Visit Hoshino Resort Ice Village

From mid-December to mid-March, a winter wonderland akka “ice village” appears in Tomamu, part of Hoshino Resort entertainment to their guests. And the good part is that it’s also open for daily tourists, so you don’t have to rob a bank to experience this winter event part of an overnight package.

Comparing to other winter events in Hokkaido, this is probably the smallest I have personally experienced. But in the end it’s normal, as their main purpose is to entertain their own guests. And I need to say that Hoshino resort done a great job in creating a cosy, family atmoshpere, where you can spend some quality time with your loved ones or why not by yourself.

Despite the fact that it’s not as big as I imagined, you can definetely spend 1h or more if you target to check out all their activities. In the end, the 600¥ entry ticket will be well diserved.

Hoshino Resort

Once you arrive at Hoshino resort, you will be surprised by the attention to details. The buildings are linked among each other with long coridors, which gives you the feeling of walking on the snow. The scenery is beautiful and an overall piece of mind state will surround you. Beautiful wooden sculptures will guide you towards the Ice village, making your visit a discovery itself. Overall, despite the Tomamu towers hotels which looks like out of nowhere, the nature is mainly untouched.

Omotenashi

Hoshino resorts are known for being expensive all across Japan. But, behind the price tag they stand for quality and most important for the Japanese omotenashi concept, which means attention to details. Once you step out the building and enter the Ice Village, you will truly feel it. Hundreds of lights, hanged upon the trees, are lighting the path. An animation with sound is displayed on the snow, welcoming you to the Ice village. Illuminated bamboo lamps are guiding you further to the first point of the village. And that’s exactly what I was expecting from Hoshino resort, the attention to details with every step you take.

Zipline on Ice, Ice Slide, Ice Rink

Once you finally arrive at the village, you can have some fun by choosing between 3 activities, or which one to start with: zipline, sliding or iceskating. For the zipline you have to first take an appointment, but the good part is that it’s free of charge. For sliding it’s easy peasy, as you will slide on the ice directly, and as many times you want for free. And for the iceskating you have to rent a pair of skates for 1000¥ to access the icerink. So why not have some fun?

Ice Seikomart

After enjoying some outdoor activities, it’s time to explore the igloos. And even if are not fully made of ice, are still nice and charming. One of them is dedicated to Seicomart, which is one the most famous combini (convenience store) in Hokkaido. They sell various products, but in my opinion some don’t make sense. Like, why would you sell oil? I understand selling products that can be consumed straight away, but some products may have been chosen only for display.

Ice Sweets Shop

One nice activity you can try is buying marshmallows from the sweet shop and roast them on open flame. And if this is not appealing enough, there are many other sweets you can chose from in case you’re running low on sugar.

Ice Bar

If you never had a drink from an ice cube glass, that’s your chance. The ice bar has a variety of drinks to chose from, one more colorful than the other. And at the ice atelier you can even create your own glass!

Ice General Store

The best souvenirs are our memories. But if you wanna be sure you won’t forget your visit, you can always purchase a local gift from the general store. From candles, jewelleries to postcards, there is something for everyone.

Ice Chapel

And the cherry on the cake is the ice chapel, as you can get married here for real. How cool or cold is that? When events are happening, the chapel will be closed to the public for a limited time.

Ice Hotel

And last but not least, why not experience an ice hotel? Entirely made of ice, you can spend here a night to remember. They will provide you a sleeping bag and all the necessary to not freeze to death, so all it’s required from your side it’s bravery and a good amount of money (as bravery alone is not a payment method, yet)!

Transportation

If I convinced you to visit Hoshino Resort Ice Village, get yourself prepared for the trip. It’s quite easy to get to Tomamu JR station from anywhere around Hokkaido, it is just a matter of time. And from JR Tomamu station there are free shuttle busses which takes you to the resort and back.

On arrival, the shuttle bus is normally there, picking up their guests (if you arrive around the opening time, 5pm). There are resort employees to guide you to the busses, so nothing to worry about, even if this station was created only for the resort. For the return bus ride, you have to take an appointment at the resort reception once you arrive.

And if you really wanna go, check the official website for the latest information here.

The end!

Well, that’s it from my side. I hope you enjoyed the article and one day you’ll visit Hoshino Resort Ice Village by yourself. Meanwhile, get inspired from more articles across Japan and not only, here.

A like or a comment are highly appreciated. And don’t forget to subscribe to be the first one reading the next article!