Epic Activities And Events To Round Out Your Japanese Summer Adventures

Make the most of the last bits of sunlight

There's still a few weeks left! Live life to the fullest for the remaining weeks of summer with these epic activities across Niseko, Furano and Hakuba.

Onsen

Much like ramen and warm sake, a lot of crew boil onsen experiences down to a winter only experience. And sure, we get it, there’s truly nothing like soaking up some traditional Japanese relaxation while soft coats of powder hit your noggin and snow monkeys bathe alongside you (if you're lucky), unwinding in an onsen over the summer months is equally as awesome of an experience. 

Not only that, many traditional onsen hotels and ryokans offer significantly discounted rates over the summer months, and some like the Niseko Grand Hotel also offer co-ed onsen experiences (with bathing suits provided) over the summer months only. So if you want to unwind with the one you hold nearest and dearest without copping the expense of a private onsen, now’s your chance!

Kayak/Raft/SUP

Rivers, lakes, the ocean (Hokkaido), almost any which way you look from Japanese mountain resorts, there’s huge bodies of water. Making it no surprise that there’s a massive watersports community, with kayaking, rafting and stand up paddle boarding all being favourites amongst tourists who visit during the summer months. If you’re coming to town, definitely join a rafting trip or hire a paddle board for the day – there are HEAPS of businesses in Niseko, Hakuba and Furano which offer these services!

Golf

A round of golf on some of the best golf courses in Japan, with epic views like Mt Yotei and the Daisetsuzan Mountain Ranges as your backdrop? There’s nothing better than smashing out a few rounds of golf during the Japanese summertime!

The best part? Due to how early the sun rises over the summer months, you can head out and play a round at the break of dawn (4 - 5 am) and still have the rest of the day for other activities.

Wine and dine

During winter Japan’s ski resorts get busy, suuuuppppeeerrr busy. Meaning that ahead of the peak season a lot of restaurants close down temporarily to make sure their winter menus are all ready, any store renovations are done, and most importantly, to allow their crew a little bit of reprieve ahead of a hectic few months. 

So if you consider yourself a bit of a foodie who likes to explore the best food and drinks around every region they visit, we recommend eating as much as you can over the next two months. 

If you’re visiting Niseko, Hakuba or Furano and are super excited to eat out and make the most out of each region's awesome food scene but don’t know where to start, we recommend checking out our guide to each area's best restaurants!

Epic Events

Sure, Matsuri Season may be nearly over, but that doesn’t mean you can’t squeeze in a few more parties before Niseko, Hakuba and Furano are covered in metres of the deepest pow imaginable. 

For those of you planning on venturing across and exploring the Japanese mountain resorts while they still can, here’s some epic events that we recommend slotting into your travel itinerary. 

Trail Day (Hirafu)

September 20 - 22

If you happened to be around for Rhythm Hirafu’s ‘Soil Searching’ event last summer, you’ll know that it was by far one of the biggest parties of the whole season. This year it’s looking a little bit different, but without a doubt, it’ll be an equally massive celebration. 

For 2025, in collaboration with Niseko’s NAMBA, we will be throwing a huge Specialized Trail Day! Offering visitors a chance to head out on an extended community ride and help clean up the trails before shredding down them and celebrating with a massive end of season celebration at Rhythm Hirafu. 

Word on the street is that this year's raffle will be even bigger than last year…

Mini Cup (Hirafu)

September 6th 

Whether you’ve managed to catch any of our skate events first hand or have seen the epic recap reels on our social media, you’ll know that Niseko isn’t just stacked with local skaters. It’s stacked with really, really good skaters! 

Come watch the best of the best battle it out their tranny skills at our final skate showdown of the season! If last year is anything to go by, it’s going to be huge!

Bonchi Fes. Furano 

August 29-31

While only in its second year, Furano’s annual Bonchi Fest stands up as one of the biggest events on the area’s annual calendar, offering three days of music, camping and all-round good times at the base of the Kitanomine Zone (right where our Rhythm Furano store is).

Hakuba Station Street Festival
August 30th

We said matsuri season is nearly over–nearly–but there’s still a few more in store before it’s called a day! So if you want your final dose of town celebration and food truck galore, get down to the Hakuba Station Street annual festival this weekend!

Hakuba Classic International 

7th September

Get those winter legs in shape with a half marathon across Hakuba’s most scenic locations! If the distance seems a bit long for you, there's also shorter distance races!

Panaracer NISEKO GRAVEL AUTUMN RIDE (Hirafu)

September 13th and 14th

Explore Niseko’s epic Autumn views at their September gravel ride. With courses ranging from 45km to 130km, the Panaracer is one of the best ways to push your gravel biking abilities while also exploring the best off-road trails in the region.

Halloween Skate Jam (Hakuba)

October 25th

It’s a nightmare on Hokujo street this Halloween, with our annual Halloween Skate Jam! Get down and win prizes for the best trick, or if skating isn’t your style take home so cash for winning best dressed!

Rhythm Community Rides (All locations)

Each Saturday at 3pm in Furano, Sunday at 12pm in both Hirafu and Hakuba

In case you missed out, our weekly community rides just got a hell of a lot better, now offering a free drink (beer and wine included) as a post-ride knockoff –– and, AND, as an even bigger incentive, our Rhythm Hirafu community rides will also have the legends at Tacodake slinging up their Niseko-famous carnitas ever Sunday! A ride with pals for 50% (bike rental) followed by a beer and a taco, if that’s not a winning combo to round out summer we don’t know what is.

HONE IN THOSE SKILLS

Don't spend the last month of the sunshine sitting at home watching TV, get out there and level up your skills! Not only will it make sure you're summer ready next green season, it'll also help you get super in shape before all the pow comes to town!

Skate Lessons

Keen to get back on the board but all the times you’ve leaned too far back while attempting to drop in giving you PTSD (post-traumatic skating disorder)? Rhythm Hirafu is now offering skate lessons! So if you want to learn the ropes of tranny, finally stomp those kickflips or practice your grinds ahead of winter, book a lesson before we wrap up for the season!

MTB LESSONS

We’ve got lessons for dayyyyssss, with Rhythm Rides now extending into summer operations and offering mountain bike lessons as well. So if you want to rip the downhill courses to the fullest while riding with correct technique to make sure you stay safe out there, mountain bike lessons are a great way to spend the last month of green season!

SCENIC CRUISES

Love adventuring but don’t feel the need to prove yourself on gnarly downhill courses? Head out for a scenic guided cruise, stopping by all of Niseko’s best locations (and photo spots)!

Slackline

If there’s one skill that we all need when skiing or snowboarding, it’s balance. Which is why a slack line is an unreal way to hone in your centre of gravity while also massively boosting your core strength. Trust us, after a few hours on the slackline, both your riding and fitness levels will be in top shape ahead of the winter!

Climbing Wall

It’s called an Activity Hub for a reason! Rhythm Hirafu doesn’t just offer up epic activities like skating, trampolining and pump tracks, but also a massive indoor rock climbing wall equipped with Hokkaido’s only kilter board. So if you happen to come to town on a rainy day but still want some fun-filled action, why not come up for a climb?