Bigger picture in sight for local development
Architect devises plan for 'rehab' of famed upscale Niseko-Hirafu ski resort community
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By ROB GILHOOLY
Special to The Japan Times
For some it was a flash in the pan, at best an experiment destined to fail, at worst a mini-bubble hyper-inflated by greedy "outsiders" with little interest other than the type accumulating in the bank.
For others, however, the Niseko ski resort in southwest Hokkaido is much more than just a picturesque snow globe waiting to be smashed. A criticism often leveled at Niseko's real estate boom that started around eight years ago is that it has lacked planning and long-term vision, with some developments showing little concern for building codes or the local environment.
If Italo-Australian architect, designer and master planner Riccardo Tossani has his way, all of this is about to change. "We're seeing a shift in the type of force that is developing this area," says Tossani at his second home in the village of Hirafu, which he terms "the nexus of the area's social activities."
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