Hirafu-Niseko Infrastructure to Receive Funding

Very exciting news, as Kutchan Town Government has announced just over 900,000,000 yen in much needed funds (mainly from the central government) for infrastructure in Hirafu Village. Taiga Real Estate and Project Management was appointed as the sole foreign representative on the steering committee, consisting of local businesses, municipal and district government. We believe in active contributions to affect change, even though this often means volunteering for spans stretching into years.

Riccardo Tossani, architect and urban designer of Riccardo Tossani Architecture (Tokyo and Niseko) was appointed as a special observer to the steering committee , advising the committee, comparing master planning strategies in other famous resorts and participating in decision-making processes. Community meetings were held several times last year, and locals had the opportunity to make suggestions. The proposed budget includes the following items:

600,000,000 yen – Community center (police station, post office, conference facilities, ATM)
160,000,000 yen – Parking lot and bus loop works at the WelcomeCenter parking lot
22,000,000 yen – Area signage
10,000,000 yen – Main symbol sign
16,000,000 yen – Street Banner fixtures
50,000,000 yen – Emergency information system
70,000,000 yen – Road upgrades/new sidewalk between Hirafu-zaka (Alpen Hotel) and the gondola

Further community consultations are still needed to refine the budget, but this is a great announcement about new amenities. A fixed timeline has yet to be announced.