Nikko Style Niseko HANAZONO Celebrates One Year Since Opening

NISEKO, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 16, 2026--

Nikko Style Niseko HANAZONO celebrated its first anniversary on December 15, 2025, and to commemorate this milestone, the hotel is pleased to introduce a special “Thank You Anniversary Stay” accommodation plan. Available for small groups of guests staying three nights between January 7 and March 8, 2026, the all-inclusive premium accommodation plan incorporates transportation, dining, guided tours and other special events to create one seamless experience. As an expression of the hotel’s gratitude for its guests’ continued patronage, the plan is being offered at a special rate of JPY 3.9 million, the pronunciation of “3.9” in Japanese being similar to the English “thank you.”

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The “Thank You Anniversary Stay” plan offers guests an unparalleled way to experience some of the world’s finest snow and the unique allure of Hokkaido’s Niseko, one of Japan’s premier winter sports resorts, in the most indulgent manner. Available exclusively during the winter season and limited to a single party for the entire stay, it will deliver a truly exceptional Niseko winter experience.

The plan includes a three-night stay across two adjoining accommodations: the hotel’s largest suite, the imposing Nikko Style Suite, and the neighboring Premium Studio Suite View. Connecting both suites is a private 66-square-meter rooftop lounge, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows that offer sweeping views of the pristine slopes of Niseko HANAZONO Resort. Each suite has one bedroom, and the plan will be available for groups of up to 7 adults. Surrounded by majestic nature and a sense of serene seclusion, guests will be invited to fully immerse themselves in the beauty of Niseko’s winter landscape.

As part of the all-inclusive offering, the plan provides round-trip airport transfers, transportation between nearby locations, and the exclusive use of a private luxury vehicle with a dedicated driver, allowing guests to travel freely throughout the Kutchan, Hirafu, and greater Niseko areas.

Adding to the plan’s signature culinary experiences, guests may choose one evening during their stay to enjoy a specially curated dinner course featuring Hokkaido’s exceptional local ingredients, paired with selected wines, served privately in the rooftop lounge. The experience will be further enhanced with the delivery of champagne and a cheese platter, as well as a private cocktail hour offered daily, featuring a free flow of light snacks alongside alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Against the ever-changing hues of Niseko’s winter sunset, guests can savor moments of refined comfort and unhurried indulgence.

For winter activities, guests are provided with three-day lift passes valid across both the Hanazono and Hirafu areas, allowing them to fully enjoy Niseko’s world-renowned powder snow. The plan also includes a half-day private tour to one destination of choice—Yoichi, Otaru, Sapporo, Lake Toya, or Lake Shikotsu—offering opportunities to explore Hokkaido’s rich culture, natural landscapes and culinary heritage beyond the slopes. Upon arrival, guests will be welcomed with a specially curated gift set featuring local ingredients and original items unique to Hokkaido and Niseko, setting the tone for an exceptional stay from the very beginning.

Guided by the Nikko Style brand promise, “Your Stay, Your Style,” Nikko Style Niseko HANAZONO has consistently sought to create stays that resonate with the individuality and sensibilities of each guest. The “Thank You Anniversary Stay” plan has been thoughtfully crafted as an extension of that promise, and will offer guests a truly immersive way to experience the essence of winter in Niseko.

For details of the package, please visit https://nisekohanazono.nikkostyle.jp/en/offers/39anniversarystay/

About Nikko Style Niseko HANAZONO

Opened in December 2024, Nikko Style Niseko HANAZONO is the second hotel in Japan under the Nikko Style brand. With the message “Your Stay, Your Style,” it offers a variety of experiences that engage all five senses and encourage guests to enjoy their stay in complete freedom. The hotel faces the Niseko HANAZONO Resort, which offers winter sports enthusiasts a wide range of activities. The property features 234 guest rooms, along with a full range of facilities including restaurants, natural hot springs, a gym, a club lounge, a DJ booth, and banquet spaces. In November 2025, the hotel was honored with the “World’s Best New Ski Hotel” award at the World Ski Awards.

For more details, please visit nisekohanazono.nikkostyle.jp/en.

Nikko Style Suite Roof Top Lounge

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Trump administration is appealing a judge's order blocking the federal government from taking punitive measures against artificial intelligence company Anthropic after a dispute with the Pentagon over military use of AI.

Department of Justice attorneys filed a notice in San Francisco federal court on Thursday of their intention to appeal last week's ruling by U.S. District Judge Rita Lin.

Lin last week said she was blocking the Pentagon from labeling Anthropic a supply chain risk. She also said she was blocking enforcement of President Donald Trump’s social media directive ordering all federal agencies to stop using Anthropic and its chatbot Claude.

Lin said the “broad punitive measures” taken against the AI company by the Trump administration and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared arbitrary, capricious and could “cripple Anthropic,” particularly Hegseth’s use of a rare military authority that’s previously been directed at foreign adversaries.

“Nothing in the governing statute supports the Orwellian notion that an American company may be branded a potential adversary and saboteur of the U.S. for expressing disagreement with the government,” Lin wrote.

A top Pentagon official last week called Lin's order a “disgrace.” U.S. Defense Undersecretary Emil Michael, the Pentagon’s chief technology officer, said on social media it would disrupt Hegseth's “full ability to conduct military operations with the partners it chooses.”

Lin had stayed her order for a week, which gave time for the Pentagon to take the case to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. She had also said her order doesn’t require the Pentagon to use Anthropic’s products or prevent it from transitioning to other AI providers.

Anthropic has also filed a separate and more narrow case that is still pending in the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. That case involves a different rule the Pentagon is using to try to declare Anthropic a supply chain risk.

Trump and Hegseth publicly announced their actions against Anthropic on Feb. 27 after negotiations over a defense contract went sour over the company’s attempt to prevent its AI technology from being deployed in fully autonomous weapons or surveillance of Americans. The Pentagon had argued that it should be able to use Claude in any way it deems lawful.

A number of third parties had filed legal briefs supporting Anthropic’s case, including Microsoft, industry trade groups, rank-and-file tech workers, retired U.S. military leaders and a group of Catholic theologians.

FILE - Pages from the Anthropic website and the company's logo are displayed on a computer screen in New York on Feb. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File)

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks to members of the media during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)