Archives: 2010年11月

§21. Beginning of lodging (3)

 Let’s continue topic of early Guest House.

 The establishment of a business of “Lodge Korpokkur” was 1961 same
as the lift opening of business (we move to the present location in
1973). There is lawn ground, and camp of soccer and rugby is possible
in the summer, too. Okada Mitsuyoshi of the founder feels nostalgic for
those days. Because “field was not large, father did work of felling of
tree in mountain in the winter season”. It was not necessary to work
outdoors for the winter season after lift was done. However, we seemed
to be puzzled because we were not used to Guest House management.

 Eiko of wife repeated special training to begin Guest House and
took cook license. Of course potato and milk, rice, vegetables to use
for dish are homemade. We would open Guest House suddenly and were
serious from preparations. We rebuilt main house in guest room and
rebuilt barn in our living room. We thought that we wanted visitor to
eat local delicious thing. 」

 Humiyoshi of son of current manager was still child, but went to
station to meet visitor in horse sleigh when train which we picked up
skier on arrived at HIRAFU Station.

IMG_0930小.jpg

 Okada Tomio opened “GINREISO” in 1968. The National Athletic Meet
would be held in Kutchan in the winter season in 1970 and there was
request from Kucchancho and started a business. Current master Okada
Tomonobu says. “Accommodation business was the totally first thing for
parents”. Therefore, at time without field work between summer, father
and mother went to hot spring resort and studied service. 」

 When we opened hotel, there was not much number of hotel guests. Ski
tour from Honshu became extreme popularity before long, and hotel
became prosperous. “GINREISO” was 11 rooms at the time of the opening of
business, but is 54 well-established ski hotels now.

IMG_12982小.jpg

 It was 1968 that Sakai Masayuki opened “SAKAE hotel”. Sakai
discontinues “SAKAE hotel” in 2007 and runs “bar SAKAE” now. Sakai came
over as cook of DAISETSUKAKU from YUNOKAWA of Hakodate in 1965.

 Sakai says. “Visitor came to HIRAFU at the time of the opening of
business in winter”. “We made group called HIRAFU skiing area promotion
society with lift and the person concerned of the accommodations and
talked about measures of the summer”. We went to other resorts for
inspection and established tennis court. Visitor of ski tour came to
come from the end of the 1970s, and visitors suddenly increased. 」

 Because there was experience of professional cook, Sakai gathered
proprietresses of Guest House and taught dish. This is because he
thought that all hotels of HIRAFU have to make an effort to raise charm
of HIRAFU.

IMG_0865小.jpg
民宿マップ2.jpg

?Upper figure is neighboring maps of time of two years later from NISEKO
KOGEN lift establishment. (this figure was made with reference to map
printed on handkerchief distributed in Yamada Onsen in those days.) We
can read Nohda, Oda, Urano( existing HAKUUNSO), the name of Okada from
figure.