Ski season surge tests limits of Niseko’s infrastructure

Hokkaido’s internationally renowned ski resort of Niseko is booming, with slopes, shops and streets crowded as tourists, especially from abroad, arrive for the ski season. The problems many businesses experienced last year, including finding sufficient staff, appear to not be as severe this year.

The return of so many people, however, is putting a strain on the local transportation infrastructure. Meanwhile, a shortage of readily available restaurants means a proliferation of food trucks that are drawing positive comments from hungry skiers and snowboarders. They are also creating local concerns about what they mean for Niseko’s future as a high-end destination.

In late 2022, not long after Japan relaxed restrictions on foreign tourists that had been put into place due to COVID-19, many Niseko resorts and businesses were happy that business was returning to normal, although they were disappointed that the Japanese government had waited until October 2022 to allow visa-free tourism and abolish a daily cap on the number of foreign tourists.