By Haruka Kuroda
Hokkaido in winter is crowded with tourists from many countries who come to ski and do snowboarding. The town of Niseko, which has a population of 4,700, has become a popular destination for foreign tourists.
It takes about 2 and half hours from Sapporo to get to Niseko. It is also known for its hot springs. There are three ski resorts in Niseko and the most popular resort is "Niseko Hirafu Ski Resort." Many Australians visit there but recently many Asians visitors from Hong Kong and Singapore have increased.
Why is the town so popular for foreigners? It is because some Australian skiers were impressed with Niseko's powder snow and word spread throughout their country. They have the opposite seasons from Japan but the time difference between Australia and Japan is small. So Niseko has become known as a town having untouched nature and wonderful powder snow. Because of this tourist boom, Qantas Airways made a direct flight between Cairns, Australia and New Chitose.
A lot of Australian venture capitalists built and subdivide villas and flats in Niseko. Then they sold them to tourists from Australia. This lead to the Niseko boom. Recently, travel agencies in Australia have planned Niseko tours for people in Asia such as Hong Kong and they have lured many Asian tourists. Also, the agencies are building and selling villas and condominiums to them as winter retreats.
Thus, various facilities for foreigners are being built in the Niseko Villa area. Some examples include a private information center for foreigners where Australian staff who have knowledge of Niseko's geography advise tourists, a convenience store remodeled from an old hotel where all the staff speak English, and a bar for wealthly tourists where can see live jazz performances. Foreigners are promoting business for foreign tourists.
I went to Niseko from February 3 to 5 for my SU Cycling Club's ski camp. I realized there were many foreigners there because I could hear several different languages being spoken. Some staff at shops and hotels near the ski resorts kept up with foreigners in English. Menus and signs are also written in English. I think that the service in this town is very good. The powder snow that attracts many foreigners is so soft that I was impressed with it as I skied. I was satisfied because I could ski on soft snow over and over again. Therefore, I went back to Sapporo hoping to return again.
It is said that the popularity of skiing in Japan is decreasing year after year and that sixty percent fewer visitors come to Niseko now than during the golden age of its ski resorts. However, foreign tourists have discovered the attraction of Niseko where they can ski on the best snow surrounded by Hokkaido's nature. After all, skiing is the most popular winter sport.
Many Japanese have forgotten the attraction of skiing because they are so busy with their daily lives. If you can, you should visit a ski resort in Niseko. You may make friends with foreign skiers there.