Is it cheaper to ski in Hakuba or Niseko in Japan?

Is it cheaper to ski in Hakuba or Niseko in Japan

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Many westerners have a misconception that skiing in Japan is expensive. This is not necessarily the case although it does depend on the exchange rate of your currency against the Japanese Yen at the time you are travelling.

Based on Australian currency, lift tickets at many of the larger Japanese ski resorts currently sit at around AUD65 (about two thirds of what you would pay for a lift ticket in Australia and about half of what you would typically pay for a large ski resort in the USA).

This article compares the cost of skiing in Niseko on the north island of Hokkaido vesus the cost of skiing in Hakuba on the main island of Honshu comparing accommodation and lift tickets prices.

Niseko accommodation costs were higher than that of Hakuba. Niseko has a far greater breadth of accommodation options and generally has more properties at the luxury end of the market than Hakuba. At the cheapest end of the scale, Hakuba accommodation has several very cheap back packers such as Mt Hakuba Backpackers where you can score a bed for the night for around AUD30 per night. In Niseko, the cheapest accommodation is Shizenken Backpacker with beds costing AUD42 per night. An average cost for a hostel / backpacker is Niseko was closer to AUD50 per night.

In terms of lift ticket prices, a day adult pass in 2010 set you back AUD60 versus AUD70 in Niseko. A child day lift ticket in Hakuba was AUD31 versus AUD42 in Niseko. This doesn't take into consideration discounts that may be available for multi-day tickets.

So on the surface, a very quick comparison shows Niseko to be about 20% to 30% more expensive than Hakuba. One of the other advantages of Hakuba is that it is generally easier and quicker to access than Niseko given that there are far more direct international flights into Tokyo as opposed to the limited number of flights going in to Sapporo on Hokkaido. The transit from Tokyo International Airport to its domestic terminal across the other side of Tokyo to fly to Sapporo can take several hours not to mention the inconvenience of dragging ski gear from customs to a bus and then having to check-in again for another domestic flight.

Hakuba is access via a bullet train ride from Tokyo to Nagano and a bus from Nagano to Hakuba.

But if it is deep, deep powder you are after, the extra hassle of getting to Niseko and the extra cost is well worth it!

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