A 'New Model for the Snowy Mountain Economy' Giving Back to the Region and Next Generation Initiated in Hakuba, Otari, and Nozawa Onsen

Japan's skiing population continues to decline, and ski resorts are facing challenges such as labor shortages and price competition, while local communities struggle with unstable financial resources. Under these circumstances, as a new system where "skiing" leads to support for the region and the next generation, the "Sato-Lift Support Athlete" initiative utilizing the hometown tax donation lift ticket "Sato-Lift: Japan's first real-time ticketing model (Patent acquired: Patent No. 7430439)" has been launched.

## Background of the Launch of "Sato-Lift Support Athlete"
"Sato-Lift" has been introduced at ski resorts in Hakuba Village, Otari Village, Nozawa Onsen Village, and others, and is expected to spread as a new system supporting ski culture.

Amidst this, Wasabiya Co., Ltd. (Representative Director: Katsuhiko Mano), which provides the lift ticket service "Sato-Lift" utilizing hometown tax donations, has launched the "Sato-Lift Support Athlete" program as a new initiative to connect Japan's snowy mountain culture to the next generation.

Participating in this initiative are athletes and instructors active on the front lines of snowy mountain culture, including:
- Yusuke Ohtani, Principal of Hakuba Happo-one Ski School
- Sora Sasaoka, Japan National Ski Cross Team Member
- Junya Maruyama, National Demonstrator

In addition, it will provide support to:
- Hakuba Village Ski Club
- Nozawa Onsen Ski Club
promoting it as an initiative to support the development of next-generation skiers.

## What is the Hometown Tax Lift Ticket "Sato-Lift"?
"Sato-Lift" is currently introduced in snowy mountain regions such as Hakuba Village, Otari Village, and Nozawa Onsen Village, and its use is spreading among skiers and snowboarders.

For skiers and snowboarders, "Sato-Lift" is an epoch-making system that proposes a new style of snowy mountain use, allowing them to start skiing immediately after completing a donation on their smartphones. In addition, there is a major advantage of being able to receive a lift ticket with an out-of-pocket cost of practically only 2,000 yen by utilizing the hometown tax donation system.

The benefits brought by "Sato-Lift" are not limited to skiers and snowboarders.

For ski resorts, they can maintain regular price sales without relying on discounts, and streamline sales operations even amidst labor shortages. And there is a management advantage of being able to increase the number of visitors while maintaining profitability.

For local governments, making it easier to collect hometown tax donations allows them to secure financial resources and promote policies in regions where next-generation athletes are nurtured.

"Sato-Lift" is a triple-win system that simultaneously realizes:
- Users: Practical 2,000 yen burden + immediate use
- Ski Resorts: Regular price sales + operational efficiency
- Local Governments: Increased financial resources + year-round donations + avoiding competition

## Initiatives Supported by "Sato-Lift" to Support Next-Generation Skiers
While "Sato-Lift" is a mechanism for lift ticket services utilizing hometown tax donations, it also conducts initiatives to support local ski culture.
One of them is supporting the boys and girls of the Hakuba Village Ski Club and the Nozawa Onsen Ski Club.

In the world of competitive skiing, there is a reality that boys and girls aiming for the Olympics, world championships, and national championships face major funding challenges.
Expenses required to continue competing, such as expedition costs, equipment, and coaching fees, are increasing year by year.