KIRORO SKI RESORT – THE BEST POWDER IN JAPAN | HOKKAIDO – JAPAN

If you are planning to come all the way to Japan to ski/snowboard, Kiroro should definitely be one of your top ‘must-go’ ski resorts.  On our last snowboarding trips in Japan in 2019 and 2020, we went to 3 different resorts in Hokkaido, and we must say we were pretty blown away by Kiroro.

WHY KIRORO?

21 is the answer.

According to statistics, for a very long time Kiroro has an average snowfall of 17 metres per year.  However, in the recent years the number has increased to 21 metres per year.  TWENTY ONE!

How is the powder like though?  Well, like this.

Check out our epic powder day video from Feb 2020:

“As with many of the other Hokkaido ski resorts, the quality of the powder is fabulous, and the Kiroro snow quantity is ridiculous.”

Powderhounds.com

On top of that, due to the fact that it is less well-known to international travellers, there is never a long queue for the gondola or ski lifts at Kiroro.  During our entire 4 days there, the longest queue we had was less than 10 people in front of us!

Check out our vlog on our trip to Kiroro in January 2019!

WHERE IS KIRORO?

Situated near to Niseko, Kiroro is only 1,30hrs North West of Sapporo New Chitose Airport.  You can easily take a direct bus from the airport to the ski resort and it only costs 2,500 Yen (~23 USD) per person.

Please note it is recommended for all to make a reservation for buses to and from Kiroro 2 weeks in advance.  You can book buses between Kiroro and the Airport, Sapporo, Otaru and etc. here.

ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN

Kiroro is a medium sized ski resort with 1 Gondola and 8 ski lifts.  Having a top elevation of 1,030 metres, the mountain offers a total of 22 ski pistes.

The mountain terrain is composed of 30% for Beginner, 40% for Intermediate and 30% for Expert. 

 

While some say that a lot of the black runs at Kiroro aren’t too different from difficult red runs, it is agreed among powder riders that the off-piste/backcountry area of the mountain is just FANTASTIC–hands down one of the best in Japan.

Check out this awesome KIRORO off-piste video by the Rollout guys 😉

If you wish to ski/snowboard in the off-piste area, you will need to register at the counter on the 2nd floor at the Mountain Centre.  The form needs to be filled out day by day, and you will have to clearly draw your intended route on the map.

ABOUT THE SKI RESORT

Kiroro features what you would expect from most ski resorts: ski lessons, ski & winter wear shops, equipment rentals, etc.

We must mention that their main ski rental offers some REALLY great board options.  In 2019, we were so chuffed to have got ourselves premium powder boards: JONES HOVERCRAFTS.  They seriously made our time on the mountain much more enjoyable.  (In 2020 we got ourselves our own JONES MIND EXPANDERS–a game changer!)

There are also a good variety of fun winter activities for adults and children to enjoy including a Forest Tour, Snow CAT & Snow Shoes, Snow Sledging, Snow Tubing, etc.

For more information on adult’s snow activities, click here.

There is also “Kiroro Town”, a cool little area with shops, fitness, sauna, onsen, karaoke, bars and a small ramen restaurant.  All of which are open until late.

DINING

Kiroro Ski Resort

There are quite a few dining options within the resort, ranging from a basic cafeteria (for lunch only), casual dining to fine dining restaurants.  On all our days on the mountains, our lunch at the cafeteria rotated between ramen and Japanese curry on rice, though more exciting options such as salmon ikura don and beef/pork on rice were also available.

Our preferred place to have dinner was at the Alpine Brasserie inside The Kiroro Tribute Portfolio Hotel (where we stayed) were we could get good quality and affordable meals.  It also had the perfect ambience for having drinks with a few friends.

For information on dining options at Kiroro Ski Resort, click here.

Ice Star Bar & Restaurant

Having dinner and drinks at Ice Star Restaurant could also be fun.  It is located right towards the end of Kiroro Town (on the opposite end of The Kiroro Tribute hotel).

Otaru Town

For those who are keen to go out and explore outside of Kiroro, Otaru is your closest and best option.  Recognised a town in 1865, Otaru is only half an hour away from Kiroro.  With a population of only 130,000, it is quite a laid back, peaceful little town which still retains its original charm and character.

There are numerous small local izakayas and eateries in Otaru, but our dear friend took us to his favourite restaurant: Toriya Otori.

This restaurant is the most chicken-oriented restaurant we have ever been to in our entire lives.  As much as this sounds mediocre, the food was actually absolutely delicious.  The chicken hot pot and deep fried chicken are must try’s (seriously they are quite special!).  If you are the kind of person who lives dangerously and would take ANY form of adventure with no fear, we recommend you try…

Chicken Sashimi…

Apparently, Otaru is THE (safest) place to eat chicken sashimi.  As Bee believes in the YOLO philosophy, she did try it and said it actually tasted very nice.  I could only say I was glad her YOLO didn’t turn into YOVUYDO (You Only Vomit Until You Die Once).

To finish our evening on a big high (just in case Bee didn’t survive the night after the Chicken Sashimi), we finished our evening at Otaru Beer Warehouse No. 1 for some Hokkaido draught beer.  It surely was a great way to spend a relaxing evening in a local environment before hitting the pow the next morning!

 

ACCOMMODATION

There are two hotels within the ski resort premises: Sheraton Kiroro Hokkaido Resort, and The Kiroro, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel.  Sheraton is a little closer to the ski area, but The Kiroro Tribute where we stayed only takes 5 mins there on a shuttle bus which runs every hour (and twice every hour on “rush hour” in the morning and evening).

Our room was spotless clean, spacious and very warm, and it was only a few steps to the hotel’s Ofuro hot bath (which is in the same building).  It was a really cozy and comfy stay at The Kiroro Tribute and we would recommend it to everyone who is planning a ski trip to Kiroro.

 

BONUS

There is night skiing at Kiroro, and there was STILL some untouched powder at 7pm when we were there.  This is definitely another good reason to go to Kiroro next year 😉

Thank you for reading and we hope this article is useful for your trip planning.  Don’t forget to subscribe to Life Out Loud or Like us on Facebook and not miss any cool posts and updates by us!

If you have any specific Kiroro or Japan questions hit us up on any one of our social media channels!

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