To start the resort mission, we had the members assemble in Japan’s top ski destination of Niseko. This is the resort that has become the Whistler of Asia and attracts affluent skiers from around the world looking for both powder and investment opportunities. One of the local developers took our group on a tour of some of the properties that they built in the past and now manage on behalf of the clients. The BC Wood members were able to learn about some of the popular design elements, construction challenges, as well as budget ranges for these homes. The developer also talked to us about the bigger picture issues that the resort community is facing as it is growing into another phase of large scale developments surrounding the base of the main mountain.

On the second day, BC Wood organized a seminar and networking program at the Niseko Hilton Hotel. Most of Niseko’s development community is made up of foreigners or Japanese targeting foreign buyers, so unlike other events in Japan we could run this one primarily in English. During the first part, each member gave a short presentation to introduce their companies and products, while also explaining how their offerings are used in resort projects. However, the main part of this event was the eight match-making meetings pre-scheduled individually for each participating member. The BC companies really appreciated this one-on-one time the most. The Japanese side was very engaged and also seemed to get a lot out of these meetings. Many stayed right to the end enjoying some refreshments provided by the hotel.

The following day was taken up by a nine hour journey from Niseko to Nagano City that included planes, trains, and buses. However, before we set out from Niseko, another developer opened one of their homes to us. After settling into Nagano City, the next day we held a similar seminar and networking program there with the big difference being that we offered simultaneous translation for local Japanese builders. By holding the event in Nagano City, we were able to target Hakuba, the second major ski resort in Japan, Karuizawa, which is the summer playground for wealthy Japanese, as well as Myoko, which is the next ski resort coming into focus for foreign investors. The downside to this approach was that the venue was about an hour drive from Hakuba during their busy season. To get even more people at a future event, we would definitely look to hold it in Hakuba. Having said that, we had a good turnout of serious builders and developers making it a very worthwhile event.

We also spent a day visiting Hakuba to again see the type of homes being built as well as to learn about the future development plans for the area. We met with the major developer in Hakuba that owns eight ski hills and is partnering with major Tokyo developers. We were also able to visit a large resort home built by a locally based Australian builder. On the way to Hakuba, we also stopped in to see the wooden roof M Wave skating rink built for the 1998 Winter Olympics.

The last event of the mission was another seminar and networking program at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo. We decided to hold an event at the Embassy as there are many major architectural firms and general contractors working in the resort areas, but headquartered in Tokyo. The Embassy as well as the BC Government Office in Japan are always very supportive of BC Wood’s events and we once again appreciated them hosting us.

While this concluded our Resort Mission, the next day was the start of the Nikkei Architectural and Construction Materials show at Tokyo Big Sight, so all of our participating members were still busy over the following four days. Having the mission and trade show back-to-back made for a long trip, but it also meant that the companies could maximize the value of their time in Japan. Many of the participants of the Embassy program also came to the show for follow-up meetings. Overall, the members were very happy with this format and we look to use this as a template for missions next fiscal year.