Club Med runs four ski resorts in the Sapporo and Central ski regions.Club Med
If there’s one destination good skiers want to visit at least once in their lifetime it’s the powder snow paradise of Hokkaido, Japan. The island is as far north as you can go in the country, at its tip – Russia is just 43 kilometres across the Pérouse Strait.
Ski areas in Hokkaido receive anywhere from five to 15 metres of superlight fluffy snow annually. JaPow (as it’s called) is so light and fluffy that superwide skis are required to swoop down the slopes and float through the forests. In Hokkaido, skiers joke about needing a snorkel to breathe through unending face shots of snow.
Après-ski is different in Japan, where an ‘obscene’ amount of snow is in the forecast
Where you ski on the island depends on the type of holiday you’re looking for. Club Med runs four ski resorts here in the Sapporo and Central ski regions. Its resorts may be far from the flashy, big resort scene of Niseko in the west – but that’s just how the all-inclusive brand likes it. “Mid-size uncrowded mountains work for us. ... The slopes are never too crowded,” says Marc Letourneau, Club Med’s general manager for the region. The former Montrealer, who now lives in Tokyo, was overseeing the opening of its newest family resort Club Med Kiroro Grand. The year before he helped open the slopeside Club Med Kiroro Peak (adults and teens only), which is a five-minute gondola ride up the mountain. “The winds of Siberia bring the snow and the first land it meets? Kiroro!” he crows.
Club Med Kiroro Grand is a family resort, and Club Med Kiroro Peak is for adults and teens only.Club Med
So imagine my surprise when, on my mid-December visit, there was no deep powder. (Thanks, El Niño.) Oh, the skiing was fine (especially when used to Eastern Canada conditions) but no North American spends 15 hours on planes to ski merely decent snow – they want that waist-deep fluffy stuff. (And anyone travelling now will find lots of it in Hokkaido.)
Why you should visit
The lack of JaPow could have turned my ski trip into wasted time – but my excellent Club Med instructor (lessons and/or guide are included with every night of your stay) turned things around. Ski days became an opportunity to work on speed, carving and mogul skills (or improving my lack thereof). I was a much better skier when I left than when I arrived. And now that the deep snow has arrived in Hokkaido, guests can follow their instructor into the best powder stashes on the mountain. As at every family-focused Club Med, parents can hand off the exhausting task of getting kids into their ski gear by dropping them at the resort’s kids clubs, which are included in the price.
The resort’s international vibe also made for a fun change of pace: I skied with visitors from Serbia, Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, the U.K. and Singapore. On the chairlift, I chatted with an Egyptian ski instructor who learned at an indoor resort. Best of all, I recovered from every ski day by soaking in Kiroro Grand’s mineral hot pool with local women, who happily showed me the onsen rituals. Onsen hot pools are separated by gender; nudity is essential, but be modest and hold those tiny towels carefully.
Room for improvement
A deluxe tatami room.Daniel Koh/Club Med
Club Med took over two hotels in the Kiroro ski area (about a 1.5-hour drive from Hokkaido’s New Chitose Airport) and revamped both in the past two years with its signature colourful sense of fun. But there’s still some work to be done. There are no connecting rooms in Kiroro Grand, for example. Families who don’t want to share one room with their teens will need a suite and hope the “kids” don’t mind sleeping on futons. What works well are the public areas – large and airy with lots of comfortable seating by multiple fireplaces and design touches that reflect Hokkaido’s culture and wildlife. These include selfie-worth arctic fox statues and eye-catching patterns and colours on walls and pillows and bedding from the Ainu Indigenous people. (Look for Ainu Indigenous-designed items in the gift shop.) I practically lived in the cotton kimono bathrobe (why aren’t they for sale in the gift shop?). But I was surprised to find the bathrooms didn’t match the upscale feel of the hotel. The fixtures were functional but older, many guests will have fancier setups in their own homes. The de rigueur Japanese toilet, however, with its warmed seat and water cleansing functions, stood out as the kind of high-tech gadget I could get used to using long term.
Since you’re in the neighbourhood
A hot spring onsen at Club Med Kiroro Grand.Club Med
The Kiroro ski area has no village or shops to wander through, so you’ll be spending your evenings at the Club Med bar and theatre area watching (or avoiding) the nightly staff-run entertainment. And make sure you escape to the thermal onsen for a hot soak. Also onsite are a spa, yoga studio, games room, indoor pool and fitness centre for more distractions. About a 30-minute drive away is Otaru, a coastal town that was once a major shipping port and now attracts visitors to its scenic canal and Sakaimachi Street, where many local artisans sell their exquisite work. Club Med offers day tours into town for a fee. Look for the local expert in amezaiku, Japanese candy artistry, where a blob of honey and sugar on a stick is warmed and carved into edible art.
The takeaway
Canadians who make the journey to ski in Japan are looking for a getaway that blends JaPow with cultural-wows. Club Med’s all-inclusive resort offers what I would call Japan-lite. But a family can fuel a long ski day with its endless, impressive array of eastern and western dishes at the resort’s food hall, and that’s important. There’s always a pot of miso bubbling, and bacon and eggs and French toast at breakfast. Ramen and sushi stations are a hit, as is the chef serving kaarage, or Japanese fried chicken, one of the yummiest blends of the two cultures you’ll find. A pastry chef means your sweet tooth is always indulged and when the café is open, jump at the chance to order an espresso (otherwise the coffee is instant). My favourite meals occurred at Kiroro Grand’s specialty restaurants – Ebisu for seven-course sushi and Ogon for the communal fun of Asian hot-pot dining. Come and ski and eat, then extend your vacation to explore other areas of the island and country. Most North American flights layover in Tokyo.
- Club Med has four ski resorts in Japan: Sahoro, Tomamu, Kiroro Peak and its newest: Kiroro Grand. Guests do not need to book a full week (as required at most European Club Med ski resorts). All meals, tea time snacks (the après-ski vibe in Japan) and alcoholic beverages are included. Lift tickets, ski lessons and guides are included, too; gear rentals are extra.
The writer was a guest of Club Med. It did not review or approve the story before publication.