Rusutsu
With an average annual snowfall of over 14 metres, Rusutsu has some of the most incredible powder and tree skiing to be found anywhere in the world.
One night we had about a metre of fresh snow and affectionately named the following day “Big Wednesday”. It was the powder day that you always dream of being there for. As Warren Miller would say, “you should have been here yesterday” only we were there “yesterday”. The powder is so incredibly dry in Rusutsu, you blast right through it with virtually no resistance.
Rusutsu is a purpose built resort and services golf-lovers during summer and skiers during winter. It has a couple of large glitzy (and kitsch) resorts at the base of the mountain. One of the first things you notice about Rusutsu in the huge fun-park adjacent to the resort complete with roller-coasters and ferris-wheel that looks frozen in time.
There are a number of small traditional Japanese restaurants all near the base of the mountain as well as the resort restaurants so there is no shortage of food options.
The nightlife is not quite like 'Niseko'. There is a sports bar in the resort although its opening hours are quite strange (for example, it wasn't open for Après when we were there). We tended to make our own fun in our rooms at the Pension drinking much of our duty free alcohol and eating 'lucky dip' snacks purchased from the nearby seicomart (or psychomart as we called it).
Deep Powder Tours and a couple of other tour operators run day-trips from Niseko to Rusutsu. However do yourself a favour and book a week at Rusutsu; you won’t regret it!