Alister

A weekly video series created by Niseko Tourism has received a record number of views for the 2023-2024 winter season. Launched on 1 December 2023, the series featured 18 engaging videos that were enjoyed by audiences worldwide.

With the support of a diverse array of sponsors, all members of Niseko Tourism, this winter season’s video series achieved an outstanding total of 1,359,908 views across all videos, setting a new record for Niseko Tourism.

On top of achieving the record number of viewers, the winter 2023/24 video series continued to elevate Niseko’s reputation as a premier winter destination. The impressive viewership numbers highlight the growing global interest in Niseko’s unique winter experiences.

Each weekly video provided information on local businesses and products, events, and resort updates. The series also spotlighted local experiences, from dining to onsen visits, offering viewers a comprehensive view of what makes Niseko special. The video collection featured interviews with industry professionals, including local up and coming skiers, adding a layer of expertise and authenticity to the content.

Niseko Tourism extends heartfelt thanks to all sponsors and partners who contributed to the success of this year’s video series. Their support was instrumental in creating engaging and informative content that resonated with audiences around the world.

Building on the success of the winter 2023/24 video series, Niseko Tourism is eager to continue producing high-quality content in the future. Plans are already underway for the upcoming summer and winter video series, promising even more compelling stories and insights from the Niseko region.

See the full playlist with every video from the 2023/24 winter season on the Niseko Tourism YouTube channel.

To stay updated on upcoming video releases and all things Niseko, subscribe to Niseko Tourism’s newsletter and follow us on social media:

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For press inquiries and further information, please contact:

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (+81)136-21-2551

“NIS-ECO”, a sustainability project run by Niseko locals, has begun selling bamboo toothbrushes to hotels as amenities, aiming not only to reduce plastic waste but to also shift the culture surrounding disposable amenities.

The bamboo toothbrush, with a bamboo handle and a nylon brush, uses about 97% less plastic than traditional plastic ones, significantly reducing potential plastic waste.

Priced at 120JPY (80JPY during trial period) without tax, the project aims to maintain the prices low by placing bulk orders for the entire Niseko area, with all profits being used for initiatives that promote environmental sustainability.

The project aims to replace plastic toothbrush amenities in accomodations to reduce plastic waste, but most importantly, to turn disposable amenities into long-term, non-disposable items.

Yuko Takai, the representative of the project and also the chairman of a local NPO called Niseko Mirai Support Tai (translates to Niseko Future Support Team), explains that unlike traditional plastic toothbrushes, hotel guests are more likely to continue using the bamboo toothbrushes instead of disposing them, due to their pleasing appearance and comfortable use.

I believe that what truly is harmful is the habit of using disposable items, so I didn’t want to make anything that would be thrown away after just one use.

Takai Yuko
Representative of NIS-ECO

Takai-san also suggests that hotels sell the toothbrushes as an optional amenity to their guests instead of distributing them freely, considering that the bamboo ones are several times more expensive than the usual disposable toothbrushes.

“I hope free amenities become something that isn’t necessarily required for hotels in the first place,” she said.

“Hotels should consider shifting towards selling amenities only to those who forget them instead of giving them away to everybody,” she also added.

Takai-san said that using bamboo toothbrushes is a great way to initiate that transition, because there is a higher chance people will receive the message that the shift is for the environment, and not just for cost reduction.

Currently, about five hotels are considering purchasing the toothbrushes either to provide them as VIP amenities or to sell them to guests.

NIS-ECO is a project run by a Niseko-based NPO that aims to raise awareness and promote eco-conscious activity.

As one of their initiatives, the project organized a tour for children in October to learn about forestry in Niseko.

This was funded with the money they collected through sales of donation products, which allocates a portion of their sales to the project.

Article Source: Powderlife

What could be more fun than reuniting with old friends after an extended separation, loading up vans with boards and gear, and heading off chasing powder around Hokkaido… especially when your friends just happen to be some of the founders and icons of the modern Japanese snowsurfing movement.

That’s exactly what Jackson Hole-based Patagonia Ambassador and Gentemstick pro-rider Alex Yoder did as soon as Japan’s borders opened and Hokkaido’s mythical powder snow buried the island once more in the winter of 2022/23. Yoder first snowboarded in Japan in 2014, where he discovered an unexpected and welcome synergy with the mellow, soulful style of his new Japanese mentors and masters of their art. He went on to visit every winter thereafter, forming an almost spiritual bond with Niseko and his adopted Gentemstick family, until COVID struck and drove an invisible wedge between him and Hokkaido.

Gentemstick was founded by Taro Tamai in the 1990s, and fine-tuned over the following decade in partnership with a pioneering crew of snowboarding disciples who carved their freestyling signatures into fields of untouched powder right in the middle of Grand Hirafu – day after day, winter after winter.

While Gentemstick was born in Niseko, the beauty of Hokkaido is that there are dozens of resorts within half a day’s drive that those in the know can cherry pick and hit at short notice. After reuniting with Taro, Yoder tag-teamed with various characters among the extended Gentemstick family on a two-week “Gentem Trip”, sponsored by the Hokkaido Ski Promotion Council, to rediscover the island’s top ski resorts.

If you’ve read this far, I’m guessing you may have a spiritual connection with Niseko as well. In the following pages, join Yoder and friends to see how the custodians of Japanese snowsurfing do Hokkaido on powder days.