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Finally, an investment company in Tokyo (unfortunately it's not my company) is going to buy several ski resorts and raise funds for ski resort reconstruction. This company already bought Kawaba resort in Gunma.

It must be really cheap to buy ski resorts now but it'll take lots of money for reconstruction. Sounds pretty risky. I'm curious to see which ski resorts this company going to buy and how those ski resorts going to get more skiers or snowboarders in a few years. I think there are many possibilities, hmmm, interesting...

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http://www.snownews.jp/modules/news/article.php?storyid=350

 

It says that the fund is backed by Orix. I hope they make a better job of running ski resorts than they do of running a baseball team.

 

Snow News also has a story about a place next to Hakodate called Yokotsu closing down. Yokotsu is a very small resort, but regardless of how good or bad you may think it is, SnowNews said they still got 320,000 people last year. That's a lot of people and more than some of the famous places. It still wasn't enough to keep them going though. Their prices must have been too low. There's no point in having all those customers if you still make a big loss.

 

http://www.snownews.jp/modules/news/article.php?storyid=353

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Mr Wiggles, Yokotsu as far as I am aware is always closing and opening. The first or second year I was here it was closed then re-opened, but haven't heard any news locally about it closing but it is possible

I have a feeling it is connected to Rusutsu Resort (Kamori Group?).

They get some awesome snow up there but the road up is a nightmare, very narrow and slippery. It isn't the biggest place but most consistent coverage and is quite popular with the locals.

The golf course has an awesome view though, a little on the step side!

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The second link says they're not operating this winter and are undecided from next year on.

 

The thing that got me is the 320,000 figure. That's bloody loads of people! If its not a mistake, that would make Yokotsu by far the more popular resort to stop operating. Most of the ones that have closed are 50,000 or so a season places.

 

You can compare that figure with the numbers at the Niigata resorts here.

 

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/features/features-88.html

 

So long as you remember that Naeba is exceptional, this should give you an idea of what I mean.

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