BBC World Service--Snow in Japan

[tripitaka 0]

They're doing a segment on the quality of snow in Japan that will show Tues night at 21:30 (Japan time).

[69 5]

As most of these things are, it was rubbish and very 'lite'. About 5 minutes. Up on the snow, a bit negative about growth and "too many foreigners".

[HelperElfMissy 42]

 Originally Posted By: 69

As most of these things are, it was rubbish and very 'lite'. About 5 minutes. Up on the snow, a bit negative about growth and "too many foreigners".

OK...too many foreigners - but isn't that what they are after by advertising? Don't they want people to come? Is it better to have an empty/half empty ski resort that can't meet the bills and has to close - leaving the locals to hike up the mountain for thier pleasures...or is it better to have a heap of foreign tourists flocking to the area, spending money, boosting the economy and keeping the resort viable for the locals?

[thursday 1]

no. too many foreigners.

[tripitaka 0]

I also thought it was a bit negative towards foreign skiers. It would be nice to hear about some of the positive things that tourism offers.

[Rag-Doll 0]

 Originally Posted By: Mamabear

 Originally Posted By: 69

As most of these things are, it was rubbish and very 'lite'. About 5 minutes. Up on the snow, a bit negative about growth and "too many foreigners".

OK...too many foreigners - but isn't that what they are after by advertising? Don't they want people to come? Is it better to have an empty/half empty ski resort that can't meet the bills and has to close - leaving the locals to hike up the mountain for thier pleasures...or is it better to have a heap of foreign tourists flocking to the area, spending money, boosting the economy and keeping the resort viable for the locals?

the former is what currently prevails at most japanese resorts, and there are many on here who like it that way (short of the resort actually closing!). many a thread has over heated on the issue of whether foriegners (westerners/aussies) are a good thing for a resort. BTW it is kind of nice turning up to a resort on a Wednesday and having the place entirely to yourself, as long as you can avoid thinking about the poor owner who probably can't sleep for worrying about how he is going to pay the bills and feed his family!

[tripitaka 0]

Well, it's not good for the 'Yokoso Japan' tourist campaign. The govt is trying to increase the number of foreign tourists. They want the media to talk about how welcome foreigners are.

[Rag-Doll 0]

 Originally Posted By: tripitaka

Well, it's not good for the 'Yokoso Japan' tourist campaign. The govt is trying to increase the number of foreign tourists. They want the media to talk about how welcome foreigners are.

Oh, the Japanese love foreign visitors. It's the foreigners already in Japan that don't like visitors

[SKI 15]

Well the one complaining on the interview was Japanese and inferring that there was unease amongst the Japanese community.

[Mike Pow 52]

 Originally Posted By: Rag-Doll

 Originally Posted By: tripitaka

Well, it's not good for the 'Yokoso Japan' tourist campaign. The govt is trying to increase the number of foreign tourists. They want the media to talk about how welcome foreigners are.

Oh, the Japanese love foreign visitors. It's the foreigners already in Japan that don't like visitors

NIMBY's get right on my wick.

[Rag-Doll 0]

Jokes aside, up at Rusutsu this year I found myself on a lift with a couple of old fellas from Kobe. It turned out they were regulars to the area. We got talking about the growing popularity of the region and the influx of foreigners. I thought for sure a couple of old curmudgeons like these would be anti-gaijin but they were all for it. Very positive about the idea.

[2pints-mate 0]

NIMBY?

[HelperElfMissy 42]

Not In My Back Yard

 

Back to add: Everyone like a nice quiet slope all to themselves, and maybe thier mates. It is great to not have to get up at Sparrows Fart to lay down first tracks. But the reality is the resorts need people to come and spend to stay in business. There has to be a happy medium between 'dead' and 'hour long queues' where the business makes a profit and the people feel they have some space.

 

[2pints-mate 0]

Of course... thank you!

 

[ProbablyaCrazyPerson 2]

I saw that. I thought it was strangely negative. It portrayed the place almost as if it were losing it's soul and while there was more money, people weren't happy.

 

(It also showed a mega long lift queue the likes of which have not been seen in Japan since there were big bubbles!)

[tripitaka 0]

 Originally Posted By: Rag-Doll

 Originally Posted By: tripitaka

Well, it's not good for the 'Yokoso Japan' tourist campaign. The govt is trying to increase the number of foreign tourists. They want the media to talk about how welcome foreigners are.

Oh, the Japanese love foreign visitors. It's the foreigners already in Japan that don't like visitors

Really? Did you encounter some negativity among the local gaijin? Maybe they were just pissed because they had to got work that day!

[base40 0]

It was interesting due to the fact that it was so uninteresting. If that makes sense. I thought it came across as 'strangely negative' as well. All very superficial.

[Go Native 70]

As far as I can tell from a couple of interviews on TV the new mayor of Kutchan is none too fond of the foreign invasion. I suspect mostly due to the fact he was big in real estate in the area but totally missed out on the boom in Hirafu. There has also been a bit of a perception by some Kutchan locals that too much council money is spent up in Hirafu rather than down in Kutchan. Looking at the state of roads around my house can't say I blame them.

 

Things have certainly changed here and lets face it in small country towns anywhere in the world the locals are rarely too into change. If the mayor really wanted to benefit more from what's going on up in Hirafu all he's have to do would be to value the properties at closer to market value for tax purposes and there'd be a huge jump in revenue. Kutchan really needs a mayor in currently with a bit of vision of how to develop tourism and get the local people behind it so that all can benefit. Unfortunately the current mayor doesn't appear to be that person.

[HelperElfMissy 42]

That's interesting GN.

Do you think the Niseko United area could stand more tourists in the peak season if there were major infrastructure improvements in Kutchan to support more tourists? I am thinking that main Hirafu area is pretty much at a perfect balance point right now. Few queue when it is peak/busy/weekends, but yet enough people to make the local businesses profitable.

 

What about the other resorts in the area - those that need developing...are they easily accessed from Kutchan?

If the money was being spent in town, then the roads in town would be getting attended to...it is certainly worth looking into. Rather than complaining about the changes - asking how can we make these changes pay off for US...

[Go Native 70]

There is obviously some jealousy and resentment of the foreigners coming in and creating such success out of something that was stagnating and going nowhere. Just as there was some resentment in Aus in the '80's when the Japanese were coming in and buying up half of Qld. The same in any country where the minority are doing better than the majority. This is unavoidable.

 

MB only Hirafu and Hanazono fall in the Kutchan council area. Higashiyama and Annupuri fall under the Niseko town's jurisdiction.

 

Hirafu currently has nowhere near enough beds to come even close to reaching the lifting capacity of the Hirafu area. That said the main problem is that there are only two access lifts to get up the mountain to all the other lifts, neither of which are all that fast or efficient. And as has been noted on these forums before the lifties are not into forcing people to fill a lift and it can be very frustrating when there is a queue in the morning and only two people get on a four seater lift.

 

The free night shuttle bus to Kutchan this year was often absolutely packed which means plenty of people are making their way down into Kutchan. And they all go down with the intention of spending money in local businesses (unlike a lot of the local populace who flush their money away into the ridiculously numerous pachinko machines). More and more longer term staff are living and buying houses in Kutchan and some of the larger companies are looking at housing their seasonal staff down in Kutchan as well. The town and it's businesses are definitely benefiting.

 

If we had a mayor with vision they would be doing all they could to convince locals of these benefits and encouraging as much investment as possible in Kutchan itself. They would have a vision of how to go about this and possibly visit some towns elsewhere in the world that have grown and benefited from a nearby developing ski area. They wouldn't be accepting the negative notions put to them in interviews on the TV but would be vigorously promoting all the benefits whilst assuring people that any negatives can be managed and dealt with. If only I could run for mayor....

 

 

[Mike Pow 52]

If you, or any other person residing in the area from outside of Hokkaido, could become mayor then maybe, just maybe the biggest asset in this area - namely the Niseko United Ski Area and the people behind it - could get a massive kick up the arse.

 

If the management behind Niseko United has aspirations to become an internationally renowned ski area then they are failing miserably IMHO.

 

They couldn't run a bath.

[HelperElfMissy 42]

You would be a good mayor GN!

 

I see the issues you are talking about. Small things make a difference don't they - like if the bus to Kutchan was packed - maybe they can get more people into kutchan with more buses?

 

A lot of ski-jo's don't have such close accomodation as Niseko - so it is completely feasable to have people commuting from Kutchan. And Hanazono is WAY underutilized.

 

Yup quicker lifts would be good - you not only 'cool down' on the Ace Quad - you get frostbite it takes so long!! With the numbers coming there should be the $$ to improve that. They made a start with the holiday lift renovations summer 07 - fingers crossed for something more, hey?

[Go Native 70]

 Originally Posted By: MikePow

If you, or any other person residing in the area from outside of Hokkaido, could become mayor then maybe, just maybe the biggest asset in this area - namely the Niseko United Ski Area and the people behind it - could get a massive kick up the arse.

If the management behind Niseko United has aspirations to become an internationally renowned ski area then they are failing miserably IMHO.

They couldn't run a bath.

Couldn't agree more Mike. The biggest thing holding back Niseko ski area currently is the completely inept management by Tokyu Resorts. They failed for years to increase the domestic market and now they just haven't got any clue of what's going on. God how I wish someone would come in and buy them out. Development of the reosrt will always be hamstrung whilst Tokyu remain the owners.

[JellyBelly 1]

Are they not up for selling?

[Fattwins 0]

No one has been able to increase the domestic market! The Domestic market is in decline for more many reasons. Skiers/Riders from Tokyo and Osaka know that there is good snow just a 2 to 4 hours drive away. It will be hard to get them to fly to Hokkaido for the weekend. The domestic market realistically only skis weekends! Thus Hokkaido's real domestic market is on the island itself. By selling out your accommodation 4 months before the season starts really does not help to build a domestic market. This is great for the lodges for sure but it doesn't help once the lodges aren't full like now. There are very view resorts that understand the domestic market at this point in time.