Minamiuonuma City in Niigata Prefecture, one of Japan's snowiest areas, is undertaking a unique initiative for people who love skiing and snowboarding
This is a backcountry tour that utilizes hometown tax donations
This initiative aims to steadily increase the number of people who have a strong affinity with the city by experiencing Minamiuonuma's heavy snowfall and lush mountains. The ability to take advantage of hometown tax donations to participate in backcountry skiing and snowboarding tours, unique to a snowy region, is appealing to skiers.
The backcountry guides are all people who moved here from the city, enchanted by the snow. Therefore, they are also happy to answer any concerns of those who are thinking of moving here.
The outline is as follows:
First, participation in an online seminar hosted by Minamiuonuma City is a prerequisite for participating in the tour. This seminar covers Minamiuonuma City's relocation policy and local information, and local residents will also participate, so you can hear about the local situation in an interactive format.
Then, we went on a backcountry tour held at Hakkaisan Ski Resort during the peak season. Locals also joined the tour, enjoying friendly conversations. Hakkaisan boasts the lightest snow in the city. As the tour took place in February, there was no doubt that the snow would be powder snow
While skiing, you'll have plenty of time to talk with locals. They'll talk about the difficulties of living in a snowy region, as well as the wonderful things that outweigh them. You can also discuss concerns about schools, hospitals, shopping, and daily life. Hearing appealing comments from locals like, "We have a great snow removal system, so there isn't much snow on the roads!" and "It's great to be able to raise your children in nature!" will make you think twice about moving
Why not take advantage of hometown tax donations and consider taking part in a backcountry tour in Minamiuonuma next season?
