If you’ve been looking for an excuse to ditch your current life and become a ski bum in Japan, here’s your chance.
The New York Times reports that Niseko is going through a worker shortage due to a variety of factors. The main reason is that back in October, Japan finally reopened to outsider tourists for the first time in nearly three years.
International visitors have arrived, but like the crisis that the United States faced last year, the workers haven’t. Prospective employees have struggled to obtain work visas, and the yen is currently weak compared to the dollar, which means that pay isn’t great at the moment. Other factors, like the aging and declining Japanese population, and a rise in accommodations in the growing ski town, have caused some large crowds.
Various employers are using incentives to get workers to spend their winter in Niseko. At the Tamashaii bar, they’re paying 70% above the minimum wage due to a lack of kitchen workers and cashiers. Hanazono, which is one of the four ski resorts that make up Niseko United, they’re giving new employees season passes, free accommodations, and infinite powder days. Reju Spa needs massage therapists and is offering flight rebates worth $750.
The mountains are calling, and you should go. While you’re at it, please put some powder in a Yeti cooler and ship it to New England for me.
Image Credits: Niseko United
