NISEKO Village, YTL Hotels’ integrated all-season ski resort located in Hokkaido, is undergoing major upgrading works to include two new modern ski lifts, a 1.2km ski run and improved connectivity within the premises by December.
The Village Express will be an 830m long high-speed detachable lift. This will be the first gondola and chair mixed lift in Japan, comprising six-seater chairs and eight-seater gondolas on the same line.
The other new lift at the resort is the Upper Village Gondola, a pulsed gondola that stretches 300m. It will allow guests from Kasara Niseko Village Townhouse and The Green Leaf Niseko Village properties to access a beginner ski area on the mountainside that will also undergo enhancements in time for the 2016/17 winter season.
Guests also get greater access to shopping, entertainment and dining outlets via Village Express’ new mid-point station, which the Upper Village Gondola will also connect to through the top station of the Village Express route.
From the top station down to the base, a completely new 1.2km ski run will be created. The course will start midway down the existing Shaky Knees course with a turn to the skiers’ right, running from The Green Leaf Niseko Village and Kasara Niseko Village Townhouse down the fall line of the mountain.
It continues alongside the central village retail and dining area, traversing a ski-over bridge across the road that accesses Hilton Niseko Village with no impact to the current road system.
As well, two magic carpet surface lifts will be constructed between the Village Express lift base and the Niseko Kids beginners area to create a learning area for new skiers.
The new lift infrastructure will run throughout the year. From 2017 onwards, Pure, a nature and adventure park, will be open to guests during the summer period.
