On April 27, 2024, "YUKIGOI Mountain Clean" was held at Maiko Snow Resort in Niigata Prefecture. This is a cleaning event where everyone walks along the spring slopes and picks up the trash that has fallen. This is a spin-off project of the ``YUKIGOI OUTDOOR MARKET,'' which is held here in the fall by skiers and snowboarders, and is already in its third year.
This event, which is limited to 30 participants, is so popular that once registration began in early April, the event filled up within two hours. Not only do we have attractive benefits such as a one-day lift pass for next season and a lunch of local Koshihikari rice, but we also want to express our gratitude to the ski slopes that gave us so much fun on the snow in winter, and we hope to continue to enjoy those slopes in spring as well. It seems that Maiko fans who wanted to enjoy it as if they were taking a walk volunteered to be the first to do so.
What is YUKIGOI OUTDOOR MARKET?
YUKIGOI OUTDOOR MARKET is one of the largest outdoor markets in Japan for skiers and snowboarders.
Held every October at Maiko Snow Resort, the vast venue features a "brand mall" with a snow and outdoor theme, a flea market area, early bird lift ticket sales booths, and local gourmet vendors. This is a unique event where you can prepare for a wonderful snow experience while praying for the best possible snowfall ahead of winter. Click here
for the official YUKIGOI OUTDOOR MARKET website ▶ Scheduled to be held from October 19th (Saturday) to October 20th (Sunday) in 2024
A lively event begins under the blue sky
It was a sunny day, and the temperature was over 20℃ from the morning. At Maiko Kogen Lodge, the reception area, participants who took proper sun protection began to gather one after another. All ages range from small children to the elderly. Before the event started, outdoor yoga was held that participants were free to participate in, and many people enjoyed a pleasant exercise on the greenery.
Mountain Clean started by taking a bus from Maiko Kogen Lodge to Sky Dome, which is located halfway up the Okuzoeji area. From here, participants carried garbage bags and fire scissors, walked up the slope, picked up trash, and then descended to the day-trip ski center at the foot of the mountain.
The snow has almost completely disappeared on the mountain top, and the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. At my feet, wild plants and alpine plants such as fukinotou, kogomi, and katakuri are in full bloom. Everyone was relaxing in the spring scenery and started picking up trash, which felt like hiking. The atmosphere is idyllic, with children fascinated by ladybugs and people enjoying picking wild vegetables.
Sakura and Katakuri flowers are just in full bloom.
Collected a lot of trash left on the slopes in about 2 hours
The distance to the foot of the mountain is approximately 6 km. The hike took about two hours, including a slow descent while picking up trash and taking breaks along the way. The trash seems to increase the closer you get to the foot of the mountain. Man-made garbage stands out in nature because it is shiny or white, so it is quite easy to find. For example, there are a lot of things lying around, such as half-drinked plastic bottles, empty cans, hand warmers, sunscreen, peeled shoe soles, etc. Tissue paper doesn't melt and hardens and sticks to the grass, making it painful. There were also an unusually large number of cigarette butts around restaurants and lift stations.
Various things were left on the ski slope. Return to the foot of the mountain and sort into plastic bottles, cans, metals, combustibles, etc. A lot of garbage was collected
A fun lunch and a surprise!
After cleaning the mountain, we moved back to Maiko Kogen Lodge and enjoyed lunch. The menu includes Koshihikari rice cooked in a large 3-sho pot and pork soup with lots of toppings. Although it is simple, the deliciousness of the ingredients stands out. Everyone brought their own bowls with plenty of it, and more and more people asked for refills. It's a blissful moment.
Koshihikari pot-cooked rice, with its burnt edges and delicious flavor, is the ultimate delicacy!
There's also a nice surprise after lunch. This time, it was suddenly decided that RCT Japan Co., Ltd., which imports and sells Scandinavian outdoor brands, would sponsor the event, and all participants would be provided with outdoor goods. Among the various items available, the order of selection will be decided by drawing lots. The participants got really excited about the unexpected gift. Of course, everyone also received a one-day lift pass for next season.
Participants are excited about the outdoor wear and goods provided by RCT Japan.
All the participants seemed to be satisfied with the walk, picking up trash, enjoying a delicious lunch, and even winning lift tickets and unexpected gifts.
``I'm happy to be able to help clean up Maiko, who took care of me by skating a lot this winter.'' ``I realized that even small pieces of trash don't disappear in nature. I thought we should be careful when we skate as well.'' ” were also heard. And everyone seems to have renewed their desire to ``definitely want to enjoy it here next season!''
Tatsuya Ijima, Manager of
Maiko Snow Resort is promoting environmental conservation initiatives through the "YUKIGOI" event.This year's "YUKIGOI Mountain Clean" was attended by people of all ages, from seniors to children as young as 4 years old.
I was amazed at how successful the event was, reaching capacity within two hours of recruiting participants. Thank you very much everyone for your cooperation. We hope that these events will give people an opportunity to learn about how much trash is thrown away in nature, and to think about how to reduce littering and reduce trash.
We will continue to work on environmental conservation at "YUKIGOI" events. ``Mountain Clean'' in spring and ``OUTDOOR MARKET'' in autumn. We are also planning an ``ON SNOW event'' for next season. All of our staff members are looking forward to your visit, so that you and your friends who are fascinated by winter sports can enjoy Maiko Snow Resort all year round. YUKIGOI with everyone!
For information related to YUKIGOI OUTDOOR MARKET, check out the official website and SNS below!