The 2010-11 ski season ran 165 days, Nov. 29 to May 12, and many days saw fresh snow fall. 

Niseko was coined the “St. Moritz of the Orient” by insiders in the 1960s, but the area still remained seriously under the radar until the ’90s, when it became the preferred playground for Australian snowboarders tipped off to the powder. Now, despite avid interest from well-heeled Asian skiers who arrive from places like Singapore and Hong Kong at Hokkaido’s new international airport, New Chitose, there are no waits for lifts even during holidays, and the resorts remain authentically Japanese.

IF YOU GO

GETTING THERE

The closest airport is the New Chitose airport outside Sapporo. From there, your hotel can arrange a bus or private transfer, taking around two and a half hours to reach Hirafu, or you can book your own at skybus.co.jp/en/. Taxis and shuttles are plentiful for getting around the village.

WHERE TO STAY

The Greenleaf Niseko Village (81-136 44-3311; thegreenleafhotel.com) doubles with breakfast start at 10,150 yen a person ($135 at 75 yen to the dollar). At Suiboku (81-136-21-5020; suibokuhirafu.com), a two-bedroom condo starts at 75,000 yen a day.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO

Most condos and hotels have ski and snowboard rental (at the Greenleaf, for example, it costs about 2,250 yen a day for poles, skis and boots). Ski schools like Niseko Village Ski School and Niseko Adventure Center (nac-web.com) offer individual lessons for less than 750 yen.

The culinary scene is one of the town’s main draws but you’ll have to book early to get into the top spots. At Ezo Seafoods (81-136-22-3019; ezoseafoods.com), be sure to try the Hokkaido fresh oysters. For small plates and yakitori style (food on skewers) try Bang Bang (81-136-22-4292) and A-bu-cha (81-136-22-5620). And don’t miss J-Sekka (81-136-21-5022). The complex gives you a full education in the island’s local and seasonal produce. There are also rooms from 10,500 yen a night. Kamimura offers 5- and 10-course tasting menus (81-136-21-2288; kamimura-niseko.com).

You can relax tired muscles at the onsen. Some hotels, like the Greenleaf, have their own, or you can try the Yukoro Onsen in the middle of Hirafu village, small but atmospheric. And after detoxing, retox at Gyu (gyubar.com/Home.html), with its great cocktail list, as well as whiskeys and local wines.

Check out JAPANTWO Blog » 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa for some beautiful pictures of the interesting features in the museum.

■”The Swimming Pool” by Leandro

■”The man who measures the clouds”

■Citizen’s Gallery

■Peter McDonald: Visitors – Disco

■Peter McDonald: Visitors – Salon

■Museum Shop

■Museum Exterior with various art installations

Get around and stay over a night for 10,000 yen. It all depends on how you travel.

You may think it will cost a lot to stay at a ryokan (Japanese style inn) in Kyoto and have a good tofu dish. But it all depends on how you travel. If you get around in the way introduced below, you will be able to fully enjoy Kyoto in winter while saving money.

City Bus All-day Pass

The all-day pass can be purchased at kiosks in the subway stations. But it will be more convenient for you to buy it at the Kyoto tourist information center at the same time you get leaflets and other information as the services are available in English, Chinese and Korean there.

City Bus

Adults 500 yen, Children 250 yen

• http://www.city.kyoto.jp/koho/eng/access/transport.html
• Kyoto Visitor’s Information Center (Information of Kyoto Station Building / Japanese)

Transportation

Ryokan

Accommodation

Urasenke – Experience the Japanese tea ceremony

Lunch at Nishiki Market, the mecca of food in Kyoto

World Heritage “Kiyomizudera Temple”

A stroll on Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka after visiting Kiyomizudera Temple

Kodaiji Temple that has a beautiful garden

A stroll on Shijodori Street to Keihan Shijo

A visit to the Museum of Kyoto where the visitors can easily understand the history of Kyoto

Kyoto is known for tofu. Have lots of tofu for dinner.

Related articles

• Kyoto Winter Special
• Kyoto Gion Tempura Yasaka Endo

Few drinks offer the variety of flavors and distinctive cultural practices as tea. Here are the best ways to ingest this ancient beverage

Humanity’s obsession with tea all started in 2737 BC when, according to legend, tea leaves blew into Chinese Emperor Shen Nung’s cup of hot water.

Now, tea has morphed from that fortuitous, bitter brew into a designed beverage of a thousand forms.

Here are some of the best places to drink it.

4. Japan

Unique to the land of sumo wrestlers, geishas and sushi, is the highly prized matcha tea. Grown slowly in the shade to give it its bright green color, matcha is then laboriously ground by hand into a fine powder.

Water which has boiled and cooled is poured over the powder and mixed into a frothy and bright green drink. Sometimes sweets accompany the tea and much bowing, kneeling, hand gesturing, and eye diverting are part of the traditional tea ceremonies, although most tea houses allow for a more relaxed mode of sipping.

Take tea with a monk at Chosho-ji, a Buddhist temple in the Chiba prefecture dating back to the 13th century. It’s about 10 minutes’ walk from Itako train station; overnight stays can also be arranged.

12-17 Zaimokuza 2-chome,Kamakura, Kanagawa 248-0013, Japan

Food map: Eat your way around Japan | CNNGo.com By Kelly Wetherille

From Hokkaido to Okinawa, CNNGo charts the best of Japan’s unique regional cuisine with its interactive map.

Two new hotels aim to attract travelers with deep pockets to Japans southern islands

Snow, fire, costumes, street food and subsidized entertainment at some of Korea’s showiest annual events

New Year (Seollal) Festival

Taebaek Mountain Snow Festival

Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival

Hi Seoul Festival 2012

Lotus Lantern Festival

One top tourist draw for every month of the new year

1. January: Lashings of good luck

2. February: Ultra-cool ice sculptures

3. March: Thousand-year-old religious ceremonies

4. April: Eat, drink and be (very) merry

5. May: Scale the world’s highest tower

6. June: Torchlit theater

7. July: Climb the country’s highest peak early

8. August: Festival of lights in Tohoku

9. September: Get your game on

10. October: F1 — blink and you’ll miss it

11. November: It’s in the trees

12. December: Pure, white powder

The famous dish in Fukui, known as the Echizen grated radish soba, came into Fukui 400 years ago. Chewy soba noodles and radish with bold spice to it are this dishes feature characteristics.

■Oshozu
Address： Fukui prefecture Ono city, Izumicho 3-8
Access： 15 minute walk from Ono station
時間：10:30-14:00,17:30-23:00
Holiday：Wednesday

URL：http://www.meisui-teuchisoba-oshozu.com/index.html

At Oshozu, the soba is made with famous water which is located nearby the store, making this soba unique. Its strong spicy taste along with the spicy radish and its slightly sweet soup go perfectly together.

Also, enjoy Fukui’s famous deep fried grated soy sauce Katsu bowl. Placed on top of the Katsu is rich amount of grated radish and its special soy sauce is poured overtop it all. 

When the winter chill sends the thermostat below the freezing point, nothing thaws your bones like a warm, comforting bowl of soup

Dongtae jjigae (동태찌개), Pollock stew

연지 얼큰동태국 (Yeonji Ulkeundongtaeguk) 120-7 Jongro-5, Jongro-gu (종로구 종로5가 120-7);  +82 2 763 9397; open Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; ₩20,000

Samgyetang (삼계탕), Chicken soup

Hosu Samgytang (호수 삼계탕) 342-325 Shingil-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu (영등포구 신길동 342-325) +82 02 848 2440; open daily, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.;  ₩12,000

Tteokguk (떡국), Rice cake soup

춘보식당 571-30 Gongneung 1-dong, Nowon-gu (노원구 공릉1동 571-30) +82 02 975 2407; open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m.; ₩7,000

Uhmook tang (어묵탕), Fish cake soup

Gomtang (곰탕), Oxtail soup

Hadongkwan (하동관), Jung-gu Myeong-dong 1-ga 10-4 (중구 명동1가 10-4); +82 2 776 5656; 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; closed first and third Sunday of every month; www.hadongkwan.com

Seolleongtang (설렁탕), Brisket soup

모래내설농탕 415-6 Hongeun-dong, Seodaemun-gu (서대문구 홍은동 415-6) +82 02 304 0311; open 24 hours; ₩8,000

Galbitang (갈비탕), Beef ribs soup

버드나무집 (Budnamu Jip), 1340-5 Seocho 2-dong, Seocho-gu (서초구 서초2동 1340-5) +82 2 3473 4167;  ₩16,500