Are you a 'local'?

[snosurf 0]

Hi everyone. I am a tourism student hoping to gather some of your opinions for some research I am currently doing on 'Issues and conflicts in ski resorts which arise as a result of interactions between tourists and the local community .'

 

Basically, I am looking at the current situation in various ski resort communities (including those in Japan)and hi-lighting issues and conflicts that exist. I have formulated a survey below with a short set of questions. PLEASE, if you have time to contribute I would really appreciate it. It won't take long at all (only 7 short questions) Otherwise if you have any suggestions or ideas you can contact me on jeremysmason@hotmail.com

 

The questions are below. You can answer them in a reply to this post. Thanks in advance.

 

Just some quick demographics first:

(i)Where do you live?

(ii)How old are you?

(iii)Are you male or female?

 

1. In the last 3 years, have you witnessed any conflict (ie arguments/fights etc) at a ski resort?

 

( If yes, was the conflict skiing/snowboarding related or another matter?

 

2. What type of tourists do you consider to be the most trouble-some, based on your experiences?

(eg single backpackers, weekenders, group package travellers, couples etc)

 

3. Who do you perceive to be easier to 'get along with' and share the mountain with (choose one):

(a) skiiers

( snowboarders

© It really doesn't matter to me what they ride, It depends on the person.

 

4. For a person to be considered a 'local' (resident) at a ski resort community (eg Hirafu Village, Hakuba Village etc), they must**:

 

(a) Have lived there longer than 5 years

( Lived there for longer than 10 years.

© Be up to a certain standard of skiing/snowboarding.

(d) Live, work and ski in and around the village year-round.

(e) Have family origins/ties to the country/culture of the community

 

(**Select as many of the options as you think are true. You can also add others if you wish.)

 

 

5. How prominent are non-local (foreign) tourism operators in ski resorts/areas you frequently visit (please state which resort(s))?

 

Name of resort:________________

 

(a) Very

( There's a handful

© About 50/50

(d) Not many non-local operators

(e) Don't Know

 

6. Do you think that the way tourists generally behave amongst one another is acceptable:

(i) On the mountain (skiing/boarding)?

(ii) Off the mountain (especially during nightlife activities?)

 

7. Do you think that the presence of ski bums in ski resort communites are a negative or positive thing in terms of community harmony?

 

Yes or No?

 

8. Have you ever ski-bummed a season (in the snow) anywhere?

 

Where:

When:

For How Long:

 

***********END SURVEY*************THANKS!!!

 

Tip: Copy and paste entire survey into a reply then you can answer it like a form. Cheers.

[ghostofwar 0]

This is not really related to your survey at all, but the idea of being "local" made me think of it... do you guys suppose the Japanese can spot us gaijin under all that snow gear? I mean, with a scarf up around my mouth, hat down over my head, and goggles around my eyes, do I still pop out as a foreigner, or am a little less distinguishable?

 

Though I guess anybody who ducks the ropes would be nailed as a gaijin no matter what they're wearing...

[damian 0]

Interesting survey and term of reference. I won’t fill it out as I do not live in Japan. But I will mention that my perspective as an Australian is that the concept of ‘being a local’ is detrimentally much stronger in Australia and to Australians than it is in the places I know in Japan and Europe. Additionally, when Australians arrive in a foreign place there is an instant pecking order of localism determined by who has been there the longest (which personally I find quite laughable unless it is being used to extend valuable local knowledge on avalanche conditions etc). The only obvious sense of ´non-local’ I detect in my corners of Europe is local resident employees vs British seasonal workers. But they are both subsets of the larger class of industry employees. They are not a mutually exclusive set of customers.

 

Other people use the term ‘local’ but not with the same level of meaning as Australians (unless you are talking surfing, where there is a ‘local’ issue in most countries these days)

 

It would be pretty unreal if a Chamonix local was to get into an altercation with a Verbier local when he visited the neighbouring resort. Likewise a Japanese from Shiga Kogen getting a cold aggressive reception from the Japanese ‘local’ at Nozawa.

 

It is quintessentially a reflection of Australian localism to ask about the problems of localism.

[Ocean11 0]

 Quote:

Originally posted by ghostofwar:
do you guys suppose the Japanese can spot us gaijin under all that snow gear? I mean, with a scarf up around my mouth, hat down over my head, and goggles around my eyes, do I still pop out as a foreigner, or am a little less distinguishable?

Yes, you are distinguishable because you smell of butter.

[eskimobasecamp 0]

Or look at it this way....... when i was in NZ, i could totally tell if riders were Japanese or not....... and it was their snow gear that gave the game away on that front.

 

So like maybe it works both ways? Personally i always have a bit of blonde hair sticking out... but maybe i'm mistaken for one of those dodgy too much tan harajuku girls? Yeh probably.

[kintaro 0]

It might also be how you ride. I've noticed a difference in how I ride and how J-boarders ride. It's hard to explain but there is a certain level of visible caution with J-riders in my opinion.

[ghostofwar 0]

Yeah I know what you mean, the Japanese seem to ride very conservatively. It almost looks to me a lot of times like they're not even having fun.