Well not that we know of and I suppose that goes for anywhere in the world. So far so good for the Hakuba Valley with zero cases recorded. Japan overall has done an amazing job to quell the spread of the virus. My take on it is that it is common practice for the Japanese to wear masks anyway so this has not been a habit that needed to be emphasised too much. It is also not usual to shake hands or hug upon greeting friends and acquaintances. The other thing is hand sanitisers have been common at the entrances of shops and restaurants for as long as I can remember. We are not out of the deep end yet and precautions must be adhered to however it is good to feel a level of normality in our village. I think we will see a return of domestic tourism over the summer months. It’s still too early to know how the winter will go but all signs are there that the resorts will be open. International tourism will be down without a doubt. If current travel restrictions are still in place then we will have the valley to ourselves. Not good for business however I can’t really complain as it will be a dream to have the valley back to how it was 18 years ago when I first arrived. Buckets of snow and no one around. Obviously if I had the choice I would have preferred things to have stayed on the steady growth line. Watching the valley improve it’s facilities and services over the years has been exciting. This is something that is out of our hands now so a 12 month hiatus it is and hopefully the world will bounce back quickly and everyone will be flocking to the mountains in no time. Keep the dream alive.

The White Horse Hotel and the Monkey Rider Lodge are taking tentative bookings now with no deposits required. If you are dreaming of a trip and hoping the travel restrictions are eased then shoot me a message through our contact page and we’ll sort you out a good deal. http://www.whitehorse-hakuba.com