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Niseko History |
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There are over 500 Ski Resorts in Japan.
so what makes Niseko so special?
For many years Niseko remained unknown as a ski and snowboard destination except
to the local population who thought that it snowed like that everywhere: you know
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15 Meters (that's 50ft. if you happen to be living stateside). of light dry powder
every year. |
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However, once the word reached the outside world, it was only a matter of
time before the overseas visitors began to take to the slopes. Initially, it was
the Kiwis and Aussies who 'discovered' Niseko when they were in Japan teaching English
or working in the Japanese ski industry.
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Some of them were so taken with the Japanese culture and lifestyle that they made
Japan their home, married in Japan and inevitably some of those people became involved
in the ski resort infrastructure. Today, there are a large number of Australians
that have settled in Niseko and set up shop as it were. Much of the accommodation
in Niseko as well
as the support infrastructure is owned and/or managed by Australians. |
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An excerpt from Asahi Shimbun Newspaper dated 20 September, 2006 |
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Foreign skiers spur resort land prices to new heights.
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Kutchan, Hokkaido—Down Under is coming up to ski, and taking land prices at a small
Hokkaido resort along with it. |
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Thanks mainly to an influx of Australian ski vacationers, the district with the
highest year-on-year rise in residential land prices in Japan at 33.3 percent, was
the Yamada district of Kutchan, west of Sapporo. |
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The district is located at the foot of the Niseko Grand Hirafu Ski Ground. With
fine powder and a scenic view of a 1,898-meter-high Mount Fuji ringer, Mount Yoteizan,
the Niseko resort has proved increasingly popular with foreign powder lovers. |
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In fiscal 2005, Australian tourists totaled 7,700, 83 percent more than the previous
year.
To accommodate them, there has been a boom in condominium construction.
In the bordering Hirafu district, which also serves the Niseko resort, three five
storey condominium buildings are being constructed to join the eight existing ones
there, according to the Kutchan town office.
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A joint Australia-Japan three-company consortium is also planning to open a shopping
mall in the area by the summer of 2008.
About 6 billion yen is expected to be pumped into the project. |
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