About an hour and a half west of Sapporo lies the Shakotan peninsula, a beautiful piece of coastline that is well worth a visit whatever the season. In fact every season gives us a different reason to visit the area winter through summer. If you’re passing through Sapporo or perhaps visiting Otaru a drive to Shakotan is well worth the effort.

Shakotan Misaki Onsen

During the winter the peninsula is covered in snow and its rugged cliffs and rocky coastal outcrops are quite spectacular. Under the clouds the sea turns an eerie grey and seals can sometimes be spotted in the ocean. During the summer months the sea is crystal clear and surprisingly warm for swimming and snorkeling. These things alone make the drive worthwhile but at the end of the peninsula lies an added attraction.

Niseko Toyru Sea Kayaking

Following the road to the end of the peninsula you find your self at Shakotan Misaki or Cape Shakotan, here you can take in beautiful ocean views which best of all can be enjoyed from the blissful comfort of an Onsen. There are many Onsens in the area but Shakotan Misaki Onsen delivers ocean views and is easy to find. During spring, summer or autumn the best time to visit this Onsen is at dusk when you can take in an idyllic sunset. During the winter it will probably be snowing so any time is good!

Shakotan holds many treasures in every season and is worth the trip to take in the stunning autumn colors, to fish for Sakura Masu in spring, to snorkel or sea kayak in summer or simply to relax in an Onsen and take in the view any time of the year.

http://www.toyru.com/seakayak/seakayak_top.html

Crystal clear waters

From Sounkyo village you can ride the rope way, the pair chairlift and then hike to the peak just like in winter. The only difference is like in the village of Sounkyo you will have to deal with lots of people. Don’t be put off though as the quick 1 hour hike to the peak of Kurodake is rewarding and once at the top  you can easily wonder off into the roof of Hokkaido.

The day before I arrived, Kurodake had received Hatsuyuki [first snow] (in Japan) and some fresh snow was still present on the trails and on the close by Ryoun Dake [Mt. Ryoun] which stands about 150M taller at 2125M. Even if it hadn’t snowed I would have still been pleasantly surprised to have seen permanent snow on the peaks and valleys in this “Artic Daisetsuzan” where permafrost is distributed at elevations over 2000M. Check out the photo below of Ryoundake or for more images check out Black Mountain Lodge’s photos. Also don’t forget to check out the other artilces on Sounkyo.

the 2nd Annual Softball Classic at Niseko Hirafu Sun Sports

Saturday and Sunday saw 2 days of mountain bike action; the Grand Hirafu Bike Challenge. This event was a great success thanks to NisekoMTB and Grand Hirafu. Unfortunately I didn’t manage to snap any shots but if you are interested why don’t you head over to the Niseko Tourism webpage where they have a little wrap up. For those coming here August 30th to September 6th 2009 there will be many more cycling events as part of Niseko Cycle Week.

Sunday saw the 2nd Annual Softball Classic take place, like the Grand Hirafu Bike Challenge numbers were down but it couldn’t stop the fun of friendly softball between two teams selected on the day.

What ever season you come to Niseko whether it be winter, spring, summer or autumn there are plenty of things to do and if you time it right you will always be given the great locals Niseko welcome and chance to join in a myriad of events and activities that are organized throughout the year.

Also I would like to suggest to check out Joel’s new article across at nisekosnow.net about salmon fishing in Hokkaido. The article gives you a great over view of fishing and a run down on some spots from Shankotan Peninsular 40 minutes drive from Niseko to Eastern Hokkaido. Enjoy!

sapporo dance festival

yosakoi soran sapporo dance

I was also lucky enough to go to the Sapporo Dome to see the local baseball team the Nippon Ham Fighters take on the Dragons, this was also a great afternoon entertainment, I definitely recommend it if you get the chance, again lots of energy when the Fighter were scoring and the Sapporo dome is an awesome structure well worth a look!

outside sapporo dome

A Sapporo Fighters game at the Sapporo Dome

Finally the Sapporo Matsuri(Festival) was also on, which is the Annual Festival of Hokkaido Jingu Shrine. During this festival Nakajima Park at the south end of the city is full of food and game tents and Sapporo people get dressed up in their Yukata(traditional Japanese clothing), again a very colourful festival.

Even though it rained throughout the weekend the weather could not dampen the spirits of the people, great city and a great weekend!

A friend of mine gave me a copy of this video, it is a great watch that documents some excellent “Newschool Skiing” footage from between 2001 to 2007 of a group of Sapporo skiers. It is really inspirational whether you are a skier or a snowboarder. If you get the chance you should watch it and buy it! In the meantime check out the You Tube clips below and also check out the LOVEDOMINANT page on You Tube for some more great skiing and snowboarding from around Japan.

Anytime of year the drive between Sapporo’s Chitose Airport and Niseko is a spectacular drive, possible more so in summer as you can stop off for a picnic and swim in Shikotsu Ko(lake). However in winter you could stop for a spa at Shikotsu Ko Onsen(hot spring) or just take in the views of the snow covered landscape around Shikotsu Ko.

Check out some information on Shikotsu Ko and links to other pages at Sapporo City’s web site.

Spring conditions on the mountains are still great and the rafting has started.

Pink Yotei Zan in Spring from Kutchan

Annupuri under a full spring sunset refecting in the snow melt on the fields of Kutchan.

Spring of course is the best time to hit the park and take advantage of those soft landings. This year Hanazono resort finally stepped it up for Hokkaido by making a respectable park and decent superpipe. Big up Hanazono! For the Niseko area after Hanazono closes the park action shifts to Hirafu. At this time of year Sapporo Kokusai usually has a couple of jumps up and Nakayama Toge a tiny one chair affair at the top of the pass between Sapporo and Niseko will also have a fun line of jumps and rails. Get up there for some fun in the sun and don’t forget the bbq!