KUTCHAN, Hokkaido—Raised in a region of the world known for its hot temperatures, Hideki Yamanaka is now stationed at “koban” police box during the chilly winter months here mainly to help foreign visitors.

Open only between Dec. 1 and March 20, the Niseko-Hirafu police substation serves the 1.7 million visitors who flock to the world-renowned Niseko ski resort, including many from overseas.

The police box sits in front of a heart-shaped monument that reads “I love Niseko,” a popular photo spot for skiers in colorful attire.

According to Hokkaido police, the Niseko-Hirafu koban is the only temporary koban that is open for more than three months a year on Japan’s northernmost main island.

Yamanaka, a 48-year-old sergeant, is one of three officers assigned to the Niseko-Hirafu substation for each of the three daily shifts. He has been given the rare assignment at koban in Japan of serving and protecting people in English.

At 4 p.m. on one recent day, a pair of Mexican brothers arrived at the koban. They told Yamanaka that they were on their way to Niseko when they were informed that a jacket they had lost in Tokyo was found.

The two wanted to know how the operator of their accommodation facility could legally receive the retrieved jacket on behalf of them.

Yamanaka helped them create a letter of proxy.

Expressing their gratitude for Yamanaka’s help, the brothers said they did not expect to find someone who could speak English.

LIGHT AND SHADOW

With the arrival of nighttime skiing hours, the slope-side lighting fixtures in the neighborhood cast a gentle glow over the entire town.

Yamanaka was driving a patrol car to an accident scene when the radio rang out. An elderly man, who lived alone and whom Yamanaka had visited before, had died.

Several days had passed without anyone noticing his death.

“Niseko isn’t all glitz and glamour,” Yamanaka said.

CHILDHOOD IN KENYA

Born to a pediatrician in Japan, Yamanaka spent his earliest years outside his home country.

During his elementary school days in Kenya, the threat of violence persisted. His home was surrounded by walls, and he had to be picked up or dropped off by car each time he went outside.

As conflicts broke out in neighboring Somalia and Ethiopia, Yamanaka became familiar with refugee camps. That exposure led him to decide to “maintain public order” as a policeman.

As an officer in Japan, Yamanaka has taken advantage of the language skills he gained in his childhood.

His police duties have included handling emergency 110 calls made in English, communicating with investigators overseas, and translating documents from the U.S. Justice Department.

Winter 2025 marked his second deployment to the substation in Niseko.

At 7 p.m., Yamanaka received a phone call about a traffic accident that occurred earlier in the day.

A car driven by an American had slowly rear-ended the automobile in front of him. He said moisture on his shoe soles caused his foot to slip off the brake pedal.

Believing no one was injured but not knowing what to do, the American initially left the scene of the accident.

The victim, a Singaporean woman, was slightly irritated by the American’s actions because she wanted an official police report of the accident to apply for an insurance payment.

After listening to both sides, Yamanaka mentioned that procedures vary from country to country, and that police in Japan do not directly provide accident reports to relevant parties.

He assured the two that he would deal with the incident with great care, using his rich experience of managing cases involving people from a variety of nations.

SHOCKING DEATH OF FRIEND

Even after his 24-hour shift ends, Yamanaka does not lower his guard, knowing that he should expect the unexpected.

On March 11, 2024, his koban received a report about an avalanche that buried three foreigners.

The death of the 21-year-old woman from New Zealand was confirmed at a medical center. Yamanaka called her mother in New Zealand to inform her of the tragedy.

More shocking to Yamanaka was the 33-year-old New Zealand man who was also killed.

His name was Joshua Sellens, a Niseko resident who, like Yamanaka, had graduated from the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa Prefecture.

When Yamanaka was first deployed to the Niseko-Hirafu koban, Sellens held a welcome barbecue party for the officer. The opportunity allowed Yamanaka to smoothly build connections with foreign residents in the community.

Yamanaka and Sellens got along so well that they surfed together.

The two had also warned each other about the growing number of avalanches in Kutchan.

One month later, Sellens was dead.

On his days off, Yamanaka hikes on surrounding mountains. He closes his eyes in a quiet snowfield and listens to the gusts of wind.

After calming his nerves, Yamanaka checks out areas where avalanches are likely to occur.

His prayers are always the same: “May Niseko be at peace today as well.”