insights from frontier Japan

Jozankei Onsen is one of Japan’s most famous natural hot-spring resort With over a 150-year history, and more than 75 different naturally occurring hot springs from the bottom of the Toyohira river which runs through the valley, Jozankei is well known to the Japanese public. Often being featured on TV programs extolling the benefits of the healing waters and introducing the many hotels and activities which can be enjoyed in the area.

This winter, the Hoshino Resort Tomamu Ski Resort is obliging users of off-piste areas, which are limited to experienced skiers, to register with the ‘Yukiyama’ GPS app on their smartphones. The appeal of the restricted areas is that it allows skiers to ski in an almost pristine natural environment, but the visibility is not as good as that on other groomed slopes. The use of the app is intended to help rescue people quickly in the event of an accident, and to help prevent such accidents. According to the resort, there have been rescue requests from lost skiers in the past.

While many ski resorts in Hokkaido are postponing opening due to a lack of snow, Snow Cruise Onze, a ski area in Haruka-cho, Otaru, was the first to open for business as scheduled on November 20. Temperatures this year were higher than usual but the artificial snow-making machine, which is rare in Hokkaido, proved to be very effective. The ski area was able to respond to the expectations of skiers despite “not knowing when the slopes would open if we just waited for the snow to fall naturally”.

Rusutsu Resort, which is operated by Kamori Kanko Co., Ltd. (Sapporo), has received the ‘Winter Travel Hot Destination of the Year 2021’ award for the first time, at an international winter sports expo held in Beijing, China from September 2 to 7. Looking ahead to after the COVID-19 pandemic has been brought under control, the company hopes the award will lead to opportunities in the ski market in China, ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

The "Red Bull Jump & Freeze" event was held at Sapporo Teine Ski Resort (Teine-ku, Sapporo) on March 28. Participants wore creative and silly costumes, slid down a slope on snowboards and sleds, and jumped into a pool.

“It’s appealing because there are Japanese people who kindly accept foreigners like us.” Taiwanese snowboarder Bonny Wu talks about her reasons for deciding to settle in Niseko.

The Hong Kong luxury-hotel management company Rosewood Hotel Group is expanding its portfolio to run the resort currently under construction in the town of Niseko in central Hokkaido. It is hoped the large-scale development comprising a 220-unit condominium complex and 5 detached units will open in the winter of 2023.

Although visitors from overseas and outside the prefecture have dropped significantly due to the coronavirus pandemic, a number of ski resorts in Hokkaido are seeing many local skiers this season, with some even experiencing an increase in such guests compared with the average year.

Tours to experience riding in a piste grooming vehicle have been started by Chuo Bus Kanko Kaihatsu (tourism development) Co., Ltd., which runs the Otaru Tenguyama ski resort.