August 31, 2023. Hokkaido Newspaper.
On August 30, Kamori Kanko, based in Sapporo, which operates Rusutsu Resort, announced new pricing for their one-day gondola and lift tickets for the regular season which runs December 16, 2023 to March 17, 2024. For adults (19 to 64 years old), the new price will be 11,500 yen, which is 30.7% higher than the previous season’s 8,800 yen. The reason for this is the increase in electricity, fuel and labor costs. A Kamori Kanko spokesperson said, “On the other hand, we will strengthen sales of low-priced advance-sale 30-hour tickets and focus on acquiring repeat customers.” Kamori Kanko raised the price of one-day tickets by about 35% last year, making this the second consecutive year of significant increases, but the price for online purchases will be kept at 9,700 yen, in an effort to ease the burden on customers and reduce crowding at their ticket offices. The price of a 30-hour advance ticket will be 30,000 yen, an increase of 9% from the previous season. The ticket can be used on any date during the season, and will be sold for a limited time from November 1 to December 8 (online purchase available). The 30-hour advance ticket is called the “25-hour ticket + 5”. It is the same price as the 25-hour ticket but you can ski for 5 hours longer. These unlimited ride tickets consume remaining time in units of one hour, and are good for those who want to take a lunch break in between skiing. A Kamori Kanko spokesperson said, “We want to make strategic price revisions that will increase the satisfaction level of repeat local visitors from Hokkaido and overseas guests staying on long-term vacations. These price increases will lead to improved services at the resort.” Kamori Kanko also plans to improve the facilities at the adjacent hotel. Details can be found on the resort's website.
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August 8, 2023. Hokkaido Newspaper.
A woman in her 20s who lives in Shiribeshi was defrauded of 1 million yen by a man who claimed to be from the Japanese Immigration Bureau. A foreign woman in her 20s living in Shiribeshi reported to the Kutchan Police Station on August 7, that she had been defrauded of a total of 1 million yen in cash by men claiming to be from the Japanese Immigration Bureau. The police are investigating it as a special case of fraud. According to the Kutchan Police, on August 4, a man claiming to be from the Japanese Immigration Bureau called the woman, and said, “Your phone number has been used for a crime, and an arrest warrant has been issued for you.” A man claiming to be from the Shanghai Police in China asked her to make two transfers of 500,000 yen each to a specified account so that they could check the amount of money in her possession. On that same day, the woman transferred a total of 1,000,000 yen in cash to the designated account in two separate transfers. After transferring the funds, the phone calls instructing her to deposit the money continued, and the woman became suspicious and consulted the Kutchan Police Station, which led to the discovery of the fraud. July 4, 2023. Hokkaido Newspaper.
Chinese-funded real estate company constructing a 74-unit housing complex for hotel employees in Niseko. Construction to start in August 2023. A Chinese-owned real estate company, Space Sail, based in Tokyo, announced plans to build a 74-unit large-scale housing complex on their Soga, Niseko site. It is one of the largest housing complexes in the Niseko area, and is expected to accommodate employees of nearby hotels. Construction will begin in August 2023 and is expected to be completed by August next year. With the end of the Japanese government's border restrictions to curtail the spread of the coronavirus, the number of foreign tourists is expected to further increase, Space Sail’s collective housing development is a move to strengthen the staffing capacity of accommodation facilities in the Niseko area in the future by building staff accommodation units. According to a Space Sail spokesperson, a four-story reinforced concrete housing complex with a total floor area of 3,480 square meters will be built on a site of approximately 2,400 square meters. There will be two types of rooms: 23 to 25 square meters for 1 or 2 people, and 44 to 50 square meters for 4 people. There will also be a dining room for residents. The company’s plan is to provide all the units on a rental basis. The rent and total project costs have not yet been determined. In addition to hotels, such as the Hilton Niseko Village in the vicinity of the planned Space Sail staff accommodation complex site, a Hong Kong-based company is also planning to build large-scale condominium. June 5, 2023. Hokkaido Newspaper.
Kutchan Town has decided to charge for parking at the Hirafu No.1 Municipal Parking Lot in front of the Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu ski resort in order to reduce congestion. For the 2023~2024 winter ski season Kutchan Town will experiment with charging a parking fee for a portion of the Hirafu No.1 Municipal Parking Lot. The parking lot accommodates 470 cars and is currently free of charge. Kutchan Town is considering redevelopment of the area to improve convenience and lessen congestion. Last year, Kutchan Town solicited the opinions of private businesses, and as a result, a series of proposals were made to charge for parking in order to alleviate congestion in the parking lot, which worsens in the winter. For the 2023~2024 winter ski season, Kutchan Town will conduct a demonstration experiment to charge a parking fee for a portion of the parking lot nearest the ski resort. Kutchan Town plans to use the results of this experiment to determine the needs of users and the effect of charging for parking on easing congestion. The parking fee for this coming winter season experiment is currently under consideration and not finalized. Based on the results of this experiment, Kutchan Town plans to finalize a basic plan for redevelopment of the Hirafu No.1 Municipal Parking Lot by the end of 2024 and publicly solicit business proposals for the development of a paid parking lot. Kutchan Town plans to charge for parking for the entire parking lot after the redevelopment of the Hirafu No.1 Municipal Parking Lot. The amount to be charged and whether to collect parking fees in the summer are still undecided. Underground and multi-level parking redevelopment is expected to be considered, and it is expected that it will take several years to select a contractor, construct, and complete the project. In addition, Kutchan Town has also decided to convert the second municipal parking lot on the north side, by the gondola, into a multi-level parking structure, and to secure approximately 500 spaces in both parking lots. March 25, 2023. Hokkaido Newspaper.
Rapid recovery of overseas visitors exacerbates serious labor shortage in the Niseko ski resort region. Job-to-applicants ratio is 9 times higher than before the Covid19 crisis. In the international ski resort area of Niseko, the labor shortage is becoming increasingly serious as the number of visitors from overseas recovers following the relaxation of immigration restrictions by the Japanese Government imposed during the Covid19 trainwreck. In particular, the active job openings-to-applicants ratio for hospitality-related work such as in accommodation facilities is around 8 to 9 times, reaching a higher level than before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Hotel operators and other businesses are already working hard to secure foreign workers for the upcoming winter season as early as this spring, and there are even moves to offer some of the winter-only staff year-round employment. Within the jurisdiction of the Kutchan Branch of the Iwanai Public Employment Security Office, which has jurisdiction over the Niseko area, the active job openings-to-applicants ratio in the service industry was 9.33 times in January and 7.76 times in February. The Food and Beverage preparation sector also remained in the 4-5 times range of job openings-to-applicants. According to a spokesman of the Kutchan Branch of the Iwanai Public Employment Security Office, the number of job openings at accommodation facilities and restaurants in the area, far exceeds the number of applicants. The number of job openings in both the accommodation and restaurant industries dropped to zero between 2020 and 2021, when the number of foreign visitors plummeted due to the Coronavirus pandemic, but the tourism sector has recovered sharply since then with the Japanese Government opening the borders and removing travel restrictions. Even before Covid19, labor shortages were an issue at the ski resort with the number of active job openings-to-applicants ratio in the customer service and waitstaff category at 6.0 times and the active job openings-to-applicants ratio in the food and beverage preparation industry at 3 times. Since October 2022 when Japan opened up again to the world, the ski resort saw a sudden influx of tourists and now the labor shortages are glaringly acute. According to the four major ski resorts operators in the Niseko ski resort area, the total number of people transported by lifts and gondolas between December 2022 and March 2023 was approximately 7.91 million. This represents a number 2.4 times higher than the previous season and marks a return to 87% of the number recorded during the same period between 2018-2019. An official at the Kutchan Branch of the Iwanai Public Employment Security Office said, “Since the number of employees was reduced due to Covid19, the number of staff at accommodation facilities and other industries still has not fully recovered in response to the rapid recovery in the number of customers visiting this winter season.” The acute shortage of human resources is expected to linger even through the summer tourist season, and the active job openings-to-applicants ratio is likely to remain high for the foreseeable future, partly due to the increased recruitment activities of companies looking ahead to next winter. An executive of a management company servicing condominiums and vacation homes in the area revealed his anguish, saying, “Even if we were able to secure enough human resources for our food and beverage services, cleaning services, etc., some of our staff were lured away to other companies.” As a countermeasure, the company raised salaries for full-time employees by more than 17%, and in order to prepare for this winter season, some of the foreign staff, which had been hired only for the winter, have been offered year-round employment. The Kutchan office of Kyowa General Management, based in Otaru, which is a cleaning, linen, laundry and security company for more than a dozen hotels and other businesses in the Niseko area, had no choice but to turn down new requests for services this winter on a daily basis due to a shortage of staff. Director Mr. Kanazawa said, “As new accommodation facilities continue to open, the amount of work will increase. KGM has been taking measures to cope with this situation by raising the staff's hourly wages by about 10% over the past two years, and from this summer, for the first time, Vietnamese technical interns will be assigned to work for the company.” Niseko Village Ski Resort in Niseko Town, which operates five affiliated hotels, needs several hundred winter staff and will begin recruiting English-speaking foreigners in earnest this spring in preparation for next winter. Mr. Tanaka, General Manager of the Management Division of Niseko Village Ski Resort, said, “We are moving ahead with hiring faster than before the Coronavirus pandemic. We would like to greatly increase the number of ski instructors and other staff.” March 25, 2023. Hokkaido Newspaper.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism announced the official government land prices as of January 1 this year on March 22 and official land prices in Kutchan rose 3%. Real estate transactions that were stagnant during the Covid19 pandemic have bounced back with one real estate agent saying that, “This year is going to be lively, with prices and transactions rising again.” Official land prices in Kutchan Town increased by only 3% year-on-year in the ski resort area and in the town center, falling below the previous year’s figures for the fourth consecutive year. People involved in the real estate industry believe that the temporary stagnation in property transactions due to the Coronavirus pandemic is a factor, and that the rate of increase in property transactions is likely to increase again in the future. The highest price per square meter for residential land was 156,000 Yen for a plot of land located at Niseko Hirafu 5-3-17-15, in the ski resort area. This represents a 3.3% increase compared to the previous year however, It fell below the 11.9% increase recorded in March 2022. The highest price per square meter for commercial land was 130,000 Yen for a plot of land located at South 1 West 1-40-1 in the center of Kutchan Town. This represents a 3.2% increase however last year, land in this area rose 4.1%. Mr. Hashizume, President of Niseko Alpine Development, a real estate company in the ski resort town, commented on the situation in the resort area, saying, “The impact of the Coronavirius trainwreck left foreign investors unable to come to Japan because of travel restrictions. Now, with the borders open again, real estate transactions are increasing and land prices are expected to rise again.” However, there is not a lot of land left for development in the central part of the Hirafu district of Kutchan Town, and the area where a high rate of property price increase is expected will move to the Hanazono district in the northern part of Kutchan Town. A spokesperson for another real estate company in Kutchan Town said, “Since the beginning of the year, there has been an increase in the number of inquiries and purchases of land in the downtown area for housing and stores by customers from Hong Kong and other countries.” March 25, 2023. Hokkaido Newspaper.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism announced the official government land prices as of January 1 this year on March 22. The average land price for all commercial, residential, and industrial use land in Hokkaido rose for the seventh consecutive year, up 6.8% from the previous year, the highest rate of increase among all prefectures in Japan. Land prices continued to rise in the Sapporo area, which includes the cities of Sapporo and Kitahiroshima, due to redevelopment following the extension of the Hokkaido Shinkansen to Sapporo and the construction of a new baseball stadium for the professional baseball team Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. The residential land price increases in the Sapporo area dominated the top 100 in Japan, while the commercial land price increases ranked all in the top 10. This is the first time that the rate of property price increases in Hokkaido dominated the national top 100 for residential areas and the top 10 for commercial areas. The six cities of Sapporo, Kitahiroshima, Ebetsu, Eniwa, Chitose, and Ishikari led the national residential property price increase areas, and the four cities of Kitahiroshima, Ebetsu, Eniwa, and Chitose dominated the commercial property land price increase areas. Residential land prices in Hokkaido increased by 7.6% for the fifth consecutive year. Due to the increased time spent at home due to the Covid19 pandemic, demand for owner-occupied homes has risen, and land prices in Sapporo rose 15.0%. Demand expanded to the suburbs, which are more affordable than central Sapporo, with Teine Ward rising by 22.1%, and Ebetsu, Eniwa, Kitahiroshima, Chitose, and Ishikari each rising by more than 20%. Property prices at 1-10-3, Kyoei-cho, Kitahiroshima City, which has the highest rate of increase nationwide, increased by 30.0%. Surrounding cities and suburbs around Sapporo, have relatively low property price levels, so even a small price increase tends to increase the rate of increase exponentially. Commercial land prices in Hokkaido also increased by 4.9% for the eighth consecutive year. The highest rate of increase nationwide was 1-1-3 in Sakae-cho, Kitahiroshima City, which is located in an area where the new Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters Baseball Stadium is being built. This development is spurring demand and prices. Property prices in this neighborhood rose 28.4% from last year. In Sapporo, where the redevelopment of the central downtown area continues, rent increased by 9.7% for the 10th consecutive year. Demand for office buildings is strong, and demand for stores, restaurants and bars in Susukino is on a recovery trend. On the other hand, land prices continued to fall in former coal-producing areas and other areas with declining and aging populations. A total of five sites in the Sorachi region (Nae Town, Akabira City, Ashibetsu City, Fukagawa City, and Muroran City) were among the top 10 residential property price areas in Japan in terms of the rate of decline. The top 10 cities in Japan in terms of the rate of decline for commercial land included Mukawa Town, Yubari City, and Akabira City in the Iburi region, as well as eight other cities. An official of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said, “With the continued concentration of the population in the Sapporo area, Hokkaido has become one of the top places in Japan for both the highest rates of increase and the highest rates of decline.” The highest price per square meter for residential land in Hokkaido was 700,000 Yen for a plot of land located in the upscale residential area of South 1 West 26, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, for the fifth consecutive year. This represents a 7.7% increase compared to the previous year. The highest price per square meter for commercial land was 6,050,000 Yen for a plot of land located at North 4 West 4, which is close to Sapporo Station, for the third consecutive year. This represents an increase of 8.6% compared to the previous year. March 6, 2023. Hokkaido Newspaper.
323 people killed or injured by snow in Hokkaido from November 2022 to February 2023. 80% of the fatalities were caused by accidents during snow removal. On March 6, the Hokkaido Prefectural Government announced that the number of casualties due to snow from November last year to February this year was 323. This figure represent a 6.9% increase or 21 more people than in the same period the previous year. The number of fatalities was 20, a decrease of 6 from the previous year, but 16 people, or 80%, had died while removing snow from roofs. According to the Hokkaido Prefectural Government, 14 of the deceased, or 70%, were aged 65 or older. The number of seriously injured was 80, down 8 from the same period last year, while the number of slightly injured was 223, up 35 from the same period last year. Falls from roofs accounted for the largest number of injuries (99), followed by falls from ladders (68) and snow and ice falling from roofs and hitting people (52). The Hokkaido Crisis Countermeasures Division said, “In March, the temperature will rise and the snow will melt. Please be especially careful of avalanches and falling snow from roofs.” March 6, 2023. Hokkaido Newspaper.
A series of backcountry skiing accidents in Hokkaido: A man died on Mt. Yotei, and a man went missing (later confirmed dead) on Mt. Pekerebetsu in Shimizu Town. On March 5, there were a series of accidents involving backcountry skiers in Hokkaido. On Mt. Yotei (1,898 meters) in Makkari Village, Shiribeshi District, Mr. Fujishima (35), a resident of Toyohira Ward, Sapporo City, was found with a part of his body sticking out of the snow. He was transported to hospital but later confirmed dead at the hospital. A man in his 60s from Niikappu Town, Hidaka, was caught in an avalanche on Mt. Pekerebetsu (1,532 meters) in Shimizu-Town, Tokachi, and was reported missing, later confirmed dead. Around 11:25 am on March 5 in Makkari Village, the local Fire Department was notified by his family that Mr. Fujishima had gone missing while backcountry skiing on Mt. Yotei. According to the Kutchan Police Station, a Hokkaido Police Mountain Rescue Helicopter that received the call found Mr. Fujishima near the 5th Station on the Makkari Village side of Mt. Yotei and airlifted him to hospital, where he was confirmed dead. There was evidence of an avalanche at the scene. Investigators believe he was caught in an avalanche. Mr. Fujishima and his father, who is in his 60s, entered Mt. Yotei around 5 a.m. on March 5. His father reported that they had taken separate routes down the mountain. Also at around 12:20 pm on March 5 on Mt. Pekerebetsu in Shimizu Town, an emergency 110 call was made to report that a skier was caught in an avalanche. According to the Shintoku Police Station, a Hokkaido Police Mountain Rescue Helicopter confirmed that an avalanche trail measuring 250 meters long and 10 meters wide was spotted on the northeastern slope towards the summit of the mountain, and that two skis were seen in the snow but there wasn’t any sign of the missing man. A 12-man Hokkaido Police Mountain Rescue Team will start the search for him from March 6 at 5:30am. According to the people who accompanied him on the descent, the avalanche caught up a man in his 60s from Niikappu Town in the Hidaka Jurisdiction. According to the Shintoku Police Station and other sources, the man was with a total of four people, including a man and a woman from Sapporo and Obihiro, respectively. The other three descended the mountain safely. Everyone entered the mountain for backcountry skiing. The man in his 60s was equipped with a radio wave transmitter/receiver (beacon) but apparently he did not check if it was operating before entering the mountain. According to the Sapporo District Meteorological Observatory, the maximum temperature in Hokkaido on March 5 was as warm as mid-March to mid-April, and an avalanche warning was issued throughout Hokkaido. January 15, 2023. Hokkaido Newspaper.
Local officials call for increased safety measures after an avalanche claimed a life and the number of guided tours in the popular snowy mountains increase. On January 13, a woman believed to be a foreigner who was backcountry skiing outside the ski resort area was killed in an avalanche on Mt.Yotei (1,898 meters). There is a growing sense of danger among local officials and residents who are increasingly concerned about similar accidents occurring. In the Niseko ski resort area, which includes Kutchan Town and Niseko Town, the popularity of backcountry skiing has led to an increase in the number of guides, and local officials point out that safety management skills and protocols amongst guides vary. There is also a preference among skiing enthusiasts to avoid the backcountry rules enforced near the ski resorts and go out into the natural winter mountains that are not bound by the same rules and now there are calls for stronger safety measures throughout the region. “There is demand and money to be made, so there is a real sense that the number of guides is increasing.” A local guide describes the Niseko area as popular among European backcountry enthusiasts in recent years. Some guides even bring their clients from overseas. In the case of yesterday’s tragic accident, the guide is believed to have been a foreigner. Another local guide said, “Some guides are not able to sufficiently perceive the risks involved.” In the case of this most recent accident, several local business operators and those involved in the ski tourism industry have also questioned the judgment of the guide, saying that the tour was carried out in windy conditions and on avalanche-prone slopes. Some observers also point out that the accident occurred on a natural winter mountain not at a ski resort. For more than 20 years, ski resorts in the Niseko area have been operating under the “Niseko Rules,” based on lessons learned from fatal backcountry skiing accidents in the past. These “Niseko Rules” designate which off-piste areas and which backcountry gates will be opened based on weather and snow conditions and strongly encourage the use of safety equipment. Mt. Yotei is not covered by the “Niseko Rules.” Mr. Shintani, Director of the Niseko Avalanche Research Institute, based in Niseko Town, was involved in the decision-making process for the “Niseko Rules" and has been providing avalanche forecasts which are published daily and contain life-saving information about current avalanche and mountain weather and snow conditions in the Niseko ski resort area. Mr. Shintani points out the reality of the situation: “While the “Niseko Rules" are strictly enforced in the ski resorts, many guides take their clients to mountains without rules.” He adds that mountains outside of the resort rules require more extreme caution and worries that, “The more guides who do not understand the true nature of avalanches, the more accidents there will be.” As a result of the easing of Japanese immigration restrictions and the increase in the number of foreign visitors this winter, many skiers and snowboarders have found the backcountry even more appealing. According to a local guide business operator, “More people are heading to Mt. Yotei, where it is easier to get away from the crowds at the resorts, and ski and ride fresh powder snow.” Mr. Yamada, Chairman of the Niseko Winter Guide Association, which is made up of 23 guide operating companies in the Niseko area, said, “Not all of Mt. Yotei is dangerous, and it is the guide's role to choose where it is safe to ski. We would like to improve the sharing of information on the condition of Niseko's mountains in the future.” In response to the accident, local residents have voiced their opinion that the entire ski resort community should further promote training and cooperation among guides. |
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August 2023
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