Overview
Heading west from Niseko Village, the Niseko Annupuri area offers a sleepy Japanese ski village experience in Annupuri or Moiwa.
The area is the least crowded place to stay and ski in Niseko and is popular with beginners looking for a quieter place to learn as well as powder seekers wanting first dibs on the Annupuri and Moiwa off piste terrain.
Annupuri Area Map
Annupuri Village Accommodation
Annupuri Village sits at the base of the Annupuri ski resort; one of the four resorts that make up Niseko United.
In Annupuri village, there are two slopeside hotels offering in house dining and fantastic onsen.
Heading away from the ski lifts into the centre of Annupuri Village, there are a handful of cosy lodges and a number of large alpine chalets, such as Starchase Chalet.
A few more lodges and cosy local restaurants can be found in and around the turn off from route 66 towards the Annupuri ski hill, with this location known as the Annupuri Ski Ground Entrance.
Moiwa Village Accommodation
Next along Route 66, the tiny village of Moiwa, sits at the base of the Moiwa ski resort.
At the base of the ski resort, Moiwa Chalet offers a self-catering accommodation option to go with the neighbouring inexpensive lodges.
Search Niseko Annupuri Area Accommodation
Search exclusively for Niseko Annupuri Area accommodation for your preferred stay dates using our Accommodation Search Tool at the top of this page. Simply select 'Niseko – Annupuri' from the 'Resort' dropdown list.
Ski Resorts
Annupuri Ski Resort
Annupuri is typically one of the quietest of the four Niseko United ski resorts with shorter lift lines than Hirafu.
It is well suited towards beginners as the bottom half of the Annupuri ski area is mostly beginner terrain and towards powderhounds with its two backcountry gates. For more information on each gate, check out the HPG Gate Guide.
Annupuri can be skied with its own lift pass or as part of the combined Niseko United All Mountain pass.
Moiwa Ski Resort
Moiwa is a small resort with just three lifts and 470m of vertical but is a great option for those seeking off piste terrain.
With a mixture of in bounds tree lined bowls and a gate accessing three additional sidecountry bowls, all of which link back to the chairlifts at the bottom, Moiwa is excellent for powder lovers and tends to be quieter than Annupuri.
Moiwa can be skied using a Moiwa lift pass only and is not included within the Niseko United All Mountain pass.
Transferring between Annupuri and Moiwa Ski Resorts
From Annupuri, skiers can access Moiwa via a connecting train branching off from the Junior green run.
Whilst there is no on piste connection from Moiwa to Annupuri, off piste skiers can head out of the Moiwa ski resort through the gate and ski over to the Annupuri ski lifts. The route is best shown by a guide or at least scoped out on a day with clear visibility.
Dining & Nightlife
Annupuri village offers a handful of local eateries at Annupuri Ski Ground Entrance in the central village area and within the ski in / ski out hotels. Rakuichi Soba is an absolute gem with diners making the trip over from Hirafu just to eat there.
Over at Moiwa village, the slopeside lodges have eateries on site, including the Matsuri Izakaya and Raphael restaurant and bar with the nearby Hotel Kanronomori and One Niseko Towers both offer in house dining.
Neither Annupuri or Moiwa vilages offer too much in the way of vibrant nightlife with the pace of life being pretty different from the lively Hirafu village. Find out more >
Onsen
The Annupuri area is the richest source of geothermal waters in the area and some of the best onsen in Niseko can be found here.
Coming straight off the mountain, the Niseko Northern Hotel and Ikoi no Yuyado Iroha hotel offer fantastic outdoor rock pools surrounding by trees at the base of the Annupuri ski resort.
The Yugokoro-tei onsen close to the Annupuri Ski Ground Entrance is a perennial favourite for visitors staying at Annupuri, Moiwa & Konbu Onsen.
Located past the turn-off to the Moiwa ski resort, Hotel Kanronomori and One Niseko Towers both offer outdoor and indoor baths.
Famous for mixed-gender bathing in its stunning Garden Rotenburo outdoor natural & open onsen bath complex, the Niseko Grand Hotel onsen, located in Konbu Onsen, is one of the very best in Niseko. Find out more >
