Have you ever wanted to stay in an award-winning house ? Hiyoku House will fulfil your dream. Set on the outskirts of Niseko Village, amongst the trees, the stylish Japanese designed house boasts generous volumes, smart facilities, Japanese traditional baths, a gourmet kitchen and amazing views onto surrounding nature and Mount Yotei.
We spent a family Christmas there, and we loved every second of it ! Want to follow our steps, keep reading !
We encountered a lot of soft powdery snow during our stay, but the owners told us that due to its geographic set up, Niseko consistency receives snow, nearly every day during the winter month. So it was a guaranteed-snow stay ! The design of the house really blends into the surrounding trees, and there is only peace and serenity around...
This atmosphere was perfect for us. We stayed in Hiyoku house for a week over Christmas. It was really magical to spend the holiday season there.
We dressed up a Christmas tree in the living room, lighted up a fire in the chimney, there was plenty of wood for us to use.
That created a really warm and festive ambiance.
As soon as we entered we encountered the ingenious ski room, where we offloaded our heavy coats and wet boots !
Less than 10 min away from the house are some great ski shops, where staff speak very good English and cater high quality gear. In the afternoon after our adventures on the slopes we would just store our stuff in the ski room !
When we were indoor we spent most of time with the family in the large living room. It's really bright, boasts a generous volume and has incredible views over the most revered mountain of the area, Mount Yotei. The overall interior design is Japanese minimalist, and for me it's was the kind of relaxing, serene atmosphere we all needed to relax and unplug from our busy, hectic life. We particularly enjoy the open plan kitchen, that allowed all of us to interact while preparing food, when having breakfast at our own respective paces... And you can see that the owner are food lovers because the kitchen has been fitted with every thing you need to prepare both Japanese and European style food.
At the bottom of the plot where Hiyoku seats is a shallow river, and we had a lot of fun, and good work-out, snowshoeing on its shore. Within our family we have different level of expertise on skis, and in Niseko we found fun for all of us. The kids went snowboarding all day long, hubby and its brother played experts off-piste and I kept on progressing at my beginner level. For me the snow was great becuse it was so powdery that I felt a better control of my skis, and so soft that I wasn't afraid to fall. Of course, you enjoy Japanese quality infrastructure and service, so all is well organised with a careful and detailed oriented service. For lunch or apres-ski, we warmed up ourselves with ramen soups and japanese curries, so yummy !
We had a lot of fun and pleasure around the kitchen. Who would have thought that celebrating Christmas over sashimi would be so precious ! But of course in Japan you find the freshest sea foods, and we got crazy for the flavourful sea urchin and scallops. The Hokkaido area is also famous for its dairy products, and we indulged in some sweet delicacies. It the village nearby there is a super nice wine cellar where we found a lovely selection of independent vineyards bottles, some French cheeses and pates.
We enjoyed also the local dining scene, offering simple tasteful local meals, and also the more cosmopolitan, jet-set atmosphere of the Hirafu resort nearby.
The kids enjoyed the stay so much ! They spent nice evening in the media room, in the tatami room, and relished the private "pods"set in the smart kids room. Shower time was also great fun, thanks to the Japanese bath, so beautiful and spectacular with the commanding views over Mount Yotei.
So, in a nutshell, a fabulous stay at Hiyoku House ! Niseko is a very central spot to explore the southern side of the Hokkaido Island. The region is spectacular in spring and autumn, when flowers blow or trees red their leaves. In summer the region enjoys a balmy climate, particularly enjoyable for guest escaping the Asian monsoon or the too hot European summers.
Interested in staying in Hiyoku ? You can contact us to help organise your trip, stay and activities to Hiyoku House, or you can also book it directly here.
#japan #niseko #luxuryhouse #snow #skiresort #sashimi #gourmet #lifestyle #christmas #mountain #luxuriouslifestyle #travel #winterfun #familyholidays #design #interiordesign #minimalist #minimalistluxury #shabushabu #seafood #seaurchin #snowboard #hikes #finedining #foodie