― You are originally from Chiba Prefecture, aren’t you?

Yachiyo City, Chiba Prefecture. Through the influence of my grandfather, I had many opportunities to be in contact with nature since childhood, and in seeking a place with a lot of nature, I found a job at an agriculture-related company in Asahikawa City. I was then transferred to Kutchan and liked it so much that I left and worked for several years as a guide for an outdoor guide company, and in 2006, I started the business that would become Mountain Guide Coyote.

― What makes Niseko special to you?

I was first fascinated by the mountainous landscape, including Mt. Yotei. If you stay on as a company employee, you may be transferred to another location and cannot live where you want to live. So, I decided to leave my job and become a guide in a place close to nature. My parents live in the main island of Japan, so I looked around at other places as well, but I again felt that Niseko was the best place to start my career.

― How do you spend your days off?

I have always had an affinity for the philosophy of the Jomon period since I was a child, and I enjoy visiting Jomon sites in the Northern Tohoku and Hokkaido regions that have been registered as World Heritage sites, participating in Jomon field burning events, and exploring together with my wife, who also loves the Jomon period. My ideal lifestyle combines Jomon philosophy with modern technology, and I am attempting to reduce the burden on the natural environment by growing vegetables in the fields, generating electricity from solar power, and being as self-sufficient as possible.

― What made you want to become a mountain guide?

I wanted to create a place where everyone could take part in the field of nature. I began to think that a guide would be a good way to accomplish this. I think that if people learn about and come to love nature through mountain climbing and skiing, it will lead to a desire to try to preserve it.

― What are the advantages of having a guide?

When you go around on your own, the only benchmark you have is the course time, and your perspective tends to be narrower than you might think. By having a guide, you can discover things you would not have noticed on your own and enjoy mountain climbing more deeply from a three-dimensional perspective. Each of the guides in Niseko have their own area of expertise, so you will have a completely different hiking experience depending on which guide you choose to walk with.

― In your job, you are deeply involved with nature, but is there anything in particular that you try to keep in mind?

That both mountain climbing and skiing can not be done without nature, and that nature is the source of all things. I am working toward achieving sustainable tourism and not depleting our natural assets. Without beautiful mountains and trails, they might as well not even exist for those who climb them. We carry fuel and tools on our backs and stay in the mountains for several days to maintain the trails. We are also engaged in other activities to remove Dicentra peregrina, which is considered a non-native species that could impact the ecosystem.

― What are some of the attractions of Niseko?

My parents’ house is in the main island of Japan, so I like that it is easy to approach. Also, it only takes 2.5 hours to get to Chitose Airport.
It is also a miracle that such stunning nature exists so close to where we live. Since the mountains, rivers, and lakes are all within a short distance and can be reached at a moment’s notice, many people enjoy one ski run before going to work. Mt. Yotei and the high-rise marshlands of Mt. Annupuri are particularly valuable natural environments in Japan. There are two types of nature, fragile nature that cannot be restored once vegetation is lost, and nature that can be restored, and mountain tops and wetlands are the former. And the more fragile nature is, the more beautiful the landscape.

― If you were to guide a friend visiting Niseko, where would you take them?

If the person is fit, I would recommend staying overnight in a hut on Mt. Yotei. The higher you climb, the greater the view, and the view extends all the way to the sea. On the first day, we would go to the shelter at the 9th station and enjoy a dinner such as hot soup and rice while watching the sun set over the Sea of Japan. If you are lucky after dark, you can even see the fishing lights of squid fishing boats floating along the sea at night. If staying in a hut is a bit too demanding, you can enjoy a light hike up Chisenupuri through Shinsennuma and Naganuma, which offers a variety of courses including rock climbing.

― What was Niseko like when you were a child?

This area used to be a pension town. Today, there are more condominiums and villas, and the number of pensions has decreased to about one-tenth of what it was back then. Niseko Grandpapa Lodge remains exactly as it was when it was first opened. This is the only place that has remained the same—the surrounding landscape has changed dramatically.

― Did you have plans to take over the pension someday after once finding a different job?

Initially I had no plans to return here. I was working for a travel agency in Sapporo, but when I had time off, I went back to Niseko to work as a ski instructor. Back in the day when I was a student, alpine skiing was done on snow that was almost icy, so this was also the time when I properly skied Niseko’s powder slopes. The quality of the snow was good, you could go backcountry, and the environment was conducive to skiing, which I found very appealing.
It was about the time when we started to see a few foreign visitors here and there, and they told us that “Niseko was going to become a great place to visit.” I thought there might be some potential here, so I decided to take over the pension business.

― You anticipated early on that it would become an international ski resort.

Yes. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I was certain but… I studied abroad in Germany so I was able to speak foreign languages and I previously worked for a travel agency so it was easy to get information and I think I acted rather quickly.
We changed the way we manage our business in anticipation of the increasing number of customers from abroad, such as creating our own website from scratch. Since many people dine out in the evening, we also opened a restaurant where you can enjoy original cheese fondue, a combination of authentic Swiss cheese and Niseko potato starch.

― We heard that you have experience competing in national skiing competitions.

During my years as a student, I traveled to national and international alpine skiing competitions. Even after retiring, skiing has always been a part of my life, including modeling for ski magazines and posters. After returning to Niseko, since I have to manage the pension during the season, my routine is to pick up and drop off clients at the ski resort, and if the snow conditions are good, I will go out and do one ski run myself and then come back. After the busy winter season is over, one of the things to look forward to is the local ski races held in the spring.

― What is the story behind how you launched Tief Powder Ski?

Rocker skis are considered suitable for powder snow like that found in Niseko, but they lack stability when making turns. I thought it would be nice to have natural, non-rocker skis that would allow both carving and deep snow skiing. When the COVID-19 pandemic occurred and I had some time to spare, I started to think about making something on my own, and when I presented my idea to a factory, they said, “Yes, we can do it,” and we started working to make it a reality. Another appealing point is that no two skis are alike, as birch and cork trees from this region are used for the core wood, and the realistic grain of the wood is utilized.

― What kind of person would you like to purchase these skis?

Since they are skis with a unique concept, we are producing them in the hope that they will please a core group of people rather than trying to popularize them all at once. They are also available for rent at the Niseko Grandpapa Lodge but it’s not often you find an inn where the owner makes the skis. Many of our customers are ski enthusiasts, and I enjoy talking with those skiers myself.

― What are your duties as chairman of a tourism association?

Immediately after assuming this position, I was particularly busy making rounds to greet all the relevant parties. Every day, I bring ideas for tourism policies to the meeting and discuss them with the members, putting my mind and body to work for the future of Niseko. Many of our guests stay with us for long periods of time, so recently I have been thinking about creating a place where they can gather and participate in the local community. We are exploring the possibilities of Niseko’s unique value to become not just a tourist destination, but a second home.

― You seem to be busy running a pension, crafting skis, and serving on a tourism association, but what do you enjoy doing on a day-to-day basis?

One of my small pleasures is preparing finger foods and drinking wine. In the winter, I am too busy working at the pension to make elaborate dishes, so the cheese fondue, which is served as the main course at the restaurant, is my go-to dish. In the summer, I like to make acqua pazza using the fish I caught and serve it with white wine. I often get together with friends that work in the same industry.

― Where would you take your friends if they come to Niseko?

Fishing and kayaking are also fun activities to do in the summer. If you kayak to Cape Benkei, you can often catch rockfish such as flounder and jacopever. I also recommend the Shiribetsu River during the snowy season when melted snow flows into the river. Rainbow trout that have been toughened by the cold water have a strong pull and are popular among local anglers.
Seasonal vegetables are also available at different times of the year, so when you come to Niseko, you should definitely try them before returning your home.

― What prompted you to move to Niseko?

I originally lived in Tokyo, but in my 20s I began going abroad on working holidays, and I felt that a place closer to nature suited me better than being in a city. However, there is no one particular reason why I came to live in Niseko.
The first time I stayed here was about 10 years ago, and I worked a part-time job for one season. After that, my friend who remained in Niseko told me that summers here are also nice, so I came without thinking much of it, and then was told that winters here are nice too, so I came again in winter… and eventually I found myself staying there.

― When did you start working at Santo?

I joined Santo as a part-time employee after an acquaintance who worked at Swell, Santo’s predecessor, recommended it to me as a good fit for me. At the time they were looking to change the atmosphere of the restaurant. Swell was located in the town of Kutchan, but the building was to be demolished due to its age, and the company was incorporated at the time of its relocation to its current location in 2022. It was also around this time that Chef Watanabe and I became partners both professionally and personally. At Santo, I am in charge of handling everything but the food, including customer service and managing reservations.

― This is a lovely place surrounded by nature.

Yes, you can feel the seasons just by being here, and I think we have really found a very special place. One day you come to work and there might be dandelions blooming all over the place whereas yesterday there were none, and leaves that were lush in summer turn red and fall to tell us that winter is coming. Just looking at the changing scenery is soothing. But I also learned not to push myself too hard because the nature in winter is sometimes very harsh. If the weather is bad, we will give up on our plans, and if it is something related to the restaurant, we will tell them we are sorry and ask them to change it.

― What kind of service do you strive to provide?

We consider all of our guests to be part of the Santo family, regardless of their nationality or occupation. I think about how I can make them feel happy at the end of their visit. I provide customer service with the intention of ensuring they leave in a pleasant mood. Thankfully, we have many regular customers.

― What are some of the attractions of Santo?

First of all, the meals they prepare for employees are extremely tasty. Also, being able to interact with people whom you would not be able to meet in your everyday life. They come from many different countries and have different lives. Niseko is probably the only place in Japan where such a diverse group of people come together. I am happiest when customers from various backgrounds tell me how much they enjoyed the restaurant and that they will come back again because it was so good.

― The interior atmosphere is also very nice.

Thank you. I like Italian-style colorful interior design, so I aim to create a space that is flashy yet cozy. One of my chef friends is a painter and carpenter, so I shared my image of the subtle hues and other details with them and asked them to bring that image to life. The wine cellar was also made by a friend, and Santo is what it is today because of the people I met here.

― Do you have any interaction with people who are originally from Niseko?

I had been talking with some friends in the restaurant business in the area about the possibility of organizing a food festival as an event in Niseko, and we recently had a barbecue as a way of socializing as well. There are people who have been operating restaurants in Niseko for a long time, and there are also people like us who moved to Niseko and opened their own businesses, but there are no barriers between us, and there is an atmosphere of working together to make the area more prosperous.

― Do you often spend time with friends and colleagues on your days off?

Participating in wine tastings, which are also held near Otaru and Niseko, is one of the things I look forward to doing, and I often find myself at some sort of social event or another. There are many people here who love music, and the circle of friends naturally expands at music-related parties and other events. Niseko also has an abundance of hot springs, each with different qualities, so visiting them is also an enjoyable experience. It is not uncommon to bump into a friend at one of my favorite hot springs.

― Where would you take your friends if they come to Niseko?

I myself love animals, so I would spend the morning visiting the Ostrich Farm and Kijima Farm, where you can spend time with the animals, and say hello to Koo-chan, a pony kept at Huckleberry Farm, which is located on the same site as Santo. After enjoying lunch at Xie Xie, a Chinese restaurant that is very popular among the locals, I would take them to Takedaya Rafting, which is run by friends of mine, for a river rafting adventure. The people that run the company are truly wonderful, and it undoubtedly would make for a fun and memorable experience.

― Why did you decide to become a farmer?

When I used to work as a semiconductor engineer, my work would take me overseas for about six months out of the year. I felt like I wasn’t grounded, and that I couldn’t continue this lifestyle for the next few decades. After quitting my job and working on a banana plantation in Australia on a working holiday, I realized that it was the one and only job where I could create something from scratch that would become a source of sustenance for life. That’s around when I first became interested in farming. When I moved to Niseko a few years later, I decided to try my hand at farming.

― What prompted you to move to Niseko?

After returning from overseas, I hitchhiked from Ishikari to Kyushu, stopping in Niseko rather early on in the trip. I was overwhelmed by the magnificent landscape, with Mt. Yotei looming large in the distance. After that, I visited many places in Japan that people said were beautiful, but in the end, I couldn’t get Niseko out of my mind and decided to move there. During my first year here, I worked part-time as a live-in farmer in the neighboring village of Makari, and then was assigned to the agriculture division as a member of the Niseko Town Local Revitalization Cooperation Group, where I was able to learn while assisting the farmers.

― There is an impression that starting a farm is a difficult hurdle to overcome, but did things go smoothly?

I had always wanted to start farming after graduating from the cooperation group, but you can’t start a farm without a field. Then, through a chance encounter, I got acquainted with Mr. Endo, the owner of the land, and when I told him I wanted to farm, he offered to give me the land, which had been idle for some time. I am extremely grateful to him for passing on his precious land to me, someone who is neither a relative nor a native of Niseko, and whom he has only just met. He recognized my experience and achievements as a member of the Niseko Town Local Revitalization Cooperation Group, and I was able to successfully start farming.

― What kind of crops do you grow at Niseko Tasty?

Mainly mini tomatoes, watermelons, and sweet potatoes. While Hokkaido is famous for its potatoes, sweet potatoes are among the new crops recommended by Hokkaido in response to the recent climate change. Unlike potatoes, sweet potato cultivation is labor-intensive because it cannot be mechanized, and it also takes time after harvest to increase its sugar content, as it must be allowed to rest after harvest.

― So sweet potatoes you put so much time and effort into turn into the dried sweet potatoes.

Vegetables must be cooked to be eaten, so I started processing them into dried potatoes because I wanted to make something that could be eaten immediately after it is bought. I was also lucky that Mr. Endo had left me the drying machine he had used to make dried sliced daikon radish. During the winter off-season, we are dedicated to making dried sweet potatoes. I have a secret ambition to turn this into a Niseko specialty souvenir so that everyone will recognize Niseko Tasty’s dried sweet potatoes when they hear the name Niseko.

― Your work seems to be affected by nature and the climate, but what are some of the difficulties you face?

Because the moisture content of sweet potatoes increases if there is heavy rainfall before harvest and the flavor is diluted, the climate at harvest time is a concern. But that’s about the only thing that comes to mind, and to be honest, it’s actually not that challenging. Even when typhoons, a major enemy of agriculture, come, we often do not suffer that much damage from the wind and rain because we are in the mountains, and we feel the benefits of our environment.

― How is life in Niseko?

While the views of famous mountain ranges I have seen overseas in places like Nepal and Patagonia were amazing, Mt. Yotei and the surrounding mountains in Niseko are simply unbeatable. I am happy just to be able to see this scenery every day. I try to leave home before sunrise, and the fields are the best view spot to see the sunrise and Mt. Yotei. If you look at it every day, the position of the rising sun shifts little by little. Once a year, the sun rises from the top of the mountain.

― Where would you take your friends if they come to Niseko?

I have many friends that live the city, so if it is their first time in Niseko, I often take them to places that are unique to Hokkaido. First, I take them to Takahashi Ranch, where they can take pictures on a hay roll with a mountain range in the background and eat soft-serve ice cream. I’m curious about the new zipline, which I haven’t been able to try out yet either. Since Niseko is close to the sea, the seafood is fresh and delicious, so in this area, I would recommend “Sushi Hanakichi,” and if they don’t mind going a little further away, I would also recommend a sushi restaurant in Kamoenai, where celebrities are known to come to enjoy the food.