> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.nipponstays.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Hokkaido Ski New Year Stay: What a Japanese Shogatsu Resort Week Is Like - URL: https://www.nipponstays.com/hokkaido-ski-resort-new-year-stay/ - Published: 2026-07-23T00:04:22.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-19T03:44:41.000Z - Description: Hokkaido ski New Year stay: Rusutsu (Westin, powder, NYE fireworks) or Tomamu (wave pool, Ice Village) — what Shogatsu week is really like. - Author: Hideaki - Tags: Rusutsu, Seasonal Guide, #2027-11-rusutsu-tomamu-01, Ski & Snow A **Hokkaido ski New Year stay** means waking up to fresh powder on January 1 while lifts run and the rest of Japan watches the sunrise from a temple. The two strongest choices are [The Westin Rusutsu Resort](https://www.trip.com/hotels/rusutsu-hotel-detail-5297217/the-westin-rusutsu-resort/?Allianceid=9711325&SID=327049682&trip%5Fsub1=hokkaido-ski-resort-new-year-stay&trip%5Fsub3=D19118920&ref=nipponstays.com) — a Marriott Bonvoy ski-in/ski-out base that ran New Year's Eve fireworks and a koto concert series in the 2025–26 season (re-check the current calendar at rusutsu.com/en/events, posted each October) — and [Tomamu The Tower](https://www.trip.com/hotels/shimukappu-hotel-detail-1572567/hoshino-resorts-tomamu-the-tower/?Allianceid=9711325&SID=327049682&trip%5Fsub1=hokkaido-ski-resort-new-year-stay&trip%5Fsub3=D19118563&ref=nipponstays.com), part of Hoshino Resorts, where the Mina-Mina Beach indoor wave pool and Ice Village run through the holiday week. Both resorts run peak rates Dec 27–Jan 5; New Year's Eve rooms sell out before November. Powder and Marriott points: Rusutsu. All-in-one family resort with train access: Tomamu. ## What a Shogatsu stay at a Hokkaido ski resort is like Japanese New Year at a ski resort is not quiet. The Dec 31–Jan 3 window draws domestic families, international visitors, and skiers who treat Oshogatsu — Japan's most important holiday season — as a week off with powder as a bonus. Lifts slow slightly because more beginners are out, restaurants fill by noon, and evenings in the resort hotels feel genuinely festive. For foreign visitors, the key wrinkle is timing. Japanese domestic travelers book months earlier than the typical inbound tourist. Waiting until October to search Dec 31 availability often means sold-out dates or rack-rate rooms. The table below compares both options before we go deeper. | Resort base | New Year highlight | Price range | Best for | | ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------- | | The Westin Rusutsu | NYE fireworks + countdown party + koto concert Jan 1–3 (confirmed 2025–26; verify current season) | from ¥50,000/room/night (ski season); New Year priced per person, room-only — \~¥360,000/night for a room of 3 firsthand (≈¥120,000 pp) — verify | Marriott Bonvoy members, powder-focused skiers, ski-in families | | Tomamu The Tower | Ice Village (free for guests) + apres-ski events; check snowtomamu.jp for current season | from ¥25,000/room/night (shoulder); New Year peak illustrative \~¥35,000 — verify current rates | Families wanting a warm indoor base, train-first travelers | Of the two resorts covered in this article, both run confirmed winter indoor activities through New Year (checked July 2026): Rusutsu's indoor wave pool and carousel operate year-round, and Tomamu's Ice Village and Mina-Mina Beach wave pool run through mid-March. *Price anchors in tables above are illustrative for context; New Year rates vary sharply — verify current rates before booking.* ## Festive touches to expect — mochitsuki and New Year events Hokkaido ski resorts lean into Shogatsu atmosphere, but specific events change each season. Never assume a program is running until you check the current-season calendar. In the 2025–26 season Rusutsu ran the following — check the current calendar at rusutsu.com/en/events (posted each October) for your dates: - **New Year's Eve Fireworks:** Over 1,200 fireworks on Dec 31, synchronized with music. Free for overnight and day guests. Viewable via monorail from The Westin. - **Countdown Party at The Westin Atrium:** Dec 31, 23:30–24:15\. Live jazz, candlelight ceremony, midnight countdown. Food-and-drink tickets sold separately. - **New Year Koto Concert:** Jan 1–3 at Rusutsu Resort Hotel & Convention. Multiple 30-min performances each day, free to attend. - **Tsugaru Shamisen by SHIONE:** Traditional shamisen performances alongside the koto series. Mochitsuki (rice-cake pounding) was not confirmed on Rusutsu's 2025–26 calendar. At Tomamu, the 2025–26 season confirmed the Ice Village (Dec 10–Mar 14, free for guests) and an apres-ski evening program through spring. Mochitsuki was not listed at Tomamu either — check snowtomamu.jp/winter/en/activity for your season once the new calendar posts in October. ## Rusutsu over New Year: Westin, powder, family setup The Westin Rusutsu Resort is one of the very few Marriott Bonvoy ski-in/ski-out hotels in Japan, sitting at the base of a three-mountain ski area. Bonvoy members get two children's breakfasts included when staying with parents and a 10% dining discount (book via Marriott.com; exclusions apply — confirmed July 2026). (The other Bonvoy ski-in/ski-out options in Hokkaido are Higashiyama Niseko Village, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, and Moxy Niseko Village, which opens in September 2026\. Kiroro's slope-side hotels are Club Med now and no longer Bonvoy — see our [where to stay in Kiroro](https://www.nipponstays.com/where-to-stay-in-kiroro/).) Ski-season rates start from ¥50,000 per room per night, but over New Year the Westin is charged per person (room-only): our New Year room for three came to about ¥360,000 for the night (roughly ¥120,000 per person, tax and service included), so budget accordingly and verify your exact dates. For more on [staying in Rusutsu](https://www.nipponstays.com/where-to-stay-in-rusutsu/), including the Rusutsu Resort Hotel & Convention next door, see our full area guide. Over New Year, expect busy check-in: our Dec 31–Jan 2 arrival took over 30 minutes. Drop bags early and head to the slopes. Standard/luxury rooms (3F–9F, renovated 2024–2025) are well-finished. Executive floors (11F–15F) were still in renovation through late 2026; most should be updated for bookings beyond that window. Lift tickets reward pre-planning. The online 1-day adult ticket is ¥12,000 vs. ¥16,200 at the counter — a ¥4,200 saving. For multi-day stays, the 25-hour ticket (¥33,100 online / ¥34,700 counter) runs on a tap-in/tap-out system — the clock counts only while you're on a lift, and you can split it across days. Over a 3-night New Year stay the math tips in favour of the 25-hour pass at around day 3 (3 × ¥12,000 = ¥36,000 vs ¥33,100). See our [full lift-ticket guide](https://www.nipponstays.com/rusutsu-lift-tickets-25-hour/) for the per-day breakdown. Family note: the indoor wave pool and world's-largest 2-story indoor carousel both run in winter. The outdoor amusement park closes December through late April — if you're expecting outdoor rides over New Year, they won't be running. ## Tomamu over New Year: Hoshino resort, wave pool, the cold Hoshino Resorts TOMAMU is a self-contained resort in Shimukappu village, about 130 km southeast of Sapporo. Two hotels share the mountain: [Tomamu The Tower](https://www.trip.com/hotels/shimukappu-hotel-detail-1572567/hoshino-resorts-tomamu-the-tower/?Allianceid=9711325&SID=327049682&trip%5Fsub1=hokkaido-ski-resort-new-year-stay&trip%5Fsub3=D19118563&ref=nipponstays.com) (family-friendly, walkable to dining, older building, from ¥25,000 per room per night in low season — New Year rates are substantially higher, verify on hoshinoresorts.com) and RISONARE Tomamu (all-suite 100 m²+, quieter, shuttle to restaurants — expect roughly double The Tower's rate; verify current winter prices). For a full comparison, see [our Tomamu where-to-stay guide](https://www.nipponstays.com/where-to-stay-in-tomamu/). I stayed at The Tower over New Year. The building is older than the Westin — functional, but the rooms feel it. RISONARE's suites are noticeably more comfortable if budget allows. The Tower's closeness to the dining hall and plaza makes the holiday week feel livelier; RISONARE is quieter by design. Mina-Mina Beach — Japan's largest indoor wave pool at 30 m × 80 m — is free for hotel guests and runs year-round. In January the hall sits above 30°C while outside can be –15°C. Morning sessions before 10:00 are least crowded over New Year. The Ice Village (Dec 10–Mar 14, free for guests) is a village of ice structures open 17:00–22:00 — genuinely memorable on New Year's Eve, though you're outside in the cold. Snow note: in my experience, Tomamu skies colder and sometimes lighter than Rusutsu or Niseko. Some years the dry continental air produces excellent light powder; other years the volumes lag the western resorts. If maximum powder days are the priority, Rusutsu or [the Kiroro accommodation options](https://www.nipponstays.com/where-to-stay-in-kiroro/) may serve you better. Getting there: JR limited express to Tomamu Station, then a free resort shuttle — 5-min walk to The Tower, 10 min to Risonare. No reservation needed; shuttles meet JR arrivals. You don't need a car once inside the resort. The approach road from the highway is narrow and icy in winter, the drive long and dull — most travelers are better served by train. ## Booking the peak week: reserve early, buy tickets online New Year's Eve to Jan 3 is the busiest accommodation window of the Hokkaido winter. Both resorts operate at capacity, and discounted rate structures are suspended. Tomamu excludes weekday pricing Dec 27–Jan 5; Rusutsu's countdown events require separate ticket purchases from the room booking. The same peak applies to the flight if you are using miles. On United's San Francisco–New Chitose nonstop, award seats over the New Year window run 100,000–150,000 miles one way against a 55,000-mile baseline in January — [why the same seat costs 55,000 or 150,000 miles](https://www.nipponstays.com/united-award-seats-san-francisco-sapporo/) has the calendar. - **Book accommodation by September** for any room choice over Dec 29–Jan 3\. October still finds availability, but at higher cost and fewer options. - **Buy Rusutsu lift tickets online before arrival.** Online 1-day adult ticket ¥12,000 vs. ¥16,200 counter — a ¥4,200 saving. The 25-hour advance ticket (¥33,100 online) sold out before December in the 2025–26 season — buy on release day in November. - **Extend by one night on each side.** Arriving Dec 28 and leaving Jan 5 cuts cost and avoids peak-day crowds. If you're combining a ski trip with a city stay, see our guide on [Sapporo Snow Festival accommodation](https://www.nipponstays.com/sapporo-snow-festival-accommodation/) for February, or add one night in Sapporo as a transit buffer before heading to the mountains. | Traveler type | Recommended resort | Key reason | | ---------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Marriott Bonvoy member wanting ski-in New Year | Rusutsu (Westin) | One of the very few Bonvoy ski-in/ski-out hotels in Japan | | Family with young children or non-skiers | Tomamu (The Tower / Risonare) | Free wave pool, Ice Village, car-free resort | | Powder-first skiers | Rusutsu | Three-mountain setup, night ski to 20:00 | | Train-first travelers from Sapporo | Tomamu | JR direct + free shuttle; Rusutsu requires a car or paid bus | | Couples wanting a suite upgrade | Tomamu (Risonare) | All-suite 100 m²+, quieter, full spa — expect roughly double The Tower's rate; verify current prices | Booking Kiroro for the holidays? Our [Club Med Kiroro Grand vs Peak](https://www.nipponstays.com/club-med-kiroro-grand-vs-peak/) comparison covers the all-inclusive prices and age rules. ## FAQ: Hokkaido Ski New Year Stay ### Do Rusutsu and Tomamu run mochitsuki over New Year? Mochitsuki is common at Hokkaido resort hotels during Shogatsu, but confirmed events change each season. In the 2025–26 season, Rusutsu ran a koto concert series (Jan 1–3) and shamisen performances; Tomamu confirmed the Ice Village and an apres-ski evening program. Neither listed mochitsuki on their 2025–26 calendar. Check rusutsu.com/en/events and snowtomamu.jp/winter/en/activity in October for the current season's full lineup. ### How far in advance should I book for New Year at Rusutsu or Tomamu? Book accommodation by September for a Dec 31–Jan 3 stay. Both resorts fill at capacity over New Year and the room type selection narrows sharply after October. At Rusutsu, the advance 25-hour lift ticket sold out before December in the 2025–2026 season — buy it on release day in November. At Tomamu, peak New Year pricing (Dec 27–Jan 5) carries no weekday discounts. ### Is Tomamu or Rusutsu better for a family New Year ski trip? Tomamu suits families who want everything in one place without a car: ski slopes, Mina-Mina Beach wave pool (free for guests, year-round), and the Ice Village are all walkable or shuttle-reachable from The Tower. Rusutsu suits families loyal to Marriott Bonvoy — ski-in/ski-out access, an indoor wave pool, and the indoor carousel (both open in winter) make for a strong package, and points redemptions apply. ### Can I arrive by train for both resorts? Tomamu: yes, and it's the recommended route. JR limited express from New Chitose Airport or Sapporo stops at Tomamu Station; the free resort shuttle (no reservation) takes about 5 min to The Tower and 10 min to Risonare. Rusutsu has no train station — most guests drive from Sapporo (about 90 min) or take a paid shuttle bus from New Chitose Airport such as the Hokkaido Resort Liner. Verify the current season's shuttle schedule before booking. --- **Information audit:* Last fact-checked July 2026 · Prices checked July 2026 (all rates are “from” floors that vary by season) · Rates shown are winter ski-season “from” floors; the green (summer) season is cheaper. New Year (roughly Dec 28–Jan 4) is the annual peak: at Rusutsu the Westin is priced per person (room-only, Japanese style) over the holiday — firsthand, a New Year room for three came to about ¥360,000 for one night (roughly ¥120,000 per person, tax and service included), well above the everyday per-room ski-season rate — and Tomamu prices climb sharply too. Verify the pricing basis and your exact dates on the official sites. Lift-ticket, shuttle and event details are based on 2025–26 announcements and will be updated for 2026–27\. · *How this guide was researched:* hotel facilities, prices and access details are verified against official and primary sources; we have not personally stayed at every property listed. The author has skied Rusutsu and stayed at The Westin Rusutsu over New Year · *Personally stayed:* The Westin Rusutsu Resort — a New Year stay (room photos may predate the 2024–26 renovation); Tomamu The Tower — a New Year stay — all stays paid by us; no complimentary stays · How this site verifies information:* [*About NipponStays*](https://www.nipponstays.com/about/)*.*