The IASC Network on Arctic Glaciology meeting in Hokkaido, Japan (January 21-23, 2025)



Niseko Mountain Range

- Registration and abstract submission
Please visit the IASC NAG website for information of registration, abstract submission and finalcial support for early-career scientisits. The deadline is 18th October.

- Location of the meeting
The IASC Network on Arctic Glaciology meeting in 2025 will be held from 21 to 23 January in Niseko, Japan. Niseko is a mountain town in Hokkaido, the northern most island of Japan. The town is situated in the southwestern part of the island, 2-3 hours' drive from Sapporo (the captial of Hokkaido) as well as from the nearest Chitose Airport. Some international flights are operated to Sapporo Chitose Airport, but travelers from Europe or America usually connect their flights at Tokyo, Osaka or Nagoya. It's 1.5 hour flight from Tokyo to Chitose. Niseko is well known for heavy snow fall. The mean snow depth in February at 1000 m a.s.l. was 3.3 m according to a record from 1996 to 2019.



- Meeting venue and accommodation
The venue of the meeting is Hilton Niseko Village, a hotel at the foot of Niseko mountain range. Airport limousine bus is operated from Sapporo Chitose Airport to the hotel (fee required, winter schedule updated in November). A meeting room for ~50 people is booked and guestrooms for single, double or three people are available. A special feature of this venue is its direct access to skiing slopes from a gondra station situated in the building. Booking your rooms in the hotel is the most convinient option, although it is possible to find another nearby accommodation if you prefer.

Hilton Niseko Village offers rooms with reduced rates during the meeting period.

JPY 17,000 for sharing a room with three or four people
JPY 24,200 for sharing a room with two people
JPY 45,650 for single use
(/person /night, including breakfast, excluding dinner)

Two beds are available in the room as default (see photograph below). One or two smaller beds will be installed depending on the number of guests. I was told by the hotel that sharing with three is fine, but four adults in a room is not confortable. Please book your room through an online booking site below. Booking should be done by one of the room sharing member. The first booking is closed on 30 September, but the hotel decided to offer additional rooms at the same reduced rate until 31 October.

The online booking site is not properly working. So, if you are ready for booking please write e-mail directly to Teruo Kusama (Teruo.kusama@hilton.com), the assistant director of sales of Hilton Niseko Village, with informatoin below.
-Guest Name:(If there is more than one IASC NAG participant, the names of all participants)
-Arrival date:
-Departure date:
-Number of guests:
-Remarks:
You will receive a booking confirmation once your room is researved.

For those who want to find a room mate, a google spread sheet is provided below. You can write your name on the list, so that others can find your name and contact you to make arrangement. We are not sure how it works, but let's make it try! In any case, please make sure that participants are responsible to find room mates and complete booking. It's not like previous years.

Google spread sheet for room arrangement

On 24 January, a backcoutry snow activity with skis/snowshoes will be organized with financial support by the Japanese Agency of Tourism (only a little or no charge for participation). This will be an opportunity to inspect gliding properties of deep snow in Niseko. Please consider this event when you plan your stay in Niseko. The field activity is supported by mountain guides in the region.
Niseko Mountain Guide Coyote, youtube site

Here, you can find information of Niseko, Hilton Niseko Village and the Niseko United ski resort.
Niseko Tourism website
Hilton Niseko Village
Niseko United Ski Resourt website
Slides presented in the IASC NAG meeting in January 2024



- Financial support
The meeting is funded by IASC (International Arctic Committee), WCRP CliC (World Climate Research Programme, Climate and Cryosphere) and Japan Tourism Agency. Travel support is available for early carrier researchers. Please visit the IASC NAG website for details.



Looking forward to seeing you there!

Shin Sugiyiama
Local organizer of the 2025 IASC NAG meeting
Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University
sugishin@lowtem.hokudai.ac.jp

IASC Network on Arctic Glaciology website