culture

Beyond the image of Niseko as a winter resort lies a slower rhythm,

a town where agriculture thrives

and where a quiet rural culture endures.

There are no large supermarkets, no amusement parks, no electronic megastores.

But you'll find many small, one-of-a-kind shops,
each with a charm of its own.

When life isn't easy, people turn to one another.
Ideas are shared. Wisdom grows.

Writer Takeo Arishima, who closely tied to Niseko Town,
once owned a vast land here.

In 1922, he gave the land away to the tenant farmers, asking nothing in return.
He believed that air, water, and land should not be owned for personal gain,
but shared by all, for the good of the whole.
People should take responsibility together, and help one another.
From this, he left behind the word, "mutual support."

These words and the message
became the source of Niseko's Town Development Plan,
and something the people here deeply value.

You can see this spirit alive in many places.
One of them is Niseko Halloween.

During the Halloween season, the town of Niseko becomes dotted with orange,
adorned with real Halloween pumpkins grown by two local farmers.

As harvest season comes, they are joined by townspeople, harvest and decorate the town with pumpkins together.

One farmer has once nearly given up on her dream.
Her husband passed away, just as they were to begin their dreamlife in farming.
Despite the sad loss, she still wanted to grow pumpkins―a dream they had shared.
But she feared she couldn't do it alone.

Then, a friend asked if she could grow pumpkins for the Halloween event.
An event where pumpkins creates a moment for young and old, locals and visitors, Japanese and foreigners, to come together as one.

Inspired by the idea to bring joy to everyone, she decided to give it her all, and began growing Halloween pumpkins.
The people of the town helped plant the seedlings and joined the harvest.
Even now, the harvest is done together with the community.

Not just Halloween―shared rides, snow-clearing volunteers, and many aspects of daily life in Niseko reflect the spirit of mutual support.

The sparkle of tourism is only part of our story. There are things here we truly treasure

MOVIES