Hakuba’s local government will revise fines for unruly behaviour with harsher penalties expected this coming ski season, as reported by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper in Japan.
Public nuisance, late night fireworks, littering, disruptive behaviour are just some of the fineable offences that will cost you 50,000yen (AUD$500) if you disturb residents or stain the local environment.
Why now? The current ordinance bans were introduced in 2015 targeting people who ski on public roads and drink and smoke on the street. The recent surge in tourism to Japan, and to the ski resorts in winter, has seen a rise in disrespectful behaviour.
Overnight stays by international tourists in Hakuba have doubled (and then some) from 100,000 in 2015 to 250,000 in 2023.
Hakuba village plans to revise the 2015 bans, that no longer go far enough to address graffiti and sticker vandalism and late night street gatherings, ahead of the upcoming ski season in keeping with resident complaints.
