Photo/Illutration The Niseko ski resort in Hokkaido’s Kutchan is packed with skiers from overseas in December 2022. (Kengo Hiyoshi)

NISEKO, Hokkaido--With a reputation for having some of the best powder snow in the world, the Niseko area of Hokkaido is bracing for an influx of overseas and domestic visitors this winter.

And to ensure that everything runs like clockwork, a fleet of taxi cabs will be dispatched to the globally renowned resort town from elsewhere in the nation’s northernmost main island.

The decision to use taxis from companies in Sapporo, about 100 kilometers away, was made with the aim of nipping excessive tourism in the bud to ensure residents are not forced to put up with cab shortages.

Seven taxi operators in Sapporo will temporarily deploy cabs to the towns of Kutchan and Niseko, according to a Sept. 25 announcement by the Hokkaido taxi association and other parties.

Arrangements are also being made for tax operators in Tokyo and elsewhere in the greater metropolitan area to pitch in if demand for cabs outstrips supply.

Those taxis would operate under a special provision of the Road Transportation Law that allows authorized drivers to serve passengers outside their designated business zones.

Cabs brought in to help Niseko and Kutchan get through the winter will be available solely on taxi-booking app Go, with the purpose of reducing the burden on drivers in dealing with non-Japanese customers and memorizing routes and streets.

Both towns will prepare accommodation facilities for non-local cabbies or subsidize their lodging costs.

Given that it is unrealistic for rural zones suffering from dire cab shortages to put more taxis in place during off-season periods, the ski resort in Hokkaido is looking to spread the Niseko model as part of efforts to supply cabs to those areas only in busy times.

Related News