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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January 12, 2023. Hokkaido Newspaper.
Niseko's ski resort visitors recover to more than double last winter. Foreigners have returned to Niseko. However a decrease in tourism industry staff and the lack of passenger transportation are issues for the ski resort. The number of visitors to ski resorts in the Niseko area of Kutchan Town, which has continued to be sluggish due to the Coronavirus pandemic, has greatly recovered this winter. This is because the Japanese Government relaxed immigration restrictions in October 2022 and foreign visitors from Australia and Southeast Asia, which had been the mainstay of the ski resorts, have returned to almost 80% of the pre-pandemic numbers. On the other hand, amid the Coronavirus pandemic, the number of tourism industry personnel has decreased and passenger transportation is struggling to handle the influx of tourists. There are not enough people to service the requirements of those visitors that are now arriving and it is necessary to rebuild the tourist infrastructure system. At Niseko Village Ski Resort on January 7. there were many foreign skiers lined up at the gondola platform. Peter Stoort (42) and Christina Katsimberdis (41), a married couple from Australia who visited the Niseko area for the first time in five years, said with a smile, “Niseko has the best snow quality in the world. We are enjoying the hot springs every day. We hope to come back next winter.” In December 2022, the total number of people transported by lifts and gondolas at the four major ski resorts in the Niseko area reached approximately 1,399,900. This figure represents a 230% increase than in the same month of the previous year. This winter, the relaxation of immigration restrictions and the depreciation of the yen have been a tailwind, and the number of visitors and riders has returned to 78% of the approximately 1,784,600 recorded in December 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic began. Mr. Tanaka, Manager of the Niseko Village management company, said, “I'm very happy with the recovery in customer traffic and I'm looking forward to the second half of the season.” However, there are many challenges to a complete recovery for the ski resort. The tourism industry is facing a serious workforce shortage to cater for the influx of tourists and stiff competition from other markets and countries. The competition to acquire human resources has intensified as a reaction to the reduction in staffing levels at accommodation and dining facilities due to the Covid19 trainwreck. Foreign seasonal staff and the backpacker workforce, which many companies had previously relied on, who stay for a long period of time on working holidays and are responsible for English language support have had a short preparation period after the relaxation of immigration restrictions last fall to organize work visas and the Japanese yen's depreciation has affected the wages earned in foreign currency conversion. As of the end of December 2022, Kutchan had 1,663 registered foreign residents, about 30% less than before the pandemic. A condominium and vacation home management company has only 60% of the staff needed for cleaning guest rooms and food and beverage service this winter season compared to before the pandemic. A company executive revealed, “Due to a shortage of staff, we have had to reduce our operating hours and room availability and are currently accepting reservations at 10 to 20% less than our capacity.” In the Niseko area, the decline in transport capacity is very serious, with some taxi companies reducing their number of vehicles in service by more than 20% due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Osmar Kardin (52), and Shafina Akbar (50) who came to ski from Malaysia, tried to return to their hotel in Niseko Town from JR Kutchan Station on January 4, but there were no taxis in front of the train station, and they were forced to wait about 50 minutes for a public bus. “When we leave the hotel, the taxis are already fully booked, so we have to rely on the bus. It takes a long time to get around the resort,” he said. Due to the shortage of buses and taxis operating between New Chitose Airport and the Niseko area, many foreigners are forced to take the train and travel from the airport to Niseko via Sapporo Station. Niseko Ground Service, a travel agency in the town of Kutchan, reports that they have received a total of 400 taxi reservations for this same route this winter, but had to turn down about 100 clients. In order to avoid this mess, the company said, “It is necessary for the accommodation facilities to inform their overseas guests to book as early as possible for taxis and transportation services.” Under these circumstances, local tourism officials are calling for drastic measures such as long-term training of tourism human resources and the expansion of taxi transportation beyond the company's service area. January 10, 2023. Hokkaido Newspaper.
A series of fatal snow accidents in Hokkaido have claimed seven lives, more than twice as many as last winter. Authorities are urging people to be aware of rising temperatures after snowfall. In Hokkaido, this winter, there have been a series of fatal accidents caused by people falling from roofs while removing snow. On January 8, the death of a man who apparently fell of his roof while clearing snow in Sunagawa City was confirmed, and by January 9, at least seven people had died. Last winter saw 29 deaths, the highest number in five years, but this winter the number of deaths has more than doubled compared to the same period last winter. This winter, after a large amount of snowfall, the temperature rose suddenly, and there have been many cases where people were caught in snow falling off roofs. According to the Sapporo District Meteorological Observatory, heavy snowfall is expected mainly in the Ishikari district on January 10, and high temperatures are expected throughout Hokkaido from January 11, leading the SDMO to call for caution in the next few days. In Sunagawa City, around 2:40 pm on January 8, local residents found Mr. Horikawa, aged 72, collapsed in front of his house at East 5-South 19, Sunagawa. He was later confirmed dead. According to the Takikawa Police Station, Mr. Horikawa lived alone and there was a shovel left on the roof of the first floor when he was found. Police suspect that Mr. Horikawa accidentally fell while clearing snow from the roof. The snow depth in Takikawa City, the closest observation point to Sunagawa City, as of 7:00 pm on January 9, was 79 centimeters, which is 1.2 times that of an average year. Mr. Sako, aged 82, who lives in Mr. Horikawa’s neighborhood, said, “It's snowing a lot at once this season. I'm afraid that the roof will break because of the weight of the snow, so I have no choice but to remove the snow frequently.” According to Hokkaido Police reports, there were at least six fatal accidents in Hokkaido between mid-December of last year and January 9 of this year, in which people fell from roofs while removing snow or were caught in falling snow from roofs. Seven people died. They were all between the ages of 50 to 80, and four were aged 65 or older. According to Hokkaido Government statistics, as of January 9, there were 3 deaths last winter. Last winter, Hokkaido recorded the highest number of deaths for the entire season in the last five years, but this winter already Hokkaido has already recorded four more deaths than the same period last winter. Last winter, localized heavy snowfall began in mid-January, causing a sharp increase in the number of deaths. Over the past five years, the average number of fatalities for the entire season was 17.6 people. According to the Japan Meteorological Observatory, this winter's snowfall is on par with the average year across Hokkaido, but it is characterized by localized heavy snowfall in some areas such as eastern, northern, and central Hokkaido. Most of the fatal accidents occurred when the temperature rose after a large amount of snowfall. On December 27 last year, two men who were removing snow from the roof of a recycling plant in Otoineppu Village in the Kamikawa district, were caught in falling snow and fell to their deaths. On December 23, four days before the accident, 76 centimeters of snow fell in the village. After that, the maximum temperature on December 27, the day of the accident, was 1.9 degrees Celsius, 4.5 degrees higher than the average year. In Hokkaido, the temperature is expected to rise after heavy snowfall events. According to the Japan Meteorological Observatory, on January 10, 50cm of snow is expected in the Ishikari region due to a significant winter atmospheric pressure pattern. Furthermore, the temperature will rise significantly after January 11, and the maximum temperature is expected to be similar to that of late March to early April across all of Hokkaido. The Hokkaido Police and the Hokkaido Prefectural Government are urging the public that more than one person should be engaged in snow removal from roofs and other locations at all times and that people should wear non-slip shoes and take other measures to prevent falls. January 7, 2023. Hokkaido Newspaper.
Hong Kong Real Estate Giant to build resort villas in Kutchan to expand the scale of the ski resort. Pacific Century Premium Developments, a major real estate developer in Hong Kong, announced on January 6, that it is planning to develop resort villas on about 25 hectares of land around Niseko Hanazono Ski Resort in Kutchan Town. The Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono and the Niseko Hanazono Ski Resort are owned and operated by the group. The company has already announced plans to develop approximately 70 hectares in the surrounding area. PCPD is aiming to expand the scale of the resort in anticipation of the conclusion of the Coronavirus pandemic, and to strengthen its function as a destination for wealthy overseas people. The vacation homes will be located along a 1km stretch of the Kutchan-Niseko Route 58 from east to west. The number of villas to be built has not been disclosed, but it is expected to be in the dozens. Site preparation work is scheduled to begin at the end of April and be completed by the end of November next year. Construction of the villas will begin in 2024. The completion date for the project has not yet been determined. Drilling for hot springs is also underway. On the development site already announced by Pacific Century Premium Developments, the Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono luxury hotel opened in 2020. The Nikko Style Niseko Hanazono Hotel is currently under construction on an adjacent site. PCPD also plans to build 14 villas on 6.4 hectares in the area. January 7, 2023. Hokkaido Newspaper.
Kutchan Town Drafts New Rules for Resort Development, Limits Total Floor Area of Accommodations Facilities and Considers Ordinances for Forest Landscape. On January 6, Kutchan Town, in the Shiribeshi district of Hokkaido, presented a draft of new rules for resort development in harmony with the environment and landscape at Kutchan Town’s study committee. In the areas surrounding existing hotels and condominiums, the new rules stipulate that the total floor area of accommodation facilities should be 10,000 square meters or less, and Kutchan Town will also guide the layout and structure of these new facilities to blend in with the forest and natural environment. Regulations on development areas will also be strengthened to prevent building over-crowding. After amending related ordinances, Kutchan Town is scheduled to implement these new rules from the autumn of 2023. In Kutchan Town, active investment by foreign capital continues in anticipation of the aftermath of the Coronavirus pandemic. The new rules are aimed at preventing overdevelopment and the uncontrolled expansion of development areas. However, due to difficulties in drafting the proposal, the implementation target date of the new rules has been extended by one year. Even after the new regulations become enforced, there will be a grace period of three years for the implementation of the regulations regarding the total floor area of accommodation facilities. It is likely to take even more time for the new rules to come into effect. Kutchan Town’s new regulations on the allowable total floor space of accommodation facilities cover a wide area of the ski resort, including the popular Hirafu area and the Hanazono ski resort area. Kutchan Town’s initial proposal on the allowable total floor space of future accommodation facilities was set at 1,000 square meters or less, with some exceptions granted for developments of accommodation facilities to be limited to under 3,000 square meters or less. Kutchan Town’s original proposal on the allowable total floor space of future accommodation facilities has been eased considerably in response to comments that it was not enough to give the facilities a luxurious feel. In the central Hirafu area, construction on the same scale in terms of total floor space as existing major condominiums in the area will be possible. On the other hand, a spokesperson for Kutchan Town said that, “Kutchan Town has decided to keep the ratio of the total floor area to the site area (floor area ratio) below 50% so that the buildings will be buried in greenery.” In addition, in all districts of the ski resort, except the existing development area in the Hirafu area, Kutchan Town’s new regulations on the land site size area of a single building will be set at 1,000 square meters or more, to prevent the overcrowding of villas. New rules for the Green Coverage Rate will be established for each district. Henceforth, Kutchan Town will solicit public opinion from local residents and submit revisions to related ordinances to the town council in preparation for the enforcement of the new rules. |
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