotel Niseko Village

The snowy landscape in the afternoon

After finishing our snowmobile course at 12 noon, we went back to our hotel room to have a short rest. At around 12.50 p.m., we decided to take the cable car up to the mountain peak. The weather on the way up to the peak was really cold, with the temperature dropping to probably below 0ºC (32ºF).

The Japanese sign in the cable car which warns passengers of the dangers of smoking in the cable car cabin

The observation view of the cable car towards the peak

The snow-covered car park at the Hilton Hotel Niseko Village

The roadway leading to the town of Kutchan

About to start climbing up the mountain

Crossing the snowy and foggy hillside of the mountain

Passing by a snow forest

Going up into the bitter cold

Into the bitterly cold area of the mountain

Crossing the bitterly cold area

The bitterly cold landscape as seen from the cable car

Approaching the peak of the mountain

After 15 minutes of travel in the cable car, we finally arrived at the peak station at 12.20 p.m.. The surroundings outside the cable car station was BITTERLY COLD, with the temperature measuring approximately - 8ºC (18ºF).

The bitterly cold mountain peak in a huge blinding snow storm

The exterior view of the cable car station at the mountain peak

Several winter skiers preparing to ski down the bitterly cold mountain

The bitterly cold scenery beside the cable car station

Another view of the bitterly cold mountain peak

The skiing slope at the bitterly cold peak of the mountain

After spending about only five minutes, my parents could not stand the bitter cold. We then decided to head back to the hotel at 12.25 p.m., arriving back at 12.40 p.m..

The panoramic view of the bitterly cold mountain peak from the cable car

The bitterly cold mountain top

Our hotel as seen ahead of us from the cable car

After arriving back down, we went into the hotel lobby to think of where to go to next. Feeling hungry, we decided to go to an Italian Restaurant called Lupicia for lunch. We drove through the snowy landscape along the way.

The grand hotel lobby lounge in the Hilton Hotel Niseko Village

The Christmas Tree with a figure of Santa Claus climbing in the lounge

Our snow-covered car waiting for us at the hotel entrance

Passing by the snow-covered car park

Passing by a snowy forest covered in a severe winter storm

The snowy landscape beside the road between Kutchan and Niseko

Another snow-covered forest

The overall view of the snowy road between Kutchan and Niseko

Passing by another snow-covered area

The snowy landscape covered by a massive winter storm

The snow-covered road junction

We arrived at Restaurant Lupicia Niseko at 2.15 p.m., just in time for lunch. Immediately, we went into the restaurant and asked for a table. The food and beverage menus were then provided for us.

The overall exterior view of Restaurant Lupicia Niseko

The logo of Restaurant Lupicia Niseko

The interior of Restaurant Lupicia Niseko

The food menu for Restaurant Lupicia Niseko

The beverage menu for Restaurant Lupicia Niseko

A few moments later, a waiter came up to take our orders. I ordered a charcoal-grilled pork with soft-boiled egg and paprika tomato sauce.

Ravioli

My mum's lunch set

My main course: Charcoal-grilled pork with soft-boiled egg and paprika tomato sauce

The snowy road by Restaurant Lupicia Niseko

My mum observing me through the window

The area near the main road covered in a blanket of snow

The confectionery shop in Restaurant Lupicia Niseko

Pumpkin pudding

Chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and accompaniments

A tall-looking tree by the entrance to the car park to Restaurant Lupicia Niseko

The deep snow-covered road by the as seen from the car park

The deep-snow covered area by the restaurant

After having lunch at Restaurant Lupicia Niseko, we decided to go to a cafeteria in Niseko for a hot beverage. The landscape was covered up in a blanket of snow all the way.

Passing by a snowy car park

Some skiers about to ski in the snowy landscape

The snow-covered skiing area

Passing by a snowy landscape on the way to the cafeteria

As soon as we reached the cafeteria at 4 o' clock, we went inside quickly to keep warm. While there, I ordered a simple cup of hot chocolate for myself. At the same time, my brother played with me in the snow, throwing me off into the bitterly cold snow at one point! In spite of the bitter cold, it was lots of fun!

The snow-covered landscape beside the cafeteria and confectionery

The house beside the confectionery shop

A confectionery shop in Niseko

The snow-covered landscape as seen from inside the cafeteria

The interior of the cafeteria in Niseko

A cup of hot chocolate for myself

The confectionery shop in a severe winter storm in the evening

The snow-covered car park by the cafeteria

The snow-covered landscape during a severely cold winter storm

The snow-covered car park during the early winter evening

At 4.45 p.m., we realised that night was already falling. We then decided to head back to the Hilton Hotel Niseko Village before the sky was completely dark. Once we reached back the hotel, we had a good rest before having dinner in the hotel room. We then went to bed before midnight that night.

Part 3 ~ Exploring Kutchan

The next day, which was a Friday (17 December), we woke up just before 12 noon. There was nothing much to do on that day, so we decided to explore around the hotel and the town of Kutchan.

Beside the cable car station, we went to see the reindeer stable to find some reindeers. To our delight, we managed to see a reindeer in one of the stables.

The drop-off area at the Hilton Hotel Niseko Village

The exterior view of the Hilton Hotel Niseko Village

A reindeer in the reindeer barn

The reindeer barn in the open snow

At around 12 noon, we decided to drive out into the countryside of Kutchan. There was snow almost everywhere throughout the driving journey. The first place to see was The Chalets at Country Resort Kutchan. Among the notable houses we saw was Shimano, the chalet we stayed at back in June 2009. Here are some pictures.

The snowy open land by a snow forest

The land covered in open snow

Passing by a snow-covered forest

An aerial view of Mount Yotei, with the peak covered in the clouds

The aerial view of the area around The Chalets at Country Resort

The exterior view of Shimano, our chalet back in June 2009

The signboard of The Chalets at Country Resort

The open land covered in snow, with Mount Yotei in the background

Mount Yotei on a clear winter's day

After some exploring, we decided to go to a restaurant in Kutchan for lunch. We managed to find a sushi restaurant called Yoteimaru Sushi Restaurant. Here are some pictures I took before and during lunch at Yoteimaru.

The logo of Yoteimaru Sushi Restaurant

A road beside a petrol station on a sunny winter's day in Kutchan

Plates of tuna and salmon sushi

A plate of tuna sushi

Two plates of scallop and salmon sushi

A plate of scallop sushi

A plate of tuna sushi for us to share

A plate of tuna sushi for myself

A plate of scallop sushi for us to share

Another plate of scallop sushi

A plate of fried chicken

The interior of Yoteimaru Sushi Restaurant

After having lunch at Yoteimaru, we decided to go to a convenience store located near Kutchan Station to purchase some necessities. While my family did their own shopping, I did explore around Kutchan Station.

The station platform of Kutchan Station from behind the fence

The name plate of Kutchan Station written in hiragana characters

Inside the station concourse of Kutchan Station

The taxi stand outside Kutchan Station

The car park outside Kutchan Station covered in snow

The convenience store by Kutchan Station

A snow-covered park near Kutchan Station

A skiing mountain as seen from outside Kutchan Station

A JR Hakodate Line passenger train shortly after leaving Kutchan Station

After shopping for some daily necessities to bring back home to Singapore, we were once again feeling peckish. So we went to a nearby cafeteria called Cafe Kaku. I ordered myself a pizza and a slice of chocolate cake. The owners of the cafeteria were both foreigners and spoke English (possibly from Australia or Britain). They explained that the cafeteria wasn't much, but to them, it was home.

The interior of Cafe Kaku

The fireplace inside Cafe Kaku

The kitchen in the Cafe Kaku

A slice of chocolate cake for myself

A plate of cheese-flavoured pizza for myself

A cup of hot chocolate and a slice of pizza

The snow covered street near Cafe Kaku

The logo of Cafe Kaku

Mount Yotei as seen from outside Cafe Kaku

Our rented car

The fireplace with fire burning inside

After having a sumptuous tea at Cafe Kaku, we decided to drive back to the Hilton Hotel Niseko. The sun was starting to set by the time we were on our way. Here are some pictures I took during the journey back to the hotel.

A skiing mountain during sunset

Passing by a snow-covered forest in the sunset

An aerial view of Mount Yotei

Driving on a hilly road

Passing by a snowy bridge that leads to a shrine covered in snow

A snowy bridge that leads to a shrine covered in snow

A view of Mount Yotei during nightfall

After an hour of driving, we arrived back at the Hilton Hotel Niseko Village just before five o'clock that evening. We then had a rest and had a sumptuous dinner in my parents' hotel room. We then washed up and went to bed just before 12 midnight.

To summarise, the Hilton Hotel Niseko Village is quite a nice hotel to stay in. The breakfasts there are mouthwatering and you can take the cable car up anytime you like. However, the only issue was the Internet connection service, as it was relatively slow.

This officially brings the second section of my winter holiday in Hokkaido, Japan in December 2010 to a close. Should you have any concerns, don't hesitate to comment or ask any questions. The remaining parts will be published soon.