Interview with Kentaro Minagawa
The past, present and future of skiing.

--Now that you've retired, you must be enjoying a different kind of skiing than competitive skiing?

Minagawa: There's a lot of work during the high season, and even when I go to ski resorts in the Southern Hemisphere in the summer, it's all about market research. I'm planning to go to Chile and Argentina next summer to research trends and prices.

-It's winter all year round (laughs).

Minagawa: That's right (laughs). All the clothes I own are winter clothes, and it's been that way since I was little. Because the seasons are opposite in the northern and southern hemispheres, I can predict what will happen six months from now.

-Are there any skiing circumstances that are unique to Japan?

Minagawa: When you think of Japanese winter sports attire, don't you imagine colorful, loose-fitting clothing? But that's only in Japan. It's something that's created by the Japanese domestic market. Skiing is originally a high-class sport, so the clothes overseas are slim-fitting and stylish.

- Oh really! I didn't know that.

Minagawa: This is something that Japanese people will be surprised at, but the number of skiers overseas is increasing. That's why many people are coming to Japan in search of good quality snow. People overseas are surprised by the shabby hotels and lifts that were built 30 or 40 years ago.

--Are the latest products really more prevalent overseas?

Minagawa: That's right. For example, Japanese lifts shake a lot when you ride them. That doesn't happen at the latest ski resorts overseas. They have heaters so snow doesn't pile up on the seats, and the safety bars come down automatically. Some people say that Japanese ski resorts are retro and nice (laughs).

-But the quality of snow in Japan is good.

Minagawa: Overwhelmingly. No other country in the world has better snow quality than Japan. In cold, low-humidity countries, snow crystals are tiny and so light that they can fly away in the wind. So you don't feel like you're floating when you ski. In European countries surrounded by the sea, the snow quality is similar to Japan, but in some places the particles are coarse and the snow is as hard as if it was on a glacier, so I think it's quite difficult.

-We imagine snow to be fluffy, but that's not the case in all countries.

Minagawa: The expression "botanyuki" only exists in Japan. Because there is a lot of moisture, the snow crystals combine and fall in flutters. When they pile up, they can reach a height of 1m. When you come back from having lunch at the ski resort, the snow has piled up again and the whole surface is completely white, which seems unusual to people from overseas.

-You are involved with Naeba Ski Resort and Appi Kogen Ski Resort. Have you noticed any changes in the people who enjoy leisure activities there?

Minagawa: Whether good or bad, the ratio of inbound tourists at large resorts exceeds 70%, so they inevitably have to charge inbound prices. Hospitality increases, but the price is proportional. This has caused people in Japan to move away from skiing, so we are taking measures to address this.

-What do you think we should focus on to increase the number of people skiing?

Minagawa: The problem is that we haven't been able to renovate the facilities built during the bubble period. It would be easier to build new ones. The number of skiers in Japan was 18 million at its peak. It gradually decreased, and at the time when it was said that the decline had bottomed out, it was 6.2 million. Then, it dropped sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has returned to about 5 million. Meanwhile, China has a plan to increase its skiing population to 300 million by 2030. The number of skiers and snowboarders is exploding, and it is said that 10% of them will come to Japan. Domestic demand is decreasing, but the number of visitors from overseas, including China, is steadily increasing. About 10 years ago, ski resorts all over the country were for sale, but now there is not a single one.

--The Winter Industry Revitalization Organization is also working hard on the "SAVE THE SNOW PROJECT" with the aim of conserving snow resources, but what kind of problems will arise if there is less snow?

Minagawa: For example, if the snow that has accumulated in the mountains during the winter runs out of water, it will affect crops. Regular rainfall is not enough. If there is less snow, there will be less food. But since there is a distance between snow and food, it is hard to really feel it. Only the rising prices of vegetables are reported, and many people do not know the background to the rise.

--The Winter Industry Revitalization Organization also engages in activities such as producing picture books and holding concerts.

Minagawa: It's important to achieve results in competitions and show that you're working on environmental issues, but I think it's also important to approach it from a different field. Today, I went to a kindergarten in Toyosu in the morning and read a picture book to the children. I simply want the children to be aware of the four seasons.

-What do you want to see for the future of the winter industry?

Minagawa: While it is difficult to do it with domestic demand in Japan alone, the number of inbound tourists has suddenly increased, causing overtourism and inflation. What I am doing now is creating a format and role model to solve this problem. How many ski resorts are appropriate and how can they be revitalized? Everyone is still feeling their way around. I want to find the answer and enable the current active skiers to pass when they retire. Also, there are papers that say that snow will be gone in 50 years, and it is said that Japan will be the last country in the world to have snow. There are times when you think that adults should do their job properly. I don't want to be one of those who are told that, so I want to face environmental issues.