Japan's Hakuba resort tries to avoid skiing into Niseko's rut

NAGANO, Japan -- Hakuba, a resort village in Nagano prefecture, is booming. In the village, foreign tourists account for about half the skiers and land prices are rising at the fourth-fastest pace in Japan, driven by construction of luxury hotels and other facilities.

The village is often called "a second Niseko" for its potential, but people in the local tourism industry mostly say Hakuba will not become another Niseko. Niseko, a famed ski resort on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido is struggling to balance rapid development, led by foreign companies, with local residents' needs. Drawing lessons from Niseko's experience, Hakuba is trying to create an optimal model of tourism that benefits local businesses and residents, along with the newcomers.