Niseko is a town located on the island of Hokkaido, Japan. The village is part of a renewed area for winter sports, thanks to the particularly powdery snow that falls in the area. Among the mountains, lies Mount Yotei, a dormient stratovolcano, known as the Mount Fuji of Hokkaido. Mt. Yotei is an independent peak 1,898m above sea level and is part of the Shikotsu-Toya National Park. The alpine flora of Mt. Yotei has been designated as a national cultural asset as a historic site, landscape beauty and natural monument.  

Niseko is also home to the Shiribetsu River, which ranks first in Japan in terms of river clarity and is an extremely important asset for the preservation of wild species, like the endangered Itou (salmon species), which finds here its southernmost habitat limit.  

The basic strategy of the Niseko Tourism Area, which consists of the town of Niseko and neighbouring stakeholders, is “circulation through exchange and participation,” and it aims to realize “the world’s choice of Niseko” through the efforts of “circulation of the local economy,” “circulation of people (exchange),” “circulation of the four seasons,” and “circulation of the ecosystem”. This process will lead to revitalization of the local economy and “satisfaction of the residents, which are essential elements of regional development. 

Niseko Town has been designated as a “Model City for the Future of the Environment” and an “SDGs Future City,” and has been working to develop policies that emphasize the environment and are rooted in resident autonomy, which has been reflected in its tourism policies.