KAMUYKOTAN

Image: Niseko Moiwa, Niseko Town - October 2014 The name, Moiwa , originates from the Ainu language. ' Mo ' means 'child' and ' Iwa ' means 'mountain' or 'hill', so Moiwa  can be interpreted as 'a small mountain', according to Toyokoro Town . Hence, the name ' Moiwa ' can be seen in many places in Hokkaido, such as Mount   Moiwa in Sapporo. The Summarised History of Niseko Town (in Japanese) states that Niseko Moiwa Resort was open as Taiheiyo Club Niseko Moiwa International Ski Area in December, 1966. Since then, management company of Moiwa Ski Area had changed several times. I remember its name was 'La Ponte' in the 2000s when I was a university student. Personally I am happy that it is still called ' Moiwa ', a name I am familiar with. Map: Mount Moiwa The location is right next to Niseko Annupuri, so it takes about two hours by car from Sapporo. Since it is a small mountain, it may be a suitable p...