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From the Olympics Toward Tomorrow

Shinano Mainichi

Countryside hope in Hakuba

Light shines on an area disaffected by urban migration

This road in the fields is Farm Road 1 (approximately 1.4 km in length), in land zoned for public works projects at Uchiyama. It links National Highway 148, an arterial road, with the Nagano Winter Olympic cross-country skiing venue and the neighboring Uchiyama district. Alongside is a sidewalk nearly ten meters wide. The utility wires have been buried underneath these sidewalks, and 36 streetlights have been posted-- one every 50 meters or so. Not including the cost of burying those wires, it all came to an amount of nearly 670 million yen ($5.83million US)-- paid for by the Prefectural government.

"If another road isn't built the village won't sign (the contract for the sale of venue land)." Due to complaints from influential villagers, the Prefectural Administration formed a council, which recommended that a top-quality road be designed. That was Farm Road 1. "...They'll for sure sign the contract now." The Administration was just making sure.

Construction began on roads designed for Olympic-use in the area in 1992 (Farm Road 1 linking venues with the Olympic Road- Hakuba Route/ Hakuba-Miasa Prefectural Highway, and Farm Road 2-- in total adding up to about 5km). Street lights were also installed. Total construction costs were to be 5.63 billion yen ($46.9 million US). The Uchiyama public works zone was not included in the original plans.

In 1994 negotiations for the sale of Olympic-use land had entered the final stages. Landowners centered in the four districts of Uchiyama, Mikkaichiba, Sano and Sawado numbered 195. The Uchiyama district was strictly demanding the addition of its road to the project.

Uchiyama is a hamlet beleaguered by urban migration, declining in population in recent years to 66 persons and 26 households. Unlike Hakuba's west-side, it has been left behind by the phenomenal growth of ski resorts in the area. "Without the Olympic venue this area would have never seen the light of the sun. But now it's (booming) just like Hakuba's downtown area," says Kaoru Ito (age 70), an Uchiyama district representative, who smiles ear-to-ear in a photograph of himself in rubber boots and a tie with Prefectural government executives at a 1996 ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Just before sunrise, street lights brighten a farm road in the Kamishiro District of Hakuba. What was once a 6 meter wide road now looks entirely different, connecting the village with a new Olympic venue.

Mikkaichiba District is to the north between Uchiyama and the cross-country venue. Brand new roofs and walls can be seen in this foothill hamlet of 44 homes. For many years the number of households hovered around 30 with only remodeling construction work taking place. Now there are mansions worth in excess of 70 million yen (about $609,000 US). Many of them are owned by former landowners who sold their holdings to the village for Olympic-use, spending much of the money they received on new homes.

Just as Uchiyama, Mikkaichiba did not benefit from the growth of ski-tourism in the area. The watchword of landholders in sale negotiations was, "Do not sell-out" and "Do not give discounts (for public works projects) to Prefecture nor Nation."

At the end of October 1994 six or seven Village government executives lined themselves up on a bench-like stool at the Sano Community Center, facing a crowd of about 20 local district representatives sitting with legs-crossed on the Japanese-style tatami floor.

Village Mayor Nobuyuki Fukushima, newly elected in August of that same year, deeply bowed. "We ask for you to accept the (purchase offer) memorandum so we may move forward with the Olympic preparations."

The closing price for both mountainous and level terrain was listed at 3900 yen per square meter. The figure had risen 30% since the previous offer of 3000 yen little more than two months before.

It was outlined in initial proposals for Olympic-use land to "lease the cross-country venue land for 200 million yen." It was later decided that the land would be purchased and therefore the Village saw a rise in outlay to 2.2 billion yen. Concerns for the environment subsequently increased, bringing the construction cost per course-meter (including cost of land) to 200,000 yen/meter, more than ten times the amount of initial projections. Total expenditure swelled from a projected 2.8 billion to 7 billion yen.

The Winter Olympics first begins with an image of nature`s beauty. This quickly ends up moving to only "provincial meeting after provincial meeting," completely changing an area's society with concentrated public works projects. On the other hand, the gap between the goals of the residents and the Olympics often is not filled. With a population of 9,200, Hakuba is just such an epitome.

It was four years ago that the landowners of Mikkaichiba protected the land they surveyed, wondering "Will our mountain lands be hit?" Now they are finishing residential improvements to be in synch with the completion of the venue.

No part of the article, photographs, or illustrations presented here may be printed or used without permission.

Copyright 1999 The Shinano Mainichi Shimbun