Shiguchi
A · 8.8 / 10anchor a leg
Shiguchi is Zaborin founder Shouya Grigg's five-villa kominka retreat, the ryokan he says he always wanted to make, with massive restored farmhouses filled with his art and two private source-fed baths in each. Four stays agree it is Niseko's most soulful luxury option. KI-NRT calls it 'a true gem' and gives the staff's warmth a chapter of its own, and one member put the dinner among the best meals of a two-week Japan trip. At roughly ¥268,000 a night it is one of the most expensive inns even in this company.
Scores
Food 4.5 / 5
Dinner at Somoza is a creative French-Japanese fusion grounded in Hokkaido produce, some of it foraged by staff. KI-NRT's salad of foraged microgreens and salmon roe under sea urchin foam was unforgettable, and the Jomon Pan, a buckwheat-and-acorn bread served on excavated Jomon pottery, transportive. mattjp put it among the best meals of a two-week Japan trip, though Fc912 found the food a little forced and nylonite wanted more Hokkaido wines.
Bath 4.5 / 5
The hot springs are true gensen kakenagashi, flowing straight from the on-site source with no circulation or chemical treatment, and every villa has two onsen baths of its own, one rock and one hinoki, so bathing here is private and in-room. There is also a sauna in a small hut below Somoza's deck. nylonite, there in April with snow still on the ground, called the view from CHI's private bath out over the Hokkaido landscape sublime.
Service 4.5 / 5
The staff got a chapter of their own from KI-NRT: most are Hokkaido-born, many have been there since opening, and their pride shows in every interaction, warm and invested. Takehiro-san, the GM (formerly of the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo), could not have been more accommodating when nylonite's partner fell ill and had to reschedule, and mattjp found the service meaningfully better than at Zaborin next door. Fc912 put it at above average.
Room 4.5 / 5
Five villas in three restored Aizuwakamatsu kominka, all palatial, from CHI (144 m2) to the standalone KA (351 m2 for three or more), held up by massive beams with no nails or screws and filled with Shouya Grigg's art. KI-NRT's KU (247 m2) runs three stories in moody dark wood, but he would book CHI next time, since bedroom and living area share one floor. mattjp gave Zaborin a slight edge on hard product, and every villa has a full kitchen.
Place 4.5 / 5
Shiguchi sits on a secluded perch above the Iō River valley with no other building in view, just stillness, sky and trees, minutes from Zaborin and the Park Hyatt with none of their intrusion; KI-NRT was reminded of Wanosato, with grander views from its higher site. Somoza, the relocated farmhouse holding reception, lounge and restaurant, has floor-to-ceiling windows framing river and mountains, and Shouya's basement galleries can be toured.
Getting there
- New Chitose — 2h, 0 transfers. ~2 hr by car/private transfer from New Chitose Airport (CTS) due west to Niseko.
- Sapporo — 2h30, 0 transfers. ~2.5 hr by car from Sapporo (or rail to Kutchan + 15 min drive).
Sources
FlyerTalk review by Fc912 #486 · FlyerTalk review by mattjp #574 · FlyerTalk review #587 · FlyerTalk review by nylonite #588 · #176 · #792 (thread mentions)