Local groups seek ban on unlicensed short-term letting in Hakuba
Hakuba’s local tourism associations are seeking a ban on short-term Airbnb-type accommodation because it could threaten the already-low operational rates of the village’s existing inns and hotels.
Hakuba’s Kirikubo and Shinden districts at the foot of the Hakuba Iwatake Ski Resort have 68 licensed lodgings that have operating ratios of around 15 ~ 20%, as reported by the Iwatake Tourism Association. The president of the Association says the village already has enough accommodation options for foreign and domestic tourists and believes that the new model of short-term Airbnb-type lettings is something more suited to a large city.