first snow in hokkaido

The first snowfalls have already been recorded on a couple of mountains in central Hokkaido, including Mt Kurodake on 10 September. The annual competition to tip the first snow in Niseko has started by the Niseko Promotion Board. The first snow in Niseko was recorded on 24 September in 2008, 10 October in 2007, 9 October in 2006 and 3 October in 2005.

lodge manager 2009-10

Toa Ross, our lodge manager for 2008-09, indicated his a desire to ‘enjoy a New Zealand summer’ earlier this year and advised that he would not be available to be our lodge manager for the 2009-10.

Marika Ohtani will be taking a career break from her Advisor role with KPMG in London to be our lodge manager at AAC Niseko.

Marika holds dual British / Canadian citizenship and also has Japanese heritage. Her formal qualifications include a Mathematics B.Sc degree and professional accreditation as a Chartered Accountant.

In addition to her business skills, Marika has previous experience in the hospitality sector in the United Kingdom, Canada (Whistler) and France (Morzine, at a chalet in the French Alps). She has a passion for snowboarding, yoga and running.