How Snow Has Insulated Niseko Against Demographic Decline

Helena Forrow
4 min read

Niseko – to the layperson it may not come to mind as easily as Chamonix, Aspen, or Val D’Isere when naming ski locations. But if you know snow, you must know Niseko.

A town on the slopes of Hokkaido’s volcanic Mt Yotei, it is famed for being the snowiest ski resort in Asia – and second snowiest in the world - with reliable supplies of deep powder year after year.

 

Niseko snow mount yotei JapanFig.1: Mount Yotei presents some of the best powder snow in the world.

 

It boasts four interlinked resorts known as Niseko United, which are the most awarded in Asia. On one side of the mountain are well maintained trails and snowparks, while the other side offers wild backcountry adventures. If regular skiing isn’t enough, there is the opportunity for heli-skiing, cat-skiing, snowmobiling and snowshoeing, plus hot springs to relax in once the day is done.

 

Heli-skiing niseko japan wintersportsFig.2: Heli-skiing is one of the more adventurous activities offered in Niseko

 

Niseko’s lucky situation on the slopes of a perfect skiing mountain has combined with the local government’s canny management of ski tourism to create a town that is booming, both economically and in terms of population – in stark contrast to much of the rest of the country.

 

Foreigners are welcomed – not just as tourists, most of whom come from Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and Australia, but also as workers, residents, and investors. With the 2022 Winter Olympics coming up in Beijing, there is an exceptional rise in the number of visitors from China coming to brush up on their skiing. Opportunity for employment also attracts new residents from other areas of Japan. Of course, population increase feeds into the economic growth and vice versa. More non-Japanese residents lead to the opening of an international school in 2011, which has in turn attracted further immigration – and an accompanying rise in real estate investment. , and there’s a similar situation in nearby Kutchan, which shares the same mountain.

 

niseko road-cycling summer activities japanFig.3: Niseko is now an attractive summer resort, offering activities such as cycling, horse-riding and white water rafting.

 

The local government and investors are no fools – you can’t base the entire economy of a town on tourism that only exists during the winter months. Efforts have been made to make Niseko just as attractive a destination all year round. There are the usual possibilities for tourists to learn about and join in with traditional Japanese activities such as tea ceremonies and calligraphy, but for the adrenaline junkies missing their powder fix, there are companies offering white water rafting, cycling and horse riding, there are even three golf courses. It’s also simply a beautiful landscape to hike or relax in, and a pleasant town full of good restaurants and cafes. There’s no need for the Hilton to worry about sitting empty when there’s no snow. In fact, in 2017, the summer months accounted for 48% of the year’s visitors.

 

hanazono-niseko-summer-activities-canyoning-japanFig.4: Tourists enjoying the summer activities a diversified Niseko now offers.

 

Tourism and real estate investors alike see Niseko as a sustainable, stable growth area. A new Ritz Carlton is scheduled to open next year, and the extension of the bullet train line to Sapporo by 2030 will mean much easier access from Tokyo – the train will stop in neighbouring Kutchan after a journey of just 4.5 hours, rather than the nearly 8 it takes now.

 

niseko-village-ski-resort-powder-skiing-japan-winterFig.5: A skiier demonstrates why Niseko's powder skiing is world-famous

 

With climate change playing havoc with reliable skiing in the Alps, we can only expect that dedicated skiers will start looking further afield for those dependable days of fresh soft powder. Niseko, with its famously huge amount of snow, remains a safe bet for years to come. While Niseko itself is running on a balanced budget and business is booming, decline in the rest of Japan means the Yen has fallen in value, making tourism and investment more accessible to foreigners. In terms of real estate, most of what is being built are hotels, managed condos and detached luxury properties. Consulting firm C9 Hotelworks Hospitality Consulting values projects currently on sale at almost USD 1billion (June 2018 Niseko Japan Property Market Review).


 

Leave a Comment
Recent Articles
Subscribe


Sign up to receive the Propeterra's newsletter and exclusive property news and updates. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe links in our emails.

 

 

posts by tag

See all

Market Cover_Emerging Markets-1

 

Market Cover_Frontier Markets-1

 

Market Cover_Special Situations-1-1

 

Market Cover_Developed Markets-1

 

Recent Articles

2 minutes read

It’s Ski Season! Four Resorts to Invest In Now

The swish of skis, the powder on the slopes and the crisp mountain air… With Covid restrictions easing, many holidaymakers’ thoughts are turning to travel - and with the winter sports season in full flow, what better time to look at the resorts that offer the most bang for your investment bucks? Read on for Propeterra’s rundown of our favourite ski destinations - including some you’d never have expected!

Niseko, Japan

Japan might not seem like an obvious skiing destination, but the snow at Niseko is hard to beat. Located in the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, the annual snowfall is a staggering 15 metres - so unlike some less fortunate resorts in warming parts of Europe, your good skiing is practically guaranteed. Niseko is also renowned for its beautiful scenery and luxury accommodations - and with New Chitose International Airport a short two hour drive away, as well as the Hokkaido Shinkansen connection coming in 2030, it’s never been easier to travel there.

Prime investment opportunities available now include the Pavilions Resort Villas and the Ginto Residences - and for more information on the area, Propeterra’s Niseko Report is available for download now.

3 minutes read

Affordable Housing - the ADB and Lessons from the UK

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) recently released a briefing paper attempting to
learn lessons from the UK as to successes and failures of affordable housing policy. It is
justifiable to critique the UK’s faltering policy of delivery over a number of decades, but
this is precisely why it is a fruitful area of enquiry from analysts considering other parts
of the world. The UK has benefitted from significant resources, and policymakers have
been under considerable pressure from the electorate to ensure adequate housing across tenures. This is why the Chief of the Urban Sector Group at the ADB, Manoj Sharma, saw fit to commission this work, and report on its conclusions.

3 minutes read

Back to desks and back to the city!