SNOW PLACE LIKE HOME

Niseko, Japan's premium ski resort, is undergoing a luxury development boom. We speak to some key players about the region's allure and its growing popularity as a year-round destination 

- Coco Marett

“Every continent in the world has a signature ski destination for the ultra-high-net-worth guest. In Asia, that will be Niseko,” says Michael Chen, co-CEO and founder of HakuLife, which manages luxury properties and curates exclusive experiences for the elite who visit the town. He’s also the developer of award-winning properties Hakuchōzan and HakuVillas.

Chen first visited Niseko in 2010 with his three children. “It was my first holiday with them as a single dad,” he says. “We fell in love with the place, and continued to visit Niseko at least once or twice a year after that.”

During one of those visits, with an hour to kill before heading to the airport, Chen asked a friend who worked in real estate to drive him around. “He showed me a piece of land, and I made an offer on the spot. By the time I got to the airport, I received a message that the seller had accepted my offer,” says Chen, who was based in Hong Kong at the time. “I always wanted to have a family home, and I thought, what if I build a home in Niseko? Even if we won’t be there all the time, it’s a place where we can build years of memories.”