Niseko isa town in the Abuta District of Hokkaido but the name is widely used for a group of 7 ski resorts in the surrounding area. With its consistently high level of snowfall, Niseko has recently been voted one of the world’s top 10 ski resorts and is regarded as one of the best ski resorts in Japan.

Of the seven ski areas, the 4 main resorts of Hirafu, Higashiyama, Annupuri and Hanazono are known as the Niseko United. These resorts are interconnected and between them cover 2191 acres of terrain.

The most developed resort is Hirafu with hotels, bars, restaurants as well as some small family-run pensions which offer a relatively inexpensive skiing break.