UTSUNOMIYA/SHIZUOKA, Japan -- Every year around May, waterworks companies in the Japanese resort town of Karuizawa start receiving calls from homeowners to come reopen their taps. They are turned off for the winter, because without doing so, the biting cold temperature freezes the water inside, resulting in burst pipes.
Business trends
Second homes in Japan's summer resort become hub for telework
Popular areas of Karuizawa and Nasu see influx of long-term stayers
Holiday homes in the popular Nasu region, like this one managed by Towa Nasu Resort, have seen a rush of owners escaping the Greater Tokyo area, which is now in a state of emergency.
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