Hokkaido is an outdoors destination. Visitors generally arrive expecting to spend most of their waking hours amidst nature since the island is known for this. In the winter, serious skiers and beginners alike flock to the ski slopes just near the Kiroro Tribute Portfolio. There are easy slopes for new skiers and steep slopes for the serious downhill skiers.

Outside of winter, visitors head for the hills and parks for hikes and cycling. Hokkaido is a trekker’s paradise, full of beautiful trails without crowds.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES IN AT THE KIRORO TRIBUTE PORTFOLIO HOTEL IN HOKKAIDO

On our recent stay at the Kiroro Tribute Portfolio, we generally fell into this same enjoyable pattern. I spent my mornings on a Segway, zipping through the forests. In the afternoons, we explored some hiking trails. One of the most popular things to do in Kiroro in the summer is to do a short hike to a waterfall.

However, one day, I felt like just relaxing and doing something creative for a change. This was when the concierge said to me: “Why don’t you do some crafts at our Activity Center?”

ARTS AND CRAFTS AT THE ACTIVITY CENTER

The Kiroro Tribute Portfolio has a large activity center that’s the hub for all the fun indoors and outdoors. However, I said: “Crafts at the activity center? Isn’t that just for kids?”

The concierge replied: “Not at all. Of course we have a lot of children signing up for crafts. However, adults can also do all kinds of crafts. Many people end up enjoying these activities actually. Arts and crafts are probably therapeutic.”

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Taking his word for it, I decided to sign up for arts and crafts at the activity center. The crafts room is a bright and airy room with a center table filled with materials.

Participants choose a space for themselves and select what they wish to make from a list of options. Of course, there were several children hard at work on decorating music boxes and candles. Interestingly, I was not the only adult who’d decided to stay indoors for a change and get creative.

PAINTING CUPS AND SAUCERS IN HOKKAIDO

I chose to design my own cup and saucer, thinking this would be a good and practical memory of my stay at the Kiroro Tribute Portfolio Hotel. For this, I got a plain cup and saucer and a set of watercolor markers.

I couldn’t believe it. I said to the lady in charge of the crafts room: “We only use watercolor markers? How is this possible?”

She smiled at me and said: “The watercolor markers are non-toxic so they’re safe to use. At the same time, the color clings quite nicely to the pottery. Just make sure not to smudge your designs.”

I spent about two hours designing my cup and saucer. It was so easy to get engrossed in this task. As the concierge said, crafts are really therapeutic.

THE BEST SOUVENIR OF HOKKAIDO

When I was done, the lady carefully placed my masterpieces into a box. “When you get home, bake this in the oven for several minutes and then your cup and saucer will be fine.” She included a sheet of simple instructions along with this.

The cup and saucer turned out fine, as she promised. I use these everyday. And whenever I do, I always remember my enjoyable holiday at the Kiroro Tribute Portfolio Hotel in Hokkaido.

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Hokkaido is an outdoors destination all year round. Visitors go skiing during the long winter and then hike and bike the rest of the year. As most of the activities are outdoors, many dining options are also outside. Everyone in these parts loves going on picnics or sitting on benches in parks with a snack.

WHERE TO GO FOR BARBECUE IN HOKKAIDO

Meanwhile, families who visit Hokkaido never leave without having at least one barbecue dinner. It’s the quintessential Hokkaido experience, to hold a barbecue under the stars.

Of course, we were part of the majority who were keen to experience a summer evening barbecue dinner at the Kiroro Tribute Portfolio Hotel in Hokkaido. This is quite famous all over Japan because the ingredients from Hokkaido are considered the best quality of food. Then there’s the fact that the weather in the summer is just amazing. You want to sit outdoors all night long.

DINNER AT THE KIRORO TRIBUTE PORTFOLIO

The Kiroro Tribute Portfolio offers a summer evening barbecue on the terrace of the hotel. It’s very popular among guests and locals, so bookings are required in advance. The hotel team sets up tables in a circle around the fountain, with a large tent in the middle. Lounge music or live music plays all night and there’s a chill vibe all around.

The team sets up a barbecue station for each group, So on every table there is a table-top barbecue grill that’s fired and ready to cook. It holds just enough cooking bricks for about three hours so guests can relax and cook and eat at leisure.

THE BEST INGREDIENTS IN JAPAN

Several trays of food come with the standard package, and it’s really a lot of food. There are assorted cuts of pork, beef and lamp. Then we also had a lot seafood. We had giant shrimps and scallops, and sliced squid. Plus bread to roast and even onigiri.

Of course, there are also vegetables for grilling like tomatoes and asparagus, and traditional Hokkaido food like corn. Dessert is also roasted on the grill, just like everything else.

DESSERT ON THE BARBECUE

Towards the end of dinner, the waitstaff brings a package wrapped in foil. “Place that on the grill and it’ll be ready to eat in a few minutes,” our waiter told us, with a smile. We did as we were told. The result was a delicious mash of warmed up marshmallows, bananas with brown sugar and some crumbled cookies. It was so good that I wouldn’t have minded getting seconds.

THE BEST GRILLED CHEESE

Aside from the dinner package, there’s also an a la carte menu. We ordered a Hokkaido Camembert cheese for roasting from this menu just to try what it was like. It arrived with slices of bread and toast. Again, we were told to place the Camembert cheese on the grill for a few minutes.

When we finally opened it up, it was warm, soft and gooey. Perfect for spreading on toasts for an appetizer. Who would have thought that grilled Camembert cheese could be so delicious?

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Just as we were enjoying dessert, there was a commotion at the other end of the Kiroro Tribute Portfolio. It turned out that the fireworks were about to start, so many people were on their way to the field to watch. Of course we joined the crowds to watch. So in this sense, we actually had two desserts.

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Japanese beers have long been famous for variety and quality. There are many enthusiasts around the world for Japanese beer. Fortunately, the Kiroro Resort is located near Otaru, Yoichi and Niki. These are three districts known for liquor.

So in between enjoying outdoor activities at the resort, you can go for beer tours and wine tours nearby. You’ll be spoiled for choice, too. Some of the best craft breweries, sake breweries and wineries in Hokkaido are located with a short drive of Kiroro.

Hearing about our interest in beer, sake and wine, the concierge of the Kiroro Tribute Portfolio Hotel gave me an English brochure on the places to see and the best things to do near and around the Kiroro Resort.

ABOUT THE TANAKA SHUZO BREWERY

Fortunately for beer and sake lovers, Otaru is ground zero for great craft beer and sake. One of the best sake breweries in Hokkaido is the old-fashioned Tanaka Shuzo Sake Brewery. It’s been making sake since 1899 using Hokkaido rice.

ABOUT OTARU BEER

“You should also try Otaru Beer while you’re here,” said one of the restaurant team members at the Kiroro Premium BBQ. This is the outdoor barbecue dining venue organized by the Kiroro Tribute Portfolio Hotel. He added: “We’re very proud of our local Otaru beer. And the brewery tour is worth it.”

Needing little more encouragement for this, we drove to the Otaru Beer Brewery to join their tour and buy some beer to take home.

THE BEST WINES IN HOKKAIDO

Returning to the Kiroro Resort, we decided to stop by some well-known wineries along the way. Many of Hokkaido’s best wineries are located in the Niki area. Of course, even the best wines in Hokkaido are not as famous as wines from Europe or other traditional wine-producing countries. Nevertheless, these wineries have a growing following among some serious wine lovers.

At the top of our list was the Niki Hills Winery. This was highly recommended by a waitstaff at the Alla Moda Italian Restaurant of the Kiroro Tribute Portfolio Hotel. He said this winery produced excellent local wine.

“This winery makes use only of the best quality grapes, ” the Alla Moda waitstaff explained. “The grapes are grown right in a field in Yoichi.”

ABOUT KIRORO TRIBUTE PORTFOLIO HOTEL

This luxury hotel is the crown jewel of the Kiroro Resort in Hokkaido. The Kiroro Resort is an all-year round leisure destination 90 minutes from Shin-Chitose International Airport. It’s known for excellent skiing and winter sports. In the summer, it is a nature paradise for outdoor activities.

THE VERY BERRY FARM & WINERY

We also visited another winery mainly because of its interesting name. The Very Berry Farm & Winery Niki has been creating organic wine since 1999. They combine grapes and blueberries grown on the premises.

There’s also a winery in Otaru with a popular wine tour. Hokkaido Wine is made from 100% Japanese grapes. Many visitors seek out this winery because the tours are so fun. We certainly enjoyed ourselves, never lacking for interesting things to do on our stay at the Kiroro Tribute Portfolio Hotel.

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The drive from the seaside town of Otaru to the private resort village of Kiroro up in the hills takes about 30 minutes. Kiroro is high enough so that we passed clouds and fog along the way, along with famous local wineries. The road is supposed to be a romantic wine route, and the fog and picturesque wineries certainly made it so.

KIRORO IN THE SUMMER

Once we climbed through the fog, we found ourselves in a beautiful land with greenery all around. Kiroro is a ski destination so most international travelers only get to see it covered in white. It makes for a very dramatic effect.

However summer is equally wonderful, so I hope more visitors from abroad are able to visit Kiroro when everything is green and it’s possible to enjoy it in a different way.

THE KIRORO ACTIVITIES CENTER

Everything happens at the Kiroro Activities Center, which services the luxury Kiroro Tribute Portfolio Hotel, the ski in/ ski out Yu Residences open only in the winter, and the Sheraton Kiroro Hotel.

In the summer, the Kiroro activities team is out in full force, ready to teach kids and adults alike new sports and activities. It’s the perfect time to try something new, of course. The Kiroro activities team is composed of energetic and friendly young people who love what they are doing. They won’t stop until you are able to do what you signed up for.

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WHAT TO DO IN KIRORO

In the summer, there are gondola rides to the top that offer beautiful views. This is actually the ski lift that is operational in the winter. It has been put to good use for other seasons.

Active guests can also book a hiking session with one of the Kiroro activities team. Many guests hike to a nearby waterfall or around the massive property to spot birds and small animals. Then there’s tennis, mountain biking and al fresco barbecue dinners. On some days, there’s even fireworks out in the field.

RIDING A SEGWAY IN HOKKAIDO

However my favorite summer outdoor activity at Kiroro is riding the Segway. The Segway is easy to use and fun to ride. Unfortunately, the manufacturer has gone out of business so Kiroro is one of the last few places to still offer Segway experiences. Once you get on a Segway, you will be hooked on it.

TAKE THE KIRORO 1-DAY PASSPORT FOR ALL-DAY FUN

① Park golf ② Tennis court ③ Paddle tennis ④ Rental cycle ⑤ Treasure hunt ⑥ Playground equipment rental ⑦ Slack line ⑧ Table tennis ⑨ Disc golf ⑩ Hot spring. ⑪ Mountain bike (1H) ⑫ Running Ride park
⑬ Granship

LEARNING TO RIDE A SEGWAY

The ultimate Segway activity is a ride through the forest. This is truly amazing. However, Segway first-timers must spend one session getting acquainted with their machines. Then, the instructors take them to a Segway training course where you can practice riding through bumps and across narrow bridges.

Once you have passed this Segway riding test, the instructor takes you on the forest tour. This is a most incredible experience, especially for city folk who rarely get up close and personal with wilderness. In fact, we had a wonderful time at the Kiroro Tribute Portfolio. But even just for the Segway trips, I would book a stay here again.

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It was a beautiful summer day and we were in Kiroro, which is 20 minutes from the seaside town of Otaru. Otaru was once the capital of the world’s sardine industry, a business that created many millionaires in Japan.

The sardine industry is long gone. Today Otaru is more famous as a quaint tourist town with good sushi and canal houses. It’s also a jump-off point for cruising around the scenic Hokkaido coast.

LUXURY HOTEL FOR FAMILIES IN HOKKAIDO

We were staying at the lovely Kiroro Tribute Portfolio Hotel, which is a great choice for families wishing to indulge in sports and hot springs bathing. It’s a famous ski resort in the winter However, it’s also wonderful for outdoor activities the rest of the year.

During our stay this summer, for instance, we took a Segway tour through the forest and hiked down to a waterfall. We also biked around the property and took the ski lift gondola to the top of the mountain.

CRUISES FROM OTARU

Lucky for us, the hotel had just launched a new cruise program option organised by the hotel team itself. Since the Kiroro Tribute Portfolio Hotel is just a short drive from Otaru, hotel guests have the option of day trips into Otaru.

For the cruise, guests are driven from the hotel to the marina, where a luxury cruiser awaits. The cruise itself takes 90 minutes, taking in the scenic coastline between Otaru and the whisky distillery town of Yoichi.

THE KIRORO CRUISE AROUND THE HOKKAIDO COAST

We boarded the Yamaha cruiser at 230 PM and were greeted onboard by our own hotel team. That afternoon, the hotel executive chef himself was taking care of onboard food preparations.

You see, the cruise comes with drinks and assorted appetisers. These are served just as the cruiser is at the halfway mark and ready to sail back to Otaru Marina. It’s the perfect time to do so. You can sit and relax on deck with sparkling wine and courses of appetizers.

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By the time you’ve had two drinks and some nibbles, the boat is sailing into the marina and you’ve just spent a lovely afternoon at sea. This cruise was very enjoyable, perhaps because the cruise experience is kept exclusive and the Kiroro Tribute Portfolio hotel team make sure that everything runs seamlessly.

We had a wonderful time. Then it was a short drive back to Kiroro. We returned just in time to jump into the hot springs for a soak before our barbecue dinner under the stars.

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