Rusutsu, Hokkaido
If hitting the slopes is the priority above all else, Rusutsu is the place to be. With over 500 acres of skiable terrain spread over 3 peaks plus physical connection to the conical Mt. Shiribetsu, which is a favorite for backcountry skinners as well as the destination for Hokkaido’s only heli-skiing operation (based at Rusutsu), Rusutsu offers some of the best terrain anywhere. On the leeward side of Mt. Yotei, Rusutsu receives only slightly less snow than Niseko; with the upside that the lifts are often operating when the more famous resort to the west is being buffeted by the storm fronts sweeping over from Siberia. Locals know that Rusutsu is the place to go to both avoid the crowds of that Niseko’s large bed base enables and where to seek fresh tracks among the best tree skiing to be found.
Rusutsu has fantastic lift-serviced terrain, including more of the steeps and mogul runs that are underrepresented in Niseko. The lift operation is also more sensible and integrated thanks to single ownership by Kamori Kanko, a company which in the late 1980s soared across the Pacific to purchase iconic resorts including Steamboat (the logo of which adorns one mid-mountain restaurant) and Heavenly at Lake Tahoe, as well as Tignes in France. All the overseas ski resorts were sold as Japanese companies realized they were overextended financially in the 1990s, but some of the operational knowledge picked up overseas is evident in Rusutsu’s operations. Kamori Kanko also operates Sapporo’s premier local mountain, Teine, as well as a few other smaller local lift operations.
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Snow
Quality: Rusutsu benefits from its northern location due east of Siberia at a relatively narrow part of the Sea of Japan in the shadow of the iconic Mt. Yotei, where low moisture snow dust of remarkably consistent quality, out champagning Colorado at close to sea level, coats the triumvirate of Rusutsu, Niseko and Kiroro (as well as a number of smaller operations in the area).
Quantity: Averaging 12 meters (over 420 inches) of annual snowfall, Rusutsu holds its own in the world of powderhounds.
Ski School
Rusutsu has its own international ski school. Facilities are less elaborate than those found at either Niseko or Kiroro, but its increasingly international customer base is pushing the mountain to keep its mix of instructors relevantly multi-lingual.
Rental / Retail
Rental and retail options at the resort are limited to shops in the hotels and one independent shop along Route 230. Equipment selections are modern and up to date enough to cover basic needs, but variety is limited.
General Dining
Dining is primarily limited to what is offered in the hotels. There is decent variety, with a few Japanese outlets offering buffets, pub food, sushi and teppanyaki as well as a few international greatest hits (Chinese, French and Italian). The selection is enough to stay sufficiently and satisfactorily fed, even if you are not writing postcards home about the experience.<br><br>
The restaurants at Rusutsu resort are designed to do the job satisfactorily. For special nights out, a 20 minute drive to the next town of Makkari hosts Michelin-starred Chef Hiroshi Nakamichi’s Makkarina, a degustation menu driven pastoral retreat as well as Ishimame, considered one of the best soba restaurants in the country. A 30 minute drive due south from Rusutsu is Lake Toya where the massive Windsor Hotel sits on the caldera rim above one of the most scenic bodies of water in Japan and in which sits the 3-Michelin Star Michel Bras restaurant. One of France’s most famous chefs established this outlet at the height of Japan’s bubble economy and it continues to serve elaborate courses in grand style. A 45 minute drive across the Mt. Yotei valley opens the plethora of choices around the Niseko resort area.
Lodging Options
With only two hotels at Rusutsu’s base (plus some smaller guest houses), the choice ranges from mid-market to moderate luxury. The Westin Rusutsu hotel at the base of East Mountain is filled with maisonette duplexes which are ideal for small families or couples looking for ample space to relax. The Rusutsu Resort Hotel and Convention Center across Route 230 has been recently renovated and offers more traditional hotel rooms. The two sides of the resort are connected by both a gondola and a door-to-door driverless monorail running between the hotels. In December, 2020, the luxury condo-hotel, Vale Rusutsu, is scheduled to open, bringing in Rusutsu’s first foray into the lodging model expansively led by Niseko.
Air Access
The closest airport to Rusutsu is Shin-Chitose Airport (Sapporo), with most visitors transferring to the resort by hired car or coach bus. The trip time will be about 1.5 hours depending on weather and traffic.
Cultural Experience
The Rusutsu ski resort is set in a small, quiet agricultural town famous for its high quality pork. Outside the resort, there is not much to explore culturally. A scenic onsen town is only 20 minutes drive away on the dramatic volcanic caldera Lake Toya with a few interesting sites including a volcanic museum and a cable car up active volcano Mt. Usu next to Showa Shinzan, a steaming volcanic cone which emerged from a rice field in the 1970s. There are a few hot spring hotels with baths overlooking the lake and more than a few scenic photo opportunities.
Family / Kids
Outside the basic ski facilities, including ski school, family activities are limited to an impressive light display in the evenings, a small merry-go-round in lobby of the Rusutsu Resort Hotel and Convention Center and a 4D theater. The dormant (active in summer) roller coaster rails suggests that Rusutsu is a rare example of amusement park meets ski area, but the great skiing is not matched by the modest rides.