Chapter 2 Development of Winter Tourism in Japan

Chapter 2
Development of Winter Tourism in Japan
2-1. Distribution of Skiing Resorts
2-1-1. A number, a scale, and altitude
2-1-1-1. The number of skiing resorts
Geographical distribution of skiing resorts with the number in SCRs is shown in Figure
2-1 based on the information on Skiing Resort Yearbook2-1) and All Japan Gelande
Guide2-2)2-3).
Figure 2-1 Number of skiing resorts (according to SCRs)
(Source : Sogo Unicom2-1), Mountain and Ravine Co. 2-2)2-3) )
58
2-1-1-2. The scale of skiing resorts
The scale of skiing resorts is summarized, focusing on the following points: 1) the
number of lifts, 2) the transportation capabilities of lifts, and 3) the altitude difference of
skiing resorts.*2-1
Total number of the the single lifts currently installed currently installed according to
SCRs in Figure 2-2, and the total number of gondola lifts are shown in Figure 2-3.
Figure 2-2 Number of single lifts in skiing resorts (according to SCRs)
*2-1 The average of the altitudes of the highest point, and the lowest point in the
gelandes in a skiing resort is called “average altitude” hereafter in this paper. The
altitude difference between the highest point and the lowest point is called “altitude
difference”, hereafter in this paper.
59
Figure 2-3 Number of gondora lifts in skiing resorts
(according to SCRs)
Secondly, the total of the maximum transportation capabilities of the lifts in skiing
resorts according to SCRs are shown (Figure 2-4).
60
Figure 2-4 Total of maximum transportation capabilities of the lifts
(according to SCRs)
Thirdly, geographical distribution of the skiing resorts, categorised by the altitude
difference, is shown in Figure 2-5.
61
Figure 2-5 Number of skiing resorts
(according to the altitude difference and to SCRs)
2-1-1-3. Altitude of skiing resorts
Geographical distribution of skiing resorts categorised by average altitude is shown
according to MCRs (Figure 2-6), and to SCRs (Figure 2-7).
62
Figure 2-6 Number of skiing resorts classified by average altitude
(according to MCRs)
Figure 2-7 Number of skiing resorts classified by average altitude
63
(according to SCRs)
2-1-2. Relations with regional classifications
The relations between the distribution of skiing resorts, and the regional
classifications other than climate regions (Snowy Index, and the OECD zones) are
summarized in maps hereafter in this section.
Firstly, relations between the number of skiing resorts and the “Snowy Index” are
shown in Figure 2-8. Most of resorts are located in SCRs with “Snowy Index” of 2 or
more. However, correlation between the “Snowy Index” over 1 and the number of skiing
resorts cannot be observed clearly.
Figure 2-8 Number of skiing resorts (according to Snowy Index)
Secondly, the relation between the number of skiing resorts and OECD zones (as of
64
2000) is shown in Figure 2-9.
Figure 2-9 Number of skiing resorts (according to OECD zones)
From Figure 2-9, it is recognised that skiing resorts are mostly located in the SCRs
belonging to predominantly rural zone, and subsequently in significantly rural zone, and
exceptionally over the urbanised zone.
2-2. The features of the land use by the skiing resorts
2-2-1. Summary of the existing findings
Kureha (1999)intro-9) surveyed all the process of the skiing resort development in Japan,
and classified the process into the four stages as follows, based on the number of newly
65
developments of skiing resorts, the feature of the developments, etc:
[i] First stage (the 1911- 1950s)
[ii] Emergence Stage (1960 to the 70s)
[iii] Development Stage (1980 to 92 years), and
[iv] Stagnation Stage (1993-)
features of the developments of resorts in each stage is summarized by the Kureha
(1999)intro-9) , as below.
[i] The early stage starts on 1911 -- when the skiing technology was completely
transfered in Takada, Niigata, and when is supposed to be the beginning of the skiing in
Japan. In the early stage, gelandes for ski were built first in the backyards of the hotels in
hot-springs resorts etc. In Japan, constructions of lifts have started to spread nearby
along the Joetsu Line, after World War II.
Secondly, [ii] emergence stage comes from 1960 to the 70s. This period coincides with
the first boom of skiing resort development. Features of developments in this period are
as follows: the establishment of farm inns, entry of large-scale developers centered in
Tokyo or Osaka, spread of skiing resorts to the hilly and mountainous areas remote from
railway lines, and the side job of a farmhouse in the agricultural off-season was
materialized -- it comes out.
[iii] The development stage is the period from 1980 to 1992 or 93 -- this stage
coincides with the second boom of skiing resort development. As features of the
developments during this stage, the expansions of both Shinkansen and highway
networks in the East Japan and Tohoku, occurrence of large-scale developments of
skiing resorts in Tohoku and Hokkaido, and the sharp increase in the transporting
capabilities of lifts, and the increase of skiing population (described below) are pointed
out. Above all, the achievements of extensive and high-speed transportation should be
66
noted, from the side of the supply.
[iv] Stagnation stage, which comes after 1992 or 93, is characterized by the reduction
of the number of newly developed skiing resorts, the reduction of skiing population, and
the upgrades of the equipments (a skiing center, artificial snowfall machine) in skiing
resorts.
As was summarized, Kureha (1999) intro-9) is considered to be describing the features of
the development processes of skiing resorts in Japan correctly, and comprehensively.
However, verification of all the points mentioned above with data can end up with a
deviation from the framework of this research. Therefore, only regional features of the in
the process of the skiing resort developments in Japan will be surveyed and summarised
focusing on the land use in this section.
2-2-2. Area of Developed Land as skiing resorts
Of the land used as the gelandes in skiing resorts in entire Japan, 17% exists in
Hokkaido, 21% exists in Tohoku, 53% exists in East Japan, and all the rest exists in
Southwest Japan, according to Sogo Unicom (1996)
2-1)
. In East Japan, most intensively
developed and most profitable skiing areas in Japan are included (i.e. Niigata, Nagano,
etc.).
Development of full-scale skiing resorts began after World War II in Japan. Area of
the land occupied by skiing resorts developed before 1940 equals only 4% of that on 1997.
On the other hand, area of gelandes occupied by the resorts developed during 1960 and
1979 equals 52% of that on 1997. Area of gelandes occupied by the resorts developed
during 1980 and 1999 equals 32% of that on 1997 (Figure 2-10).
67
ゲレンデ面積 [1万平方メートル]
20000
16000
12000
8000
4000
0
1890
1910
1930
1950
1970
1990
Figure 2-10 Time-series change2-1) of the area of gelandes (1900-1995)
Many of the skiing resorts have amusement facilities intended be in use for the
off-season (i.e. except winter). In this kind of skiing resorts, the area of the
accompanying amusement facilities amounts no negligible amount among the area of the
whole institution. The product of both the share of the sales related to skiing, divided by
the whole sales (represented as rs), and the area of gelandes (represented as Ag) shows
statistically significant correlation with the area of the entire development of the resort.
Where, “the sales related to skiing” means gains from selling lift tickets, renting ski
wears, provisions of on-site skiing lessons. As a result of the regression analysis the
following relationship was found out (R2= 0.42; 1% significance)
Aw ＝ 1.41 [rs×Ag ]＋46.8
･･･ [2-1]
Using the formula [2-1], area of land occupied by the entire developments of skiing
resorts, including that of the accompanying amusement facilities were estimated,
separately for LCRs (i.e. Hokkaido, Tohoku, East Japan, and Southwest Japan), as is
shown in Table 2-1.
68
Table 2-1 Area of the land occupied by the entire development of skiing resorts
単位：百万平方メートル
面積
%
合計
512 100%
北海道
79.2 15%
東北
146 28%
東日本
251 49%
西日本
36.1 7.1%
the area of the land of the entire development of skiing resorts, including that of the
accompanying amusement facilities, equals 0.2% of the area of the mountain land, on
nationwide average (definition of the mountain land is depending on the creation
investigation of the national digital data (1982)2-4)). The share for the area of the entire
development of skiing resorts including amusement facilities against the area of mountain
land is shown according to LCRs (Table 2-2)
Table 2-2 Share of the area of land occupied by the entire development of skiing
resorts (Aw) against the area of mountain land
Aw / 山地
全国
北海道
東北
東日本
西日本
0.22%
0.19%
0.35%
0.43%
0.042%
Aw / 傾斜
15度以上の
土地
0.31%
0.27%
0.26%
0.74%
0.081%
Artificial snow machines utilised in skiing resorts can be categorised into 3 types:
snow making machine (ice crusher), the “gun type” artificial snow machine, and the “fan
type” artificial snow machine. “Ice crusher” is the machine that makes snow from the ice,
that can be utilised in all-season. Remaining two other types of machines make snow,
using the low temperature during nighttime in winter. Percentages of the skiing resorts
69
that have introduced the artificial snowfall machines are shown in Table 2-3, according
to the types of the machines.
Table 2-3 Percentages of the skiing resorts that have introduced the artificial snowfall
machines
全国
北海道
東北
東日本
西日本
造雪機
11%
4.9%
5.9%
13%
20%
「ガン」「ファン」
21%
27%
10%
7.4%
20%
23%
25%
39%
24%
18%
The correlations between the number of the artificial snow machines, and the area
covered by snow machines were investigated separately, according to the types of the
machines. Statistically significant correlations were found concerning both the “gun
type” snow machine and the snowmaking machine. Since the area covered by artificial
snowfall machines is no less than zero, regression analyses were conducted assuming the
constant term of the regression equation to be zero. Adjusted determination coefficients
of the regression equations were 0.750 (snow making machine) and 0.643 (cancer type),
and the significance level were less than 1% in both cases. Based on the regression
equations, areas of land covered with either snow making machines or with “gun type”
artificial snow machines was estimated, as is shown in Table 2-4.
Table 2-4 Area covered by artificial snow machines
[百ha] 造雪機降雪機（ガン）
全国
3.22
7.61
北海道
0
0.437
東北
0.0221
1.21
東日本
3.17
4.62
西日本 0.0209
1.34
70
Shares of the area covered by artificial snowfall machines against the area occupied by
gelandes are shown in Table 2-5.
Table 2-5 Share of the area covered by artificial snowfall machines,
against the area of gelandes
造雪機降雪機（ガン）
計
1.8%
4.3%
北海道
0%
1.4%
東北
0.058%
3.2%
東日本
3.4%
5.0%
西日本
0.23%
8.8%
2-2-3. Features of the locations of skiing resorts
As for the average altitude of skiing resorts, those of the East Japan are the highest.
Central part of East Japan has mountains of high altitudes, and the number of skiing
resorts is also the largest amongst all the MCRs.
However, there is a possibility that the height of the average altitude of skiing resorts
is restricted by the height of the land itself. Hence, the share of the average altitude of
skiing resorts against the altitude of the highest point of the SCR where the resort is
located (hereafter called “relative altitude” in this chapter) was calculated, and the
emergence frequencies of skiing resorts according to the classes of relative altitudes
(established in units of 0.2) were investigated, separately for MCRs (Figure 2-11).
It can be observed from the figure that the degree skiing resorts are developed up
until the last minute becomes large within the restrictions of land becomes larger as the
latitude of the MCR becomes smaller, i.e. Hokkaido < Tohoku < East Japan < Southwest
Japan.
71
<=0.2, <0.4
<=0.4, <0.6
<=0.6, <0.8
<=0.8
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
西南日本太平洋側
西南日本中央部
西南日本日本海側
東日本太平洋側
東日本中央部
東日本日本海側
東北太平洋側
東北日本海側
北海道太平洋側
北海道中央部
0%
北海道日本海側
[スキー場平均標高／地域内最高標高] の出現頻
度 [%]
<0.2
Figure 2-11 Emergence frequency of skiing resorts, according to the relative altitude
72

Download Report