00:00This ski paradise looks like heaven, but locals say the party is out of control.
00:04Welcome to Hakuba, Japan's powder capital. By 5 p.m., lines form outside tiny pubs.
00:11By night, ski boots stomp across bar floors. Music blasts. Drinks spill. Tourists cheer.
00:18This valley in the Japanese Alps has 10 ski resorts. It even hosted events during the 1998
00:24Winter Olympics. And the snow? Locals call it cold smoke. Light. Dry. Endless. Over 1 million
00:33skiers visited in 2025. But here's the twist. 30 years ago, nearly 3 million came. The difference?
00:42Back then, they were mostly Japanese. Now, they are foreign tourists. Locals say prices are rising.
00:50Supermarkets are crowded. And nights are getting louder. So the mayor introduced fines. Up to 50,000
00:57yen for drinking on the street. For fireworks. For noise after dark. Some business owners say the
01:03problem is exaggerated. Others say enough is enough. And with Japan aiming for 60 million tourists a year
01:10by 2030. Hakuba has one big problem. There is no gate.
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