Zuma is Coming to Niseko: Here’s What This Means for Your Ski Week

Zuma opens its first Japanese restaurant this winter, and it has chosen Hirafu Village as its home. This Niseko pop-up runs for the 2026/27 season only, seats 141 guests comfortably, and opens reservations on 14 August 2026. 

If you’re already planning a Hokkaido ski week, keep reading to find out more about the hottest new table in town.

The restaurant is located in Hirafu village; just a four-minute drive from the ski slopes. That puts Zuma within easy reach of most of our Hirafu stays, Corniche Hirafu, Terrazze and Haven Niseko among the closest. Guests staying with us can ask their concierge to take the booking on.

Seven days a week through the season, 3pm to 12am; après-ski hour starts from 3pm, and dinner from 5pm.

The opening date hasn’t been confirmed. Zuma has said “this winter”, and our read is that it tracks the lifts: Niseko United opened in the last days of November in recent years, subject to the first real powder dump. We’ll update the confirmed season dates as the resorts release them; stay tuned.

Both really, in that order. The 3pm opening is built for the walk down from the last run, and the deejay counter in the corner basically tells you what the room plans to do later in the evening. Dinner service commences at 5pm.

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Nigiri sushi, sashimi and the robata grill — the group’s signature since its 2002 opening in London. Other signature dishes include grilled sea bass, spicy tenderloin, roasted lobster, maki rolls; handrolls are also available on request.

The cellar sits in the front-of-house and is filled with sake, Japanese whisky, and wines from around the world. 

The room itself is worth arriving early for. A Date Kan stone robata counter with an oxidised edge, red glazed tiles behind it, timber-slatted ceilings above, and teak screens carved by Indonesian artisans closing off the private dining room. Wool bouclé seating, which during a Hokkaido winter, will feel oh-so-cosy.

Want the rest of the week planned? Start with our Grand Hirafu dining guide, then the chalets with private onsen for the nights you’d rather not leave the house. Or just ask our concierge and have it all sorted for you.

Good news: yes. There are 141 seats across the restaurant — the main dining room takes parties of 10 to 20 without much fuss — plus there’s a private dining room that seats 12. This is useful on the midweek night when the group wants a change of scene. Of course, this is one to book early: from 14 August 2026 you can do just that. 

Address: 163-53 Niseko Hirafu 2-jo 1-chome, Kutchan, Hokkaido 044-0089 
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 3pm to 12am 
Website: zumarestaurant.com/en/niseko, bookings open from 14 August 
Email: [email protected] 

Browse our Hirafu stays for the 2026/27 season.