Shopping
The shopping at Niseko is fabulous. If you want to buy the latest Hello Kitty accessory you definitely won’t be disappointed!
More importantly, Niseko is pretty much the only ski resort in Japan where there is a large range of shops for ski and snowboard gear. Perhaps you want to buy some powder skis or a longer snowboard? The Niseko powder is like ego snow, but ride on the right gear and you’ll feel like a complete legend.
Niseko Ski Shops / Snowboard Shops
If you’ve arrived in Niseko unprepared for the freezing cold, there are lots of ski-osks that sell ski and board accessories. These are dotted across the four ski areas, some of them in the cafeteria restaurants. You can pick up a new beanie to wear under your helmet, a neck warmer or a face protector. They also sell glove liners to keep your fingers warm and toasty, and an array of other useful items. The only accessories skiers may have difficulty finding are powder straps or powder ribbons. Those skiing off-piste or out-of-bounds should BYO, or you could spend a lot of time looking for lost skis.
For more substantial purchases such as a new ski outfit or a new pair of fat skis, try
Inski which is conveniently located in Hirafu Niseko near Seicomart. The retail arm of the business mainly focuses on ski equipment and quality ski clothing, with brands such as Spyder and SOS. Inski also sells lots of ski and snowboard accessories.
Rhythm Snowsports is another large shop with a great range of gear and equipment. They have lots of ski and snowboard hardwear with a particular focus on ski boot fitting. Rhythm also sells lots of snowboard outerwear.
Niseko 343 has a new location in a little back street of the lower village of Hirafu. It’s only a small shop but it stocks quality gear with outerwear from brands such as SOS, Peak Performance and Spyder.
Kutchan has two ski/snowboard shops that have a large range and are slightly cheaper. It might be difficult to find a staff member who speaks fluent English, so if you don’t speak Japanese you’ll need to know exactly what you want as you may not be able to ask intricate questions about the latest in boot or ski technology.
Niseko Souvenir Shopping
There are lots of souvenir shops in Hirafu selling t-shirts, stickers, all things Japanese kitsch, and plenty of food “souvenirs”. You probably won’t get the crab meat or dried fish pieces past quarantine, but you’ll find some little trinkets to take home for the family.
In Kutchan there are some shops in the main street selling souvenirs and Japanese kitchenware.
Niseko Grocery Shopping
There are three convenience stores in Hirafu that sell alcohol, snacks and basic groceries. The Seicomart (aka Pyschomart) is well known due its location not far from the main intersection. It sells food products such as eggs, milk, bread, cereal, limited fruit and vegies, and an amazing assortment of snacks. Unfortunately it often has large queues at the checkout.
Just a little further down the road is Lawson’s convenience store. The grocery range is a little more limited but there are no queues.
Large supermarkets can be found in the town of Kutchan, a taxi or bus ride away. Both MaxValu and Co-op have a huge range of groceries at very reasonable prices.
Like elsewhere in Hokkaido, the alcohol is super cheap regardless of whether you want beer, sake, spirits or the fantastic alcopops, Chu-His. There’s probably no need to buy duty free alcohol.
Niseko Ski & Snowboard Shop Listings
 |
Inski Niseko
The Inski shop, conveniently located in Hirafu, has a focus on ski equipment & quality ski clothing & accessories. This could be a great place to pick up a new outfit from SOS or Spyder.
|
<add your business here>