What are the mountain slopes like? How does it compare to Niseko (a different ski town in Japan)?
- If you’re looking for that famous Hokkaido powder, it’s easier to find here at Rusutsu than in Niseko. There’s a lot more tree areas to explore, and Victor describes it as “all you can eat (i.e. plow your snowboard through)”. Also look for fresh powder under the lifts, as usual. These areas are all roped off so technically off limits, but so many people ski them, and no one stops you. We believe the ropes mean: beginners don’t go, but confident folks, you may go at your own risk.
- The equipment and everything is more dated than Niseko’s. For example, the gondolas feel older and startle you with a loud bump when it enters and exits the station. Not that it takes away from the skiing experience; it’s just less modern is all.
- There are less flat areas for snowboarders to suffer through, compared to Niseko.
- Black diamonds are generously called that. These blacks are very doable compared to the ones in the U.S.
- The east side is smaller, not sure if the trail map is proportional, but there wasn’t much to be found there. All the best powder is on the west side.
- Lodge food was reasonably priced, $10 for a beef curry, a few bucks more for other options like omelette rice or tonkatsu curry.
- Overall, this resort can be summarized as homey, not too modern, amazing powder. There won’t be alcohol in your cabins or bougie lunch items. But for the purists that just want good powder for good value above all else, this is the place to be.
- Trail Map & Mountain Info: https://www.hokkaido-rusutsu.com/en-gb/mountains?page_id=263167
- Lift Status: http://rusutsu.jp/open-winter-en/
How many days should I spend here?
Rusutsu is smaller than Niseko. Maybe 2 days would be enough to explore the mountain. It’s easy to get around as there are only 3 summits.
Lodging – Rusutsu Resort Hotel
- The Rusutsu Resort is sort of this sprawling connected complex, sort of reminiscent of Vegas. It has a few shops, a convenience store, restaurants, a food court, onsens, and some random stuff like.. a carousel.
- Within this resort, we chose to stay at the Rusutsu Resort Hotel. Another option I know of would be the Westin, which is connected to the resort via a 5min tram ride.
- Having just come from the Hilton Niseko, the Rusutsu Resort Hotel felt more dated. But although it’s not very modern feeling, it was just as comfortable and clean.
https://www.hokkaido-rusutsu.com/en-gb
Lift Tickets
- Various ticket types available: 1 day, multi-day, 4 hr, 6 hr, point system (to spend on chairlifts), etc., and it’s also part of the epic pass
- Where to buy: there is a ticket counter located within the resort on the first level. This is where we bought ours. The counter opened at 8:15am
- The 4 and 6 hour passes can only be bought on the day of use. But once you have the physical ski pass, you can reload it online. The hours start counting when you pass the first gate.
https://www.hokkaido-rusutsu.com/en-gb/mountains/lift?page_id=263172
Gear Rentals
- You can reserve ahead online, but we went in person. Just fill out a form, pay at the counter, and staff will assist you from there.
- There are 2 places in the Rusutsu hotel: Highland Lodge and North Wing. One is right by the Rusutsu Resort lobby but only the other one had powder boards. The Westin also has rentals.
- A ski locker located by rentals is included in your stay.
- Options for length of time are 5 hours, one day, or multi-days. We asked to rent the night prior so we could get started early the next day, and they accommodated us with no extra charge.
- Snowboard boot sizes did not fit either Victor or me too well. It seemed like they only had sizes in 1cm increments as opposed to 0.5cm. Also we saw boots with the boa locking mechanism, but they didn’t have those boots in our size. Ours were the pull then flip a switch to lock mechanism, which I thought was fine, but Victor sorely missed having boas, lol.
https://www.hokkaido-rusutsu.com/en-gb/mountains/rental?page_id=316324
Some food options we tried, all located within the sprawling complex
- Sekkatei, a restaurant serving local cuisine. This Japanese bar was real legit, came out to like 35/person so reasonably priced too. 30min wait. They have a ton of things there and our favorite was the beef soup. You can choose to go really upscale and do the A5 wagyu one or just choose a more ordinary one. Definitely worth the wait and would look forward to coming back here.
- Food court. Can get a Japanese dinner for like $9-13: ramen, soba, curry type of food. Order via machines that take cash and print a paper, which you present to the staff behind the counter. Yummy food for great value.
- Breakfast was set menu. $30. Not bad, not great.
- Convenience store. Buy some ramen and snacks here lol.
https://www.hokkaido-rusutsu.com/en-gb/restaurants/restaurant
Food from mountain lodge Food at Sekkatei
Onsen
- There are 3 options
- Public Bath – The Westin Rusutsu Resort
- It’s nice and feels very new. I heard it was renovated not long ago.
- Main features: Indoor pool, outdoor pool, dry sauna, cold bath, and a tub that emits aroma air bubbles
- To access this onsen while staying at other lodging within the resort (e.g. the Rusutsu Resort Hotel like we were), request a key card at the Westin front desk. There’s no admission fee.
- From the Rusutsu Resort Hotel, there’s a tram to get to/from the Westin that runs every 20min. It can be more of a hassle since lines for the tram are outdoors.
- Hot Spring Kotobuki – North Wing of Rusutsu Resort Hotel
- It’s pretty new. I didn’t go in this one, but Victor did. He says it’s just as nice as the one at Westin. The biggest difference that came to mind is that it has a cave bath.
- Given that you wouldn’t have to tram to Westin, this sounds like a great option for guests in the Rusutsu Resort Hotel.
- No admission fee for guests
- Public Bath – South Wing of Rusutsu Resort Hotel
- I took a quick peek inside, and it looks more dated. Probably the original onsen before the new Kotobuki one was added.
- No admission fee for guests
https://www.hokkaido-rusutsu.com/en-gb/hotel-facilities/public-bath?page_id=2790569
Comparing onsens – personal opinions
- I experienced two: the Hilton Niseko (in a different ski town) and the Westin Rusutsu
- Comparing features, the Westin Rusutsu had more, with an additional dry sauna, cold bath, and aroma bubble tub. Both places had indoor/outdoor tubs.
- The Westin Rusutsu felt more commercialized than Hilton Niseko. It feels luxurious, aligning with what you’d expect from a high-end hotel brand. The Hilton Niseko has slightly more of a local feel. For example, the outdoor bath faces an idyllic pond surrounded by trees, for you to contemplate life as the snow gently falls, like they do in anime. In the ladies’ onsen in the Westin, you just see a nice wall that mostly obscures the slopes. I heard on the guy’s side you can see the slopes though.
- I loved the products in Hilton, i.e. the shampoo, moisture milk, and such, more so than Westin.
How to get from Niseko to Rusutsu
Bus! We reserved via the concierge at Hilton. It’s 1200 yen/person (~$12). Pay cash on the bus.
How to get from Rusutsu to the nearby city of Sapporo
Bus! There’s one time slot that’s free, which leaves at 5pm.