insights from frontier Japan

Towering over the northern side of Rusutsu Resort (Rusutsu Village, Shiribeshi region), Mt. Shiribetsu (1,107 meters) is a prime destination for many mountain skiers and snowboarders for its powder snow. It is popular for viewing the nearby Mt. Yotei (1,898 meters) and skiing the steep slopes that are largely free of trees, but snowslide remnants and snow cornice cracks have dotted the area.

This summer, in a residential house surrounded by fields of potatoes and beets in a village called Makkari in Hokkaido’s Shiribeshi region, Henry Blake Turner, a 40-year-old from the U.K., started a real estate company — the only one in the village. The agency deals with properties in the village and the towns of Kyogoku and Rankoshi, as well as other towns in the vicinity of Niseko.

This summer, Henry Blake Turner from the UK and wife Megumi established the sole real estate company in the village of Makkari, which is situated in Central Hokkaido's Niseko area. They are focusing on sales that make property purchasing financially accessible to more moderate budgets.

Yamamoto Takao moved to a regional village from the city. Snowboarding was the catalyst for whole family’s choice in relocating. A glimpse of a new regional lifestyle can be seen in the café in which urban experiences are put to use in the region.