Niseko Moiwa

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 place for those who are just beginning skiing or snowboarding for the first time, not to mention little children.

Image: Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort - January 2019

As you can see on the official website, there are three lifts. 

When I was little, in the early 1980s, single chairlifts were still common. I remember using one that used to be located where the current Pair Lift #1 stands, together with my mother. - or it might have been next to Pair Lift #1, since that lift ended lower on the slope than the current one. Since she was holding both her ski poles and mine, all I had to do was sit on her lap, held securely in her arms. Nowadays, however, such a  way of sitting on a single chairlift would likely not be permitted.

Image: Pair Lift #1, Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort - December 2008

Unlike today, ski mittens and suits at the time significantly lacked thermal insulation. I often complained about the cold, and she told me to clench and unclench my fists while we were on the lift.

Additionally, back then, there were no quad lifts like the ones we have today. My memory is quite vague, but I suppose the lift that used to be located where the current quad lift stands was not even a “quad” - of course, it did not have a bubble cover.

I remember how pleased we were when the quad lifts were finally equipped with bubble covers. That was because, in addition to the lack of thermal insulation in our gear (compared to today), the freezing wind and snow during the ride to the top of the mountain were truly harsh. 

Image: Comfortable Quad lift, Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort - December 2019

However, one good thing about the past was the ticket system. Lift passes were stiff paper cards printed with the expiry date and time, and they were checked by staff standing at each lift. As a result, you did not have to go through a bar gate that scans your electronic pass, which can be slightly inconvenient. Staff would recognise skiers after the first check, as Moiwa Ski Resort was never crowded. Simply making eye contact was enough. 

Due to unpredictable whether conditions in the mountains, I remember experiencing a complete lift closure at Moiwa Ski Resort when I was a teenager in the 1990s. The cause was strong winds, but my friend and I decided to climb the slope, carrying our skis on our shoulders, up to the point where Pair Lift #1 was supposed to take us. It was not as easy as we had expected. It took hours (or felt like hours) to get there, battling strong winds and carrying heavy skis. We were wearing ski boots, of course, which made walking up the slope extremely difficult.

We were delighted when we finally reached our goal, but once we started skiing, it was over in no time. 

Looking back, it was a pretty foolish thing to do.

Image: Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort from the restaurant - January 2014

At this ski resort, you may frequently see young alpine skiers practising. The Niseko Junior Ski Team is popular in the area and, according to its Facebook page, has produced an Olympic athlete. I really enjoyed watching them while riding Pair Lift #1. Not to mention their ski techniques - their alpine ski gear looks so cool. 

Moreover, you may also see some soldiers skiing in camouflage uniforms. Some of them looked like beginners, so the contrast with the young alpine skiers was quite striking. Perhaps they had been transferred from southern bases.

Map: Niseko Tourism Area (Kutchan, Ranakoshi and Niseko Towns)

The map compiled by the author using free map resources provided by Shiro tizu nurinuri.

The Niseko Tourism Area is composed of Kutchan, Niseko, and Rankoshi Towns. Grand HIRAFU and HANAZONO resorts belong to Kutchan Town while Niseko Annupuri and Moiwa Ski Resort are in Niseko Town. 

According to Niseko; reinvigorates your passion for life  (an official development plan for the Niseko Tourism Area by Kutchan, Niseko and Rankoshi Towns), the number of international overnight tourists has been increasing, reaching 600,000 annually before the pandemic, while the number of domestic visitors has fluctuated over time.

Looking at Niseko Town alone, the number of international overnight visitors has been rising, except for the period affected by the pandemic. 

Graph: The Number of International Overnight Visitors in Niseko Town Only (thousand)

The graph complied by the author using data from 'Niseko Town in Numbers' issued by Niseko Town

In response to such circumstances, Moiwa Ski Resort was always filled with international skiers and snowboarders whenever I visited, either at the end of December or the beginning of January.

Image: Moiwa Restaurant filled with non-Japanese visitors - January 2019

I suppose those who choose to ski or snowboard at Niseko Moiwa, regardless of nationality, are people who know the Niseko Tourism Area well, except for complete beginners, because this mountain has some unique characteristics compared with other well-known mountains, such as Annupuri or Hirafu. 

Although Mount Moiwa is a relatively small mountain, you can enjoy views of Annupuri and Mount Yohtei (Ezo-Fuji) while skiing or snowboarding.

Image: Niseko Annupuri from Mount Moiwa - January 2011

On top of that, if you want to avoid a crowded resort but still love winter sports, Moiwa may be a better option. It has some unique courses, and I especially love one of them, called 'Mikaeri-zaka (見返り坂: みかえりざか)'.

This course includes long flat sections at both the start and the finish. So there are usually few people. However, if there is less powder snow this season, I would avoid skiing on this course.

Skiing outside of the courses is strictly prohibited; you should bear in mind the Niseko Rules before setting off.

Image: Flat zone of Mikaeri-zaka course - January 2019

Mikaeri-zaka course starts with a flat zone, so for snowboarders, it can be a bit troublesome because the flat zone ends with an uphill slope. I usually take off my snowboard and walk to the starting point, which can be tough if there is no path to follow (otherwise each of your footsteps will sink into the deep snow). 

 

Image: Mikaeri-zaka course - January 2019

When you are standing at stating point, you may see the image above in front of you. If it is snowing heavily, you may stop easily due to the deep snow. In such cases, you may want to find existing tracks and use them to avoid losing too much speed.

What if there are no tracks? you had better give up enjoying first run and prepare for the second run.

When you finish descending this area, you will reach another flat zone. 

Image: Mikaeri-zaka course - January 2019

After proceeding along this path for a while, you will see the Niseko Annupuri ski slope. Then, turn right just before entering the Niseko Annupuri course; otherwise, you will not be able to return to Niseko Moiwa. (See the image below: the ski slope visible in the distance is Niseko Annupuri)

Image: Mikaeri-zaka course - January 2018

Then, finally, the last flat zone will appear. If you are fortunate, the path will take you behind the Moiwa quad lift. This can vary depending on the season. Most likely, it will end at a drive lane, where the snow is not cleared, as shown in the image below.

This road ends at the car park of the Moiwa Ski Resort.  

I remember a lost New Zealander speaking to me when I stopped at the beginning of this flat zone. He seemed to have followed me, mistakenly thinking that I was also enjoying Niseko Annupuri. He told me that he wanted to return to Annupuri.

After returning to Niseko Moiwa, I got on the quad lift with him, and took him to the Mikaeri-zaka course, and we said goodbye to each other at the intersection I mentioned earlier.

If you have never tried this course, I would highly recommend going with someone who has already experienced it; otherwise, you might get lost. 

Image: Mikaeri-zaka course - December 2020

In the 1980s and 1990s, cameras were not like current digital cameras in terms of their physical size and quality. Because of that, I do not think my father took many pictures of Niseko Moiwa, and so far I have not been able to find any photos of it, except for the image below.

Hopefully, I can find some images of it later on.

Image: Mount Moiwa from Niseko Annupuri - Winter around 1994