Hirafu at nighthirafu area outline
Hirafu is the heart of the Niseko area and has seen the largest scale of luxury development over the years. The village comprises of a narrow strech of land coming down from the ski hill in three main areas, easily distinguishable by their names: Upper Village, Middle Village and Lower Village.

Just outside of the main village are two smaller development areas, Izumikyo 1 and Izumikyo 2 which are serviced by a shuttle bus in the winter.

The ski area is Niseko Grand Hirafu and comprises of 17 lifts and 30 courses over a 940 metre descent; the longest course being 5.6 km. The main draw card to Hirafu, as with any other Niseko ski resort, is the phenomenal depths of snow and number of fresh powder days. It is also rapidly becoming the centre for the blossoming summer market hosting events such as Niseko Cycle Week, Niseko Golf Week and triathalon training camps.

The Hirafu area offers the largest variety of accommodation, restaurants, bars and amenities of all the Niseko ski areas and most airport connections arrive here. It is also the busiest hill and those acquainted with Hirafu often head further afield for their fresh turns.

hirafu area map
Hirafu Map

hirafu real estate
Real estate in Hirafu has provided investors with some fantastic capital growth over the years with land and property in the Upper Village commanding the highest prices. The Middle and Lower Village saw a huge surge of house and apartment development in 2008 which has left remaining land at a premium. However, due to the small size of many blocks, some investors have started looked outside Hirafu to obtain larger plots offering more privacy.

In 2007 and 2008, the Middle Hirafu Village saw the largest official increase in land price over the whole of Japan. Due to the availablity of high-class accommodation, restaurants, bars, shops and other amenities, the land prices in Hirafu have been consistantly higher than any other area in Niseko and development continues apace. Due to its maturity, Hirafu is the "safe bet" investment area although it may be argued that other areas have more potential for capital gain growth.