Niseko, Hokkaido
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Niseko ニセコ町 |
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Summer in Niseko Annupuri, one of the most famous mountains for downhill skiing in Hokkaido.
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 Location of Niseko in Hokkaido (Shiribeshi Subprefecture) |
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 Niseko
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| Coordinates: 42°48′N 140°41′E / 42.800°N 140.683°ECoordinates: 42°48′N 140°41′E / 42.800°N 140.683°E | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Hokkaido |
| Prefecture | Hokkaido (Shiribeshi Subprefecture) |
| District | Abuta |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Kenya Katayama |
| Area | |
| • Total | 197.13 km2 (76.11 sq mi) |
| Population (31 March 2012) | |
| • Total | 4,694 |
| • Density | 23.81/km2 (61.7/sq mi) |
| Symbols | |
| • Tree | Japanese white birch |
| • Flower | Lavender |
| • Bird | Great spotted woodpecker |
| Time zone | Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) |
| City hall address | 47, Aza Fujimi, Niseko-chō, Abuta-gun, Hokkaidō 048-1595 |
| Website | www |
Niseko (ニセコ町 Niseko-chō?) is a town located in Abuta District, Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. To the Japanese people, Niseko principally refers to a mountain range and a municipal area. However, overseas the name has come to refer to a wider area of ski resorts encompassing Hokkaido's Mount Yōtei, often referred to as the "Mt. Fuji of Hokkaido", and Annupuri ranges. The name Niseko derives from the Ainu language and means "a cliff jutting over a riverbank deep in the mountains". The Niseko town's main industries are agriculture and tourism.
The town had an estimated population of 9,896 with 2,187 households as of 31 March 2012, and a density of 23.81 persons per km2. The total number of visitors during the 2009 winter season was 201,000. The total area is 197.13 km2.
Niseko is composed of six ski areas, in order of size:
Niseko Mt. Resort Grand Hirafu, refers to the combined areas of Hirafu and Hanazono. Both of these and Weiss are within the municipality of nearby Kutchan. The other three resorts are within the adjacent municipality of Niseko.
Of these six ski areas, the main four (Annupuri, Higashiyama, Hirafu, and Hanazono) are sequentially interconnected and may be skied on one ski pass. The lift systems are owned respectively by the Chuo Bus company, YTL Resorts (which purchased Niseko Village from Citigroup in 2010), Tokyu Corporation and Pacific Century Premium Developments. Together they form 2,191 acres (8.87 km2) skiable of what is known as the Niseko United. The lift system comprises 38 gondolas and lifts connecting 61 ski runs. Kutchan's sister city is St. Moritz, Switzerland in a relationship established in 1964. Niseko Moiwa, adjacent to Annupuri, can be skied to from Annupuri but is not currently connected by the lift system. Niseko Weiss has not operated its lifts for decades, but people can still ski in this area, being taken uphill by snow cats.
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Wikipedia