For those who love winter sports and snow-filled vacations, Niseko is just the place. This was my first time visiting Niseko, Japan and it was everything I heard of and more. The snow was powdery and bright making for perfect snowboarding conditions.
Full of international snow lovers, this quaint town is perfect for all levels of skiers and snowboarders. We’ve made it a habit of waking up early and going to the slopes for the early bird run to avoid the crowd, which resulted in an absolute need for coffee before our long day of snowboarding.
We were told by some frequent visitors, including my snowboard instructor (who’ve lived in Niseko for 20 years) that there was a coffee shop that had some of the best coffee in Niseko. It is located right next to the Hirafu slopes right next to the lift, which was so convenient because any time you wanted a little coffee break, the shop was right there.
The coffee shop is called The Day: Mountain Kiosk Coffee Stand. It’s not big, but its cozy and inside it is sort of like a little wooden cabin. The view out the window is picture perfect, almost like a painting. While you sip great tasting coffee, you look outside the window to the mountains. It’s cash only so make sure you have plenty because you will for sure be frequenting the place if you like coffee.
View from the inside and porch. Breathtakingly beautiful
They had a small collection of pastries and bars – the oatmeal bars and brownies were wrapped individually. The great thing was that the ingredients were listed on the wrapper as well as next to the basket they were in (all in English).
They had a range of coffees with soy milk for those lactose intolerant.
According to the locals, and even visitors, this place is the best place to get a coffee pre, mid, and post hitting the slopes. They have a great vibe and wonderful staff and most importantly, amazing products. A definite place to visit in Niseko.