As the year draws to a close, temperatures are getting colder, and some latitudes have even accumulated thick snow. The ski season is here again. To say that in recent years, the most popular outdoor sport in winter, skiing must be on the list. Not only the friends in the north, but also many friends in the south will even travel thousands of miles to the northern snow resorts, just to feel the joy of skiing on the snow. In Japan, where snow sports are very popular, skiing is also a popular sport that has endured since the last century.
Image source: https://www.shutterstock.com/zh
Skiing in Japan first originated in the early 20th century and became popular after entering Japan's period of rapid development in the 60s. Skiing is even considered one of the characteristics that represent Japanese society during this period. As more companies are involved in the ski industry, the price of ski-related equipment has decreased, ordinary families have been able to purchase them, and the implementation of weekends has allowed more Japanese people to participate in skiing. At that time, there were many schools that included skiing as part of school trips or forest schools, and Japanese railways even set up temporary ski trains such as "シュプール号" to meet the needs of people traveling to ski resorts such as Hokkaido and the Tohoku region. This trend of skiing, which is popular in the world, has also greatly contributed to the development of skiing in Japan today.
In the 90s of the 20th century, the Japanese economy entered a depression, but the number of ski resorts remained stable for a period of time. After entering the 21st century, the "ski fever" of the Japanese people receded, and the number of skiers gradually decreased, becoming a competitive sport and lifestyle. At the same time, foreign tourists began to dominate the Japanese ski market.
Image source: https://www.shutterstock.com/zh
Not only are ski resorts everywhere in Japan, but there are also many high-quality ski resorts. Ski resorts in Hokkaido, Nagano, Niigata, Yamagata, and other regions not only offer excellent snow quality, but also take advantage of the geographical advantages of mountainous areas and a wide variety of slopes to meet the needs of all types of ski enthusiasts, as well as hot springs, hotels, and even museums around ski resorts, so that ski enthusiasts can enjoy a variety of services. Among them, Happo One スキー場 in Nagano Prefecture is a ski resort that was famous among skiers around the world as the ski resort for the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics.
Image source: https://www.shutterstock.com/zh
In addition to traditional outdoor ski resorts, indoor ski resorts have gradually emerged in recent years. Unlike outdoor ski resorts, which are affected by natural conditions such as temperature and terrain, indoor ski resorts are becoming more and more popular due to their advantages such as artificial room temperature adjustment and freely set slopes. The snowfields created by artificial snowfall make skiing no longer just a winter sport, and enthusiasts living in the south do not have to travel thousands of miles to ski. However, due to the limitations of indoor conditions, the setting of indoor slopes is not as exciting as outdoor tracks for veteran skiers, and because it is purely artificial, the relatively high price is also prohibitive for many people.
Image source: https://www.shutterstock.com/zh
However, whether you choose an indoor or outdoor ski resort, the most important thing is always the step to take action. Let's take action together and go skiing~