"The SDGs came later" | POW "Sustainable Resort Alliance" Member Ski Resort Case 3: Smile Resort

Location: Maiko Snow Resort

This is a series introducing ski resorts that are members of the Sustainable Resorts Alliance (SRA), initiated by POW, and are actively working to address climate change and sustainability. This time, we will be focusing on Smile Resort, which operates five ski resorts in Niigata Prefecture. What are the perspectives and actions that are unique to their location in Niigata Prefecture?

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Smile Resorts has around 70 hotels across the country and five ski resorts in Niigata Prefecture: Maiko Snow Resort, Yuzawa Nakazato, Muika Snow Resort, Cupid Valley, and Ninox Snow Park. As the name suggests, these ski resorts are characterized by their guest-friendly management, which puts a smile on the faces of everyone who visits, from children to adults

And if you're a STEEP reader, you'll surely know that Maiko, Yuzawa Nakazato, and Muika are famous freeride spots where you can enjoy powder snow and tree runs. It goes without saying that they're all extremely accessible from Tokyo, whether by car or bullet train

What led Smile Resort to join POW's Sustainable Resort Alliance (SRA)? We spoke with Tatsuya Yagi, Executive Officer of Smile Resort Co., Ltd., and Toshito Suzuki of Maiko Resort about the group's philosophy and sustainable initiatives

Crisis awareness on the ground

What is the current awareness of the climate crisis?

"Ten years ago, Niigata's ski resorts were able to operate for 110 days, but this year our goal is to be able to operate for 100 days. In Niigata Prefecture, even when the temperature is low, the humidity is high, so artificial snow machines cannot be used. Artificial snow machines can only be operated in areas with dry air. While our mission is to operate for 100 days and make a profit, there are concerns about whether we can really operate for 100 days using natural snow alone, and that in the near future it may drop to 90 days, and eventually 70 days. There is a real sense of crisis on the ground that the season is getting shorter," says Yagi

In fact, Yagi is also a top athlete who competes in kayaking competitions. What is the reality of being in a water field that is different from snowy mountains?

"What I've noticed while kayaking is that the water has become more extreme recently. We enjoy going down currents where the waves are higher than our heads, so when a typhoon is approaching we'd go to places like the Yoshino River in Shikoku in search of rapids, but recently the size of typhoons has grown so much that the water in the rivers has risen so much that it's scary to go down. Even when canoeing, the splashes of water you get into used to be 'Wow! Cold!' but now it's 'Hot!' (laughs). It's strange, we were doing water sports to cool off, but the water isn't cold anymore."

Climate change is wreaking havoc on nature in many ways, causing trouble for those who enjoy nature. Faced with this reality, what kind of initiatives is Smile Resort taking?

I haven't bought it yet, but I'm open to making it

"Smile Resort does not use renewable energy. Currently, the cost of purchasing green electricity from renewable energy sources is higher than that of regular electricity, so in order for a company to remain profitable, it is a reasonable choice to choose the cheaper option. I hope that renewable energy will become easier to use through government subsidies and other means

However, although we are not buying them, we are open to building them. Smile Solar, a group company of Smile Resort, owns 11 solar power plants, although they are small in scale

The solar power plants we have in 11 locations around the country generate approximately 17 million kWh of electricity per year (equivalent to the operation of 350 typical quad lifts per season). But is that being used at ski resorts? At the moment, it's not being used. To cover all 70 hotels and five ski resorts owned by the group with our power generation capacity, we would need to generate twice as much power as we do now. However, we are expanding our solar business with the aim of one day being able to cover all of that

Yagi-san also told us about snow rooms. Snow rooms are natural refrigerators that have been passed down since ancient times in areas with heavy snowfall. They are heat storage facilities that have been used in various parts of the world since ancient times

"Together with Minamiuonuma city, we are also conducting experiments to see if we can make effective use of snow for air conditioning in the summer. We have piled up snow just below Maiko Resort and are storing it with sawdust, like an outdoor snow room. Cupid Valley has one of the largest snow rooms on Honshu, about the size of a gymnasium, and we store 1,500 tonnes of snow that accumulates in the parking lot during the peak season in this room, and use the snow to cool the glamping and dining areas in the summer."

Being able to cool without electricity is such an environmentally friendly idea. And the natural effect of using snow is a heartwarming story for those who enjoy snowy mountains, and makes you want to support Smile Resort

Smile's summertime fuel-free

The Smile Resort Group operates camping, glamping, forest adventures, and other activities during the green season at the ski resort. In fact, Yagi was also the mastermind behind these activities

"When we started the camping business 10 years ago, there was still snow on the ground during the Golden Week holidays in May, and we wondered whether we could operate campsites over Golden Week, but that's no longer necessary. Because there's less snow, we're able to operate smoothly over the summer. People on the ground no longer expect there to be snow left over Golden Week. It feels a little sad, but we have to run our business responsibly under these circumstances. If the ski season shortens from 100 days to 90 days, the green days will increase from 200 days to 210 days. Let's make good use of that

As with the use of air conditioning in the snow room, we are thinking about sustainability initiatives not just in the winter but all year round. In the summer at Smile, we want to provide things that can be enjoyed using the power of nature, such as the campground and forest adventure attached to the ski resort, without using fuel. It's not like go-karts or a swimming pool

Playing in nature makes it easier to appreciate its blessings. The green season also makes it easier for anyone to visit a ski resort than winter. It's also important to think about the troubling trend of declining snowfall in a more positive light. Making good use of the green season will surely open up more opportunities to communicate the importance of nature and sustainability

It is also important to make efforts to reduce energy consumption and CO₂ emissions

"In addition to large-scale efforts such as buying and producing energy, I think it's also important for each individual to take immediate steps to reduce energy consumption and curb CO₂ emissions. At Muika, we put stickers on the doors of our facilities asking guests to keep their doors closed as the building is heated. This simple act makes a big difference, not only because it actually saves energy, but also because it raises awareness among our guests

I love renovating, and I'm constantly renovating hotels and glamping facilities. I'm also a pioneer in using individual air conditioning to reduce electricity consumption, and using solid wood in hotel rooms. Wood is ultimately better than plastic, and it's warmer and more comfortable, right?

Yagi's love of DIY is well known in the industry, and at Muika Onsen Hotel, the number of warm rooms that utilize natural materials handcrafted by Yagi is steadily increasing (lol). It makes you want to stay there. Yagi, please tell us which room it is! It seems that Yagi also DIYs the glamping facilities in the summer and the buffet boards at the restaurant

Approaching ski resort users

What kind of direct influence does Smile Resort Group's ski resorts have on their guests?

Mountain Clean

"Actually, we're still in the development stages of communicating with guests during the winter season. However, after the season ends, we invite the general public to participate in a mountain clean-up (litter collection) at Maiko," explains Suzuki, who is on-site at Maiko Resort.

Discarded plastic bottles, empty cans, cigarette butts, and other trash cans can be found here and there on the grassy slopes of the ski slopes. Even after the snow melts, the trash remains, of course. In order to protect the surrounding natural environment and maintain a comfortable ski slope, various efforts are necessary even outside of winter.

I would also like to point out that this mountain clean is so popular that in both of the past years, the maximum number of participants was filled within 5-6 hours of registration opening. This shows the love for Maiko and high level of environmental awareness of Maiko users. But maybe there's more to it than that. Is it because it comes with delicious food and special benefits for participants? (lol) Even so, it's definitely a "Hanamaru" as an initiative that "someone can do."

"YUKIGOI OUTDOOR MARKET"

Furthermore...
"In the fall, we hold a camping event called the 'Snow-Praying Outdoor Market,' also in Maiko. Started in 2020, it is a unique event where users gather together to pray for lots of snow this year while enjoying camping and shopping. Last year, we collaborated with Book Off, who set up a booth to buy used gear and encouraged people to reuse it.

I think this is a very effective way to raise awareness of sustainability while having fun at the same time. I hope that it will grow into a larger event that allows people to think about environmental issues more personally in the future. Please come and join us!

Additionally, Smile Resort Group ski resorts are running a campaign called the "Snow Maji Generation Support Project," offering discounts on lift tickets for those aged 18 to 22. This initiative aims to expand the user base that will lead the way in the future, but we hope to promote sustainability in the future by incorporating events that are particularly appealing to younger generations."

In fact, Cast Co., Ltd., which runs STEEP, is deeply involved in this "Yukiguri Outdoor Market" as part of the executive committee. STEEP also introduces the event thoroughly every year, and STEEP users (surely) come in large numbers every time. While experiencing the beautiful autumn nature of Maiko, you can contribute to the environment through sustainable actions and make friends who love snowy mountains. You might even get to meet Yagi-san and Suzuki-san! Why not come along to the next event?

Value and expectations of SRA

Regarding Smile Resort Group's joining the Sustainable Alliance (SRA), Suzuki said..

"I was actually surprised to see that Maiko came in 10th place in the POW survey on 'Ski Resorts You Want to See Greener.' I'm very grateful that we can receive and visualize the opinions of our users in this way. I think our users appreciate our mountain cleaning activities, but we also want to create opportunities for people to reconsider their manners at ski resorts, as there is still a lot of littering, not just picking up trash

There's a lot to learn from observing the climate change initiatives being undertaken by various ski resorts. It's given us the opportunity to consider measures to reduce waste and food waste, to consider using Maiko Farm to promote local production and consumption at our hotels, and to come up with fresh ideas, such as switching to tableware made from natural materials. Seeing everyone in the alliance proactively working on environmental initiatives throughout the green season has been a valuable learning opportunity, providing us with knowledge and ideas that will surely help our company in the green season in many ways that will connect to winter

"Going forward, I would like to communicate POW's ideas and current climate change issues to my staff. I believe that this will be the start of efforts to combat climate change on-site. I am very much looking forward to the training session after the season ends."

Smile Resort's unique ski school for people with disabilities, "Neige"

When considering Smile Resort from a sustainability perspective, there is one major piece of content that cannot be left out of the discussion: Neige, a ski school for people with disabilities run by Smile Resort. Based in Nakazato, Yuzawa, this NPO supports people with disabilities through ideas and ingenuity to ensure that they can enjoy skiing to their heart's content

Yagi's feelings towards this Neige are special

"When we purchased Yuzawa Nakazato as Smile Resort, there was an NPO called Neige, which was struggling to run the business at the time. The CEO of Smile Resort had been thinking about what he could do for people with disabilities since he was young. I also worked at a facility for people with disabilities for about 15 years in my previous job. So we decided that we wanted to work together with Neige

The reason behind this is that we believe that everyone should be able to enjoy this wonderful sport of skiing equally, and we don't want to make it so that people with disabilities can't do anything. Neige gives families more options for having fun, and allows them to experience things they couldn't before, putting a smile on their faces. That's where our value lies, and that's what we believe and think

Instead of saying, "We can't go to ski lessons because we have a child with a disability...", we change it to, "Children with disabilities can enjoy it too, so let's go skiing!" This initiative has spread beyond Joetsu City, and an increasing number of elementary and junior high schools are now coming to Smile Resort Group ski resorts as a school. Of course, families with children with disabilities are also happy to come, and they become repeat visitors

Ultimately, business sales have increased. But that's not all. By supporting guests with disabilities, staff members' empathy, observation skills, and imagination are strengthened, improving their hospitality skills. There are other benefits too. Neige's efforts have been going on since before the SDGs came into existence. Now, without even realizing it, we've been putting the SDGs into practice. It's like the SDGs came later (laughs)," said Yagi with a big smile

This is a wonderful sustainability initiative that truly realizes Goal 10 of the 17 SDGs, "Reduced inequalities among individuals and countries." When it comes to sustainability goals for ski resorts, we tend to focus on large-scale, flashy initiatives such as renewable energy and in-house power generation. However, taking children's hands and bringing smiles and happiness to families on the snow like this is surely an action of immense value that cannot be compared

The person who taught me

Information　 Smile Resort
◆ Official website: https://www.smile-resort.com/
◆ Official SNS: Instagram

Interview cooperation: Smile Resort , POW JAPAN

Information　 POW JAPAN
◆Official website: https://protectourwinters.jp/
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