bushpig 0 Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 yeah, looks interesting, but bad taste is bad taste Link to post Share on other sites
big-will 7 Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 Regardless of who our friend columba is, it will be interesting to see if someone picks it up and how they deal with the a) massive costs they will no doubt face just to get it running and operating and the lack of numbers willing to visit the place. If they were going to want to open this season they'd have to be doing it pretty snappish with all the work they will be faced with. Link to post Share on other sites
columba 0 Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 Let me rephrase. I was told by two totally unconnected people. The first of which told me about a month ago. The story, I believe, was also printed in one of the local newspapers yesterday. The article also said that while negotiations were still ongoing they were cautiously hopeful of getting things up and running around October or November. I don't live in that actual area so I didn't see the paper but this story was in fact printed. I'm backing out now. My family like the place and I was just wondering if anyone else had any more concrete information Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 i think the wink made it not that serious. I had planned on a snowmobile if they did not open. Too long to hike in there from the bottom. If it re-opens great. There are so many prolems facing that resort due to the location. You have myoko, Noz, Hakuba and Shiga kogen all withing a faster cheaper drive time. The right company could turn it around though. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 No need to back out. As will said they will have to get a move on. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 yes but i dont have to rush cause the closer we get to the season the cheaper things get. Link to post Share on other sites
big-will 7 Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 Fattwins, what are you talking about there? Are YOU buying Arai? Link to post Share on other sites
frannyo 2 Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 I'll have two please! I hope someone does open it up. Surely there'd be more news and activity if someone was planning to do this season? Link to post Share on other sites
yamayamayama 2 Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 I asked a (Japanese) friend who lives in Joetsu and he hadn't heard much at all apart from wildly off the mark varied rumors. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 im talking about a sled. Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 I know there are many facts why Arai had to close in terms of operation but I was curious to know story behind the story. Usually there is a parent company behind the operation company and if you know the financial condition of the parent, easy to know the resort is still ok or not. It was not easy to find the parent company of Arai resort and this story is pretty interesting for me, sorry it's Japanese... http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/yukizaru_arakichi/37542911.html a) Operating company - Arai resort (went bankruptcy this summer) Parent company - Reikei (went bankruptcy last year, used to be top shareholder of Sony because the president was the son of Sony founder) c) Holding company - Morita holdings d) Investment company - ?? Many companies related to the resort business and very complicated... Link to post Share on other sites
musclehead 0 Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 I thought that Arai had closed ties with the Sony connection a number of years back. Shame I like the place I hope someone will open it up again. Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Some people will say that it was Sony family cash that was in Arai and that the investment was tax motivated. Link to post Share on other sites
snowbender 3 Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 I had already heard that actually. Apparently Mr Sony was very proud of his helipad just outside of the resort. Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 I have actually heard from a few (trusted) people that there is a high chance that Arai will be opening this season and the news of who the mystery operators will come out in the next 2 weeks. It will be interesting to see what happens there. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 In 2 weeks all the booking will have gone elsewhere so it wont be good for them. b Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 No I don't think so. Of course it's certainly late and far from optimal, but a large number of people have not arranged their winter holidays yet. Anyway my friends were talking about the skijo, not necessarily the hotels. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 Too be honest Arai is a dead ski resort. its a bubble resort (Mess) that is sucking from other places. to keep it going does nothing to improve the situations at other resorts. I prefer to see it stay closed, then to open and then re close like it will. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 Quote: Originally posted by SKI: I have actually heard from a few (trusted) people that there is a high chance that Arai will be opening this season and the news of who the mystery operators will come out in the next 2 weeks. It will be interesting to see what happens there. Harmony people wanted to be able to offer better terrain to their customers so they're picking it up eh? Link to post Share on other sites
lin 0 Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 Why do you think it is more dead than any other of 100 less attractive resorts? The facilities were great, the snow is great. I'd say it was a nicer (for want of a better word) resort to survive than lots of others. I'm sure no company will be interested in doing their bit to improve the situation at other resorts! If they could get rid of a good chunk of their probably ridiculous running costs.... Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 Plain and simple bubble error. In the area and bigger places are Hakuba Nozawa Myoko Shiga Kogen Hard to get to by public transportation. Managing the volume of snow is hard work. No local base for support really for the day ticket system. Nothing to do in the area other than the massive hotel. Japan needs places like this to die or else things will continue to decline at every place. Of course the bank wants to sell it, its an asset really but unless it somehow finds a market niche, didnt find it before then it should die. Lets see it will be the first of November and most people ie families would have booked their winter vacations i would think. I would say that opening this season right now would be a mistake. If they have the ads in place etc maybe but man that is a big maybe. The season is 6 to 7 weeks away! Stay dead Link to post Share on other sites
mina2 6 Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 Many may well have but not hotels and details. I would say the majority have not yet done that. Lots of my local friends here with pension etc get most of their bookings coming in in Nov/Dec/Jan, not before. I think it would be best it really crappy places were the ones to close, rather than the ones that were decent and offered the goods. Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 Quote: Originally posted by lin: Lots of foreigners actually do/did actually go to Arai and it is I think quite English-friendly... it was something they put a decent effort into. Clearly not enough to make it viable though. Compared to Niseko, you'd be bored at Arai in a few days. Not many courses for young kids either, assuming young kids are allowed out in the mega blizzards you get there. When Arai was designed, they expected lift tickets would go up over the years from 5000 to 10000. Instead, they've gone down to 3500 or so if you clip the coupon in the paper, buy at the convenience store, etc. At the prices they currently charge, I don't think any large resort can properly thrive. Not long term with rising fuel costs. The industry simply needs to contract and to charge its core customers more money. It's what they do overseas. Noone cries in Europe, N.America or Australia/NZ if social groups D and E can't afford to go skiing. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 disagree with Arai as it is a huge mistake a bubble mistake that has and never will make money. Link to post Share on other sites
Oyuki kigan 0 Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 Who`s up for hiking Arai this winter? Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts