Beneath the powder snow at internationally popular Japanese ski resort Niseko, anxiety is mounting among residents over soaring prices and a massive influx of overseas workers.
At a time when Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is talking tough on immigration, upscale Niseko has never been more popular with seasonal workers, investors and skiers from across the globe.
kAm%96 D?@H Q:D E96 36DE :? E96 H@C=5Q[ D2:5 v:56@? |2DE6CD[ 2 ah\J62C\@=5 pFDEC2=:2? E@FC:DE]k^Am
kAmQxEVD ;FDE D@7E[ A@H56C 7=F77] *@F 42? A:4< :E FA H:E9 J@FC 32C6 92?5D[ :E 5@6D?VE 6G6? 766= 4@=5]]] xEVD ;FDE 2 D92>6Â E92E :EVD 364@>6 D@ A@AF=2E65[Q 96 E@=5 pu! 2E E96 7@@E @7 E96 D=@A6D[ D?@H3@2C5 :? 92?5]Â k^Am
kAmqF:=E :? E96 `he_D @? E96 ?@CE96C? :D=2?5 @7 w@<<2:5@[ E96 C6D@CE 3682? 2EEC24E:?8 7@C6:8?6CD[ >2:?=J pFDEC2=:2?D[ :? E96 `hh_D 2?5 3642>6 2 A@AF=2C 56DE:?2E:@? 27E6C E96 h^`` E6CC@C:DE 2EE24<D :? a__` 7@C E9@D6 H2?E:?8 E@ 2G@:5 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D]Â k^Am
kAm%96J 8C25F2==J @A6?65 >@C6 D9@AD 2?5 24BF:C65 AC@A6CEJ[ 2?5 H6C6 =2E6C ;@:?65 3J pD:2? :?G6DE@CD 7C@> w@?8 z@?8[ |2=2JD:2 2?5 $:?82A@C6[ 2>@?8 @E96CD[ AFD9:?8 =2?5 AC:46D 6G6C 9:896C]k^Am
kAmx? w:C27F[ @?6 @7 E96 7@FC C6D@CED E92E >2<6 FA }:D6<@[ =2?5 AC:46D ;F>A65 f_ A6C46?E 36EH66? a_a_ 2?5 a_ad]Â k^Am
kAmQx7 D<: C6D@CED :? y2A2? 925 DE2J65 E96 H2J E96J FD65 E@ 36[ E96J H@F=5 ?6G6C 92G6 82:?65 DF49 H@C=5H:56 C6?@H?[Q D2:5 w:C@D9: w2D682H2[ 5:C64E@C @7 2 =@42= C62= 6DE2E6 286?4J]Â k^Am
kAmQxEVD E92?<D E@ E96 E2DE6 2?5 D6?D:3:=:E:6D @7 pFDEC2=:2?D 2?5 }6H +62=2?56CD E92E E9:D E@H? 92D 8C@H?]Qk^Am
kAm%96J 2C6 ?@ =@?86C 2=@?6[ H:E9 Q7F?5D 32D65 :? E2I 92G6?D 2?5 2== <:?5D @7 :?G6DE@CD WH9@X 92G6 DE2CE65 A@FC:?8 >@?6J :?] w@==JH@@5 DE2CD 2?5 2CE:DED 4@>6 96C6[ 2?5 @H?6CD @7 >F=E:?2E:@?2=D 2C6 3FJ:?8 D64@?5 9@>6D[Q 96 25565]Â k^Am
kAmQp== @7 E9:D :D 5C:G:?8 AC:46D FA 6G6? 7FCE96C[Q 2 EC6?5 E92E H:== =:<6=J 4@?E:?F6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 286?E]Â k^Am
k9am\ &?277@C523=6 7@C =@42=D \k^9am
kAmu@C C6D:56?ED[ :?7=2E65 AC@A6CEJ AC:46D 2?5 =:G:?8 4@DED 2C6 =62G:?8 2 3:EE6C E2DE6]k^Am
kAmQ{2?5 :D 36:?8 D@=5 2E AC:46D E92E 2C6 ?@ =@?86C 277@C523=6 7@C =@42=D[Q 6IA=2:?65 ca\J62C\@=5 |2D2E@D9: $2:E@[ H9@ CF?D 2 A2:?E:?8 4@>A2?J]Â k^Am
kAmQx? E96 DFA6C>2C<6E[ J@F 7:?5 =FIFCJ AC@5F4ED[ D62 FC49:?D @C s@> !6C:8?@? 492>A28?6[ 2?5 G686E23=6D 92G6 364@>6 6IEC6>6=J 6IA6?D:G6[Q AFD9:?8 D@>6 A6@A=6 E@ 5@ E96:C D9@AA:?8 :? 2 ?6:893@FC:?8 E@H?]k^Am
kAm%@ 2EEC24E DE277[ 9@E6=D 2?5 C6DE2FC2?ED 2C6 C2:D:?8 H286D[ 3FE =@42= 3FD:?6DD6D 2C6 DECF88=:?8 E@ <66A FA]k^Am
kAmQx? 4@?DECF4E:@?[ A2J:?8 E92E >F49 :D G6CJ 5:77:4F=E 3642FD6 >2C<6E AC:46D 2C6 7:I65] #2:D:?8 H286D :D 2 9F86 C:D< 7@C 3@DD6D[Q $2:E@ D2:5]k^Am
kAm|62?H9:=6[ Q42C6 H@C<6CD D@>6E:>6D AC676C ;@3D :? 9@E6=D[Q H9:49 A2J 36EE6C[ 4C62E:?8 2 C:D< @7 =23@FC D9@CE286D :? D@4:2= D6CG:46DQ[ H2C?65 w2D682H2]k^Am
kAmsC:G6? 3J E@FC:DE 56>2?5[ E96 C68:@? D66D E9@FD2?5D @7 D62D@?2= H@C<6CD 2CC:G6 6249 J62C[ >@DE @7 E96> 7@C6:8?6CD]k^Am
kAmx? zFE492?[ 2 =2C86 E@H? :? E96 2C62[ E96 ?@?\y2A2?6D6 A@AF=2E:@? 5@F3=6D :? H:?E6C E@ b[___ A6@A=6 7C@> f_ 4@F?EC:6D[ >2<:?8 FA ?62C=J a_ A6C46?E @7 C6D:56?ED]Â k^Am
kAmQ*@F?8 A6@A=6 :? E96:C EH6?E:6D 4@>6 96C6 7C@> 2== @G6C E96 H@C=5 W]]]X[ H9:49 4C62E6D 2 G6CJ =:G6=J 2E>@DA96C6[Q 3FE 2=D@ 42FD6D AC@3=6>D H:E9 ?6:893@FCD[ 25>:EE65 zFE492? |2J@C z2KFD9: |@?;:]k^Am
kAm$2:E@ 2?5 @E96C C6D:56?ED[ >62?H9:=6[ 92G6 4@>A=2:?65 23@FE =:EE6C:?8]k^Am
kAmp A=2? E@ 3F:=5 9@FD:?8 7@C `[a__ 7@C6:8? H@C<6CD E92E H2D 2AAC@G65 =2DE 2FEF>? DA2C<65 @FE4CJ 2>@?8 =@42=D]k^Am
kAmQrF=EFC6D 2C6 5:776C6?E[ ?@E E@ >6?E:@? E96 =2?8F286 32CC:6C[Q E96 >2J@C D2:5[ FC8:?8 Q>FEF2= DFAA@CE 2?5 4@?D:56C2E:@?Q]Â k^Am
k9am\ Vw2C>@?:@FD 4@6I:DE6?46V \k^9am
kAm#67=64E:?8 8C@H:?8 2?E:\:>>:8C2E:@? D6?E:>6?E[ E96 72C\C:89E Qy2A2?6D6 u:CDEQ $2?D6:E@ A2CEJ >256 82:?D :? u63CF2CJVD 86?6C2= 6=64E:@?]k^Am
kAm!C:>6 |:?:DE6C %2<2:49:[ >62?H9:=6[ 92D AC@>:D65 E@F896C CF=6D 7@C 7@C6:8?6CD :? E96 ?2>6 @7 Q92C>@?:@FD 4@6I:DE6?46Q 36EH66? 4@>>F?:E:6D]k^Am
kAmw6C 8@G6C?>6?E :D AC@A@D:?8 DEC:4E6C 4964<D @? 7@C6:8?6CD 6?E6C:?8 E96 4@F?ECJ[ =6?8E9D @7 DE2J 2?5 :==682= H@C<]Â k^Am
kAmxE 2=D@ H2?ED E@ C6G:D6 CF=6D @? =2?5 AFC492D6D 3J 7@C6:8?6CD 7@C Q?2E:@?2= D64FC:EJQ C62D@?D]Â k^Am
kAm(9:=6 24<?@H=658:?8 E96 ?665 E@ 252AE =68:D=2E:@? E@ 4FCC6?E C62=:E:6D[ |@?;: C6;64ED QE96 D@>6H92E 6IEC6>6 G:6HQ E92E 7@C6:8?6CD 4@F=5 QE2<6 @G6CQ]k^Am
kAm%96 :?E6C6DE }:D6<@ :D 86?6C2E:?8 Q3@@DED E96 64@?@>J 2?5 8C62E=J 4@?EC:3FE6D E@ E96 E@H?VD 56G6=@A>6?EQ[ zFE492?VD >2J@C D2:5]k^Am
kAmp?5 H:E9 3:CE9D 72==:?8 282:? :? a_ad 7@C E96 E6?E9 J62C :? 2 C@H :? y2A2?[ E96 4@F?ECJ 56DA6C2E6=J ?665D 7@C6:8? H@C<6CD]k^Am
kAmw@<<2:5@ :D 6IA6C:6?4:?8 6IEC6>6 A@=2C:D2E:@?[ 9@DE:?8 3@E9 E96 =@42=:E:6D E92E D2H E96 D92CA6DE =2?5\AC:46 :?4C62D6D :? E96 4@F?ECJ =2DE J62C 5F6 E@ E@FC:D> 2?5 7@C6:8? :?G6DE>6?E[ 2?5 E9@D6 H96C6 AC:46D 76== E96 >@DE[ 5F6 E@ A@AF=2E:@? 564=:?6]k^Am
kAmQx7 H6 H2?E E@ D92C6 E96 362FEJ @7 E9:D C68:@? H:E9 E96 H9@=6 H@C=5[ H6 >FDE >@G6 36J@?5 ?2E:@?2=:EJ 5:G:56D[QÂ |@?;: D2:5]k^Am
kAm>24^2A9^=<5^4>D^=3k^Am




