Opinions on Japanese ski property

[Wilwarner 0]

Where ever you get a large influx of Australians chasing value for money holidays you are going to get a dilution of the true culture that originally existed.Lets face it in all the Anglosaxon Aussies are a pretty insensitive bunch generally speaking.

 

Look at the transition of Bali from the early 70`s to the early 90`s.Not much cultural authenticity was considered on entry there , it was all about hedonistic persuits.Winter holiday persuits would not fall far short of hedonist motivation, culture does not really enetr the equation, with that comes the entreapenuers.

 

Historically comparison of the assimilation of aboriginal culture when white man arrived compared to somewhere like NZ (where the native language and rituals were observed from the begining).We are stillnegotiating with the rightful owners have taken their land from them years before, culture considerations seem irrelevant.

Indeed Aussies are resiliant, endure tough times etc but it comes with a fairly high level of cultural insensitivety.

 

Japan incoming investors/speculators should consider this when evaluating what type of atmosphere they would like if they are seeking a winter time abode here. Nisekko is bottle necked and prices have risen dramatically and for those seeking a somewhat unnussual ambience of Apre/latenight entetainment along compacted along the likes of a "Legain Street" Aussie drink fest may be best suited to Hiraffu/Nisseko.

 

Those seeking a solid window of the same quality powder with steeper terrain and the more Japanese cultural ambience perhaps Hakuba is more suited. Prices in Hakuba have hardly moved and because of the amount of space and 13 ski fields in the vacinity there may be no bottle neck to support a sudden shift upwards. But very low entry costs and a 3 month season with self generated rentals by mere word of mouth amoung friends you will have a higher chance higher rental return on investment ,merely because of the low entry costs.

Hakuba operators may seem more inexperienced however I beleive one of the realtors there has been in the building game in the district for over 12 years, I would have far more confidence in an ex builder than a guru developer.

 

Your reason for buying should deteremine where you go, Hirafu is easy access meaning that you and the rest of Australia can get there in a flash to enjoy the abundant powder on comparitively flat terrain.Or for those who started out with this project with the sole purpose of skiing/board sick terrain, I would view the inconvenience of getting to Hakuba combined with the steepness as critical factors. The crowd won`t kill the place within the short term, and you won`t outgrow the terrain once having overcome the initial phenomonen of deep powder.

[me jane 0]

 Quote:

Originally posted by Drop Inn:
Where ever you get a large influx of Australians chasing value for money holidays you are going to get a dilution of the true culture that originally existed.

True, but it's not something that only Australians are guilty of. Party hungry Brits have done the same thing to lots of Southern European beach resorts. I'm sure lots of countries have their Bali or Ibiza.

[holo 0]

Drop Inn, good to get the perspective of a Hakuba local, thanks for posting.

 

From our perspective, i can only say I would much prefer a more authentic cultural experience. That is why Hakuba appeals more than Niseko, not just the price.

[damian 0]

Drop-in, I enjoyed your post.

 

Lost in one of my long posts sometimes ago I joked: If a snowflake fell in Japan before Australians were buying property there, did it really fall?

 

I sense an oddly Australian air these days of Japanese ski assets being a god given right of Australian's, 'cause damn, (sarcasm) the Japanese certainly don't know what to do with it. They built loads of shit resorts that are going bust, they ski conservatively and don't go out of bounds, they don't have nightlife, they don't hog into powder with the individualistic competitive fixed gaze of a dog on heat. They neglect town after town of ultra cheap near resort real estate just rusting and crumbling.

 

Looking at forums in Oz, talking around the place, feeling a sense of things. It seems that individual Australian skiers are incorrectly viewing themselves as the discoverers of Japanese snow resources. I used to think like that, then I realised that in the country of Japan, the Japanese are entitled to do with their snow as they see fit.

 

It is an intangible notion, but I recon a lot of Australians somehow hold that Japan and its snow didn't really exist before they "discovered" it. That's deluded self importance at play.

 

As for Niseko - it's Balinisation is deeply underway. This is a joke, but there will come a time when an Australian snowboarding yobbo will blurt, as though it were a suburb of Sydney: "the problem with Niseko is theres too many Asians".

[SA 0]

Bold plans holo. Good luck with it.

[Pascal 0]

I like to be balanced about these things (or try to be anyway). There are obviously both positives and negatives of the Niseko experience.

 

Hopefully, other resort areas in Japan can learn from what has taken place in Niseko to help revitalize local economies - and this is sorely needed, but do so in a less disruptive way.

 

I think a win-win is possible.