Japanese tsunami victims offered ski field summer homes by charitable Australian investors

Australians who own homes near the ski slopes in Niseko, Japan will open them up to survivors of the March tsunami over the summer months.

The resort town will welcome about 450 residents from Fukushima as part of a relief program that offers disaster victims temporary accommodation in one of the village’s many holiday condominiums.

Participants will stay in 63 properties – ranging from backpacker to luxury accommodation – for periods of a few days to up to a few months.

They will pay only a minimum fee for running costs, courtesy of the property owners, made up of a large contingent of Australian investors, who discovered the ski village in the mid-1990s.

The “Niseko Tsunami Relief,” program was initiated by members of the local and international property owner community in Niseko and is being organized jointly with the Hokkaido Voluntary Evacuation Support Network.

According to Bill Aslanidis, operations manager at LJ Hooker Japan, overseas owners visit Niseko regularly and have a keen interest in the area and Japan, and wanted to help with relief efforts in a direct way.

Niseko holiday companies will provide the necessary management services for free.

Primary beneficiaries of the program will be mothers with young children seeking an escape from the ongoing radiation crisis in Fukushima, and a safe, clean environment in which to spend the summer holidays.

Municipal government offices, local businesses and many local volunteers will also play a role.

Local businesses and members of the community have also joined forces to offer the participants area orientation, as well as a range of outdoor activities such as rafting, hiking and sports, discounts at restaurants and shops, and various events.

The program runs until the end of August.