If you have ever strained an ankle it’s a horrible feeling. What’s worse is that a small minority of acute acute ankle injuries go to become chronic. Balance and proprioceptive training has shown to be useful in rehabing ankle strains but what about when it’s too sore to stand on and why does balance training even work anyway.
Here is where things get a weird.
A recent study in the International Journal of the Care and Injured did something pretty interesting. They took a population of being with ankle strain on the right side and gave them exercise and balance training on the left side which had no injury. And guess what happened ? Well the injured side improved significantly even they did all there training on the other leg.
It goes to prove just how important the brain is in recovery from an injury. The brain helps control the neural pathways that provide splinting reflexes and also control muscle growth and activity. By doing some training on the unaffected side the system improves bilaterally so that you can get still get benefit even when you don’t work on the injured site.
It doesn’t mean we should all start working on the other leg.
What it does mean is that proprioceptive training is really important in dealing with a chronic ankle injury and also that a significant part of healing lies in a reflexes muscle tone and splinting reflexes.
So if you have an injury that is too sore to stand on it may be a good idea to at least start working on the side that can comfortably bear weight.
Please don’t give up on your chronic injuries ! There is often always something you can do and even though sometimes getting older can be an exercise in patience and niggle management it’s almost always trying something even if you can improve something rather than completely fix it.
https://www.injuryjournal.com/article/S0020-1383(20)30800-7/fulltext
Well 2020 has certainly been a strange year !
When I my wife and moved to Niseko my dream was always to try and work between 2 paradises in Japan but somehow family pressures and commitments here always kept in on the backburner.
With international closed to Niseko until April 2021 due to Covid-19 I find myself busier than expected working with the amazing international community here but also for the first time able to revisit my initial plan of setting up a satellite clinic and working between the 2 communities.
As much as I try the Australian in me that grew up on the beach has never quite let go of the dream of being close to ocean again and Okinawa draws me closer.
I had ran the idea past my wife last week who is usually chief commodore grand Poo Poo of my hair brained plans but to my surprise she said ” I think we should go for it “.
So here we are.
Holding a return flight booked from the 26-31st of October next week with no idea on how this will pan out but a desire to see this dream through for better or worse.
So to members of the Okinawa community I would to introduce Niseko Chiropractic and services we can offer.
Brent Verco completed Master’s of Chiropractic at Macquarie University in Sydney before moving to Byron Bay Australia where he ran a multidisciplinary clinic treating the local surfing community and travelers alike.
After 12 great years in Australia our family decided that change was in the air and with a heavy heart we sold our business and purchased a 1 way ticket to Japan.
Niseko Chiropractic was established in 2018 and had we have enjoyed 2 amazing season treating snowsport injuries of both locals and visitors to Niseko.
What you will not get is any sales tactics, endless treatment plans or “revolving door ” treatments. Most of our sessions go for 30 minutes or more and if the jobs not finished then either are we.
Our business model was chosen to allow quality over quantity. Niseko Chiropractic will take the time to do the right examination and match it with the best available evidence for gentle conservative care and management of acute and chronic injuries.
The treatment philosophy we use is to pay as much attention to the surrounding muscles as the joints we adjust. By combing deep tissue massage in combination with Chiropractic faster results are achieved in less treatments. It’s also really important to prescribe the right exercises and try and figure out what environmental changes also need to occur.
The has been a paradigm shift in the delivery of modern health care. In the bad old days practitioners dictated the style and choice of treatments. Now the patient is firmly in the pilot seat of their own health choices and outcomes and we view our role to educate and support you in this process.
Apologies advance for any confusion as we investigate a permanent location.
If anybody does wish to see us whilst we are looking for the right location we are currently operating from Minatagawa for 1 week from the 27th -31st of October.
We would also love to touch base with anybody interested in coffee and you can reach Brent on info@nisekochiropractic.com
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Sadly the word from the Japanese government is that Japan will be closed for international tourism until April 2021. Source: https://www.japan-
There is some opening of borders under the ” Business track system ” for business travel from limited countries such as South Korea and Singapore but you will still have to undergo a mandatory 14 days quarantine and 2 rounds of Covid testing so getting here is going to no easy feat even for those with a vaild business reason to travel.
I think we can be be fairly certain on the April timeframe too.
Japan has expressed an iron clad determination to see the rescheduled July 2021 Olympic games take place and they will need open borders weeks to months before this event if it is going to be success.
If you are yet to see Niseko in Spring and Summer I urge you to consider making here up here in the green season during the 2021 warmer months.
For those that can manage to get to Niseko this Winter it will no doubt be unforgettable. For those that can’t us local riders are committed to shredding the Pow in your absence (its the least we can do ) and will do our best to find pick off the fresh lines.
Some more info on resorts is below.
We also now have some certainly regarding lift operations.
Annupuri resort will be open from the 28th of November and Honazono and Grand Hirafu wil be open from the 5th of December.
Lifts at Honazono will be operating as normal and I suspect Annupuri. Grand Hirafu has some cancelations to minor lift status and you can see more information on the link below
https://www.grand-hirafu.jp/
There has also been some changes in the shuttle this year so anybody looking at booking lower Hirafu should check that they are happy walking up the ski lifts.
There is also a great deal on all mountain passes for Moiwa for just 35,000 Yen for a full seasons unlimited pass. The deadline for these is the 31st of October
If any locals wish to book in with Niseko Chiropractic this week I have Some options business hours this week.
If you would like to book a session click on the button below
If there is one thing I love about living in Niseko it’s the ability to see the 4 seasons play out and you get to appreciate the rate of change that nature can serve up living here. In my home country of Australia the difference between summer and winter is the optional hoodie that you may take out just in case.
Like the rest of us we our family is trying to trying to squeeze in that one last BBQ before we get swallowed by the endless white powder that takes over for the next 4 months.
But I guess I have my moments and there does seem to be a consensus’s amongst the old timers living here that the snowfall this season is going to be insanely good. Maybe it’s just wishful think but I think we can all agree Niseko is overdue some good lady luck so maybe this really is our time to shine.
Like many of us the business environment is going to be challenging but as locals living here year around I hope we can all put some time away to enjoy the most uncrowded conditions we will be probably see for many years to come if not ever.
As my building projects are winding up Niseko Chiropractic has some increased availability this week and most likely over the next few weeks. If daytime appointments are more preferable to evenings for you there will be some more options now available.
* Wed the 30th 9am to 12pm
* Thur the 1st of October All day
* Friday the 2nd of October 9am to 12pm
* Mobile 2 hour appointments free this Saturday and Sunday both daytimes and evenings
If you would like to book any of the above sessions click on the button below
The forgotten message
Interesting article about the importance of a good diet during the whole covid-19 pandemic.
Whilst I think it’s a stretch at this point to think you can change your chances of getting covid with your diet you can make a drastic change in your chances of a better recovery with a good diet.
A healthy diet lowers the amount of what is known as meta-inflammation in your body. Having a body that does not have a chronically high level of baseline inflammation may put you in a better position to avoid the cytokine storm that has been an issue for some covid patients.
Likeways make sure you are doing some moderate to high cardio-vascular exercise a few times a week to ensure you have a good residual lung capacity.
Have the governments not given enough attention to this simple thing that the world needs to do anyway in their covid-19 messages to the public ?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7284818/
Just a reminder that Niseko Chiropractic is available for mobile consultations over the Niseko summer as well as appointments now available at the kutchan studio run by Powder yoga.
For online bookings go to
www.nisekochiropractic.com/appointments
It’s no surprise to you dear reader that our flexibility and range of motion decreased in our spine as we age but there is not as much published research as you would think as to where this occurs within the spine, particularly in the normal population.
In a great new study published in Springer Nature the authors looked at 600 people that did not report significant neck pain and they examined what individual segments we actually loose range of motion in our necks as we age.
What they found was pretty interesting. The older you get the more range of motion you loose in the lower part of your neck but the upper part where the spine joins the base of the skull remains pretty mobile your entire life. This is reassuring both for patients and therapists that the range of motion in our upper joints stays pretty good.
You an see the differences clearly in the graphs below
The other thing that surprised me was how linear the loss was up until about age 70 where after that it actually slows down a bit. I would have guessed that the most marked loss of range of motion would have been in the last decade of the graph.
Just a reminder that Niseko Chiropractic will be available for mobile locals consultations over the summer and also at the ” Studio ” powder yoga’s newest premises.
To make an appointment with Brent Verco please click on the link below
www.nisekochiropractic.com/appointments
If you would like to read the full study you can do so on the link below
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32694318/
Niseko Chiropractic is now consulting from ” The studio ” a great little space in Kutchan located just 4 doors up from the sprout cafe.
If you would prefer your treatments not to be mobile based this is a great chance to get a relaxing treatment in the heart of Kutchan.
Brent will be consulting all day tuesdays and other times by prior arrangement. Please be mindful of the Powder Yoga teaching schedule which is subject to change.
If you would like to make an appointment with an Australian university trained English speaking chiropractor you can do so on the link below
www.nisekochiropractic.com/appointments
リラクゼーションマッサージワークショップ開催のお知らせ
パウダーヨガでは7月18日（土）、19日（日）の午後6時から9時にかけてリラクゼーションマッサージワークショップを開催します。
このコースはイントロダクションコースです。一連の流れを学ぶというよりもそのコンセプトを知り、いくつかのテクニックを学ぶものとなります。コース期間中は様々な体型に対してたっぷりと練習を行い応用技術を学びます。マッサージの経験や解剖学の知識は必要ありません。
日程：2020年7月18日（土）19（日）午後6時から9時 全6時間
※コースは英語で進められます
講師：ブレント ヴァーコ（ニセコカイロプラクティック）
オーストラリア公認カイロプラクター。
リミディアルマッサージ（治療を目的としたマッサージ）と解剖学を12年間教える。
持ち物：マッサージテーブルはこちらでご用意しますが、大判バスタオルと枕および枕カンバーは各自ご持参ください。ご希望の方にはワークショップの最後にマッサージテーブルを割引価格でご提供します。
参加人数：10名のみの少人数クラス（残席6となりました）
料金：12,000円
お申し込みご希望の方は以下のリンクから詳細をご覧ください。
また、コースに関するご質問はブレント ヴァーコ info@nisekochiropractic.comまでどうぞ。
場所を予約する: https://instabook.io/s2/powderyoga?Cla=1593556827184×950665236782252000
Niseko Chiropractic in conjunction with Powder Yoga is excited to launch our first introduction to relaxation massage workshop. This short course will give you the practical info you need to give a high-quality massage to friend or partner. The powder yoga massage 6-hour workshop will run on Saturday and Sunday the 18th and 19th of July form 6pm-9pm.
The course will run over 2 evenings with 3 hours per session. No previous massage or anatomy knowledge is needed but you will get more out of the experience is you have had some previous related training. The focus will be on concepts and applying specific techniques rather than running through a set routine.
You will have the chance to work on various body types and there will be plenty of time to allow for practice and refinement of techniques in the sessions. The workshop will be facilitated by Brent Verco from Niseko Chiropractic who has a 12-year background in teaching remedial massage in Australia as well as anatomy at a university level. Massage tables will be provided but please bring your own sheets and pillows.
There will also be an opportunity to purchase some tables at a discounted price at the end of the workshop.
This workshop is strictly limited to the first 10 participants. To register your interest please click on the link below. If you have any specific questions about the workshop content please contact Brent directly on info@nisekochiropractic.com
We currently have 6 spaces remaining and you can book on the link below. Please note that due to system limitations it only shows the course running on the Saturday evening but rest assured it will be running from Saturday and Sunday from 6-9 pm.
特定のコースの目的
この短いコースでは、安全にテーブルをセットアップし、友人やパートナーに全身リラクゼーションマッサージを提供するのに適したタイミングとタイミングを判断するための入門的な基本スキルを習得します。
基本的なマッサージテクニックを身につけ、身体の最も良い場所を確認して使用します。また、脆弱な解剖学的構造が存在するため、マッサージしてはいけない場所もカバーされています。セラピストへの関節の損傷を最小限に抑え、より効果的な圧力の伝達をもたらす正しい技術の利用に重点が置かれます。
ワークショップの詳細な説明
1日目：午後6時〜午後6時30分簡単なハウスキーピングとワークショップのルール、簡単なガイド付き瞑想と紹介。
1日目6：30-7：30pm背中と首のマッサージの概要。
1日目7：30-8：30pm後脚と腰をマッサージします。短い休憩とレビュー。
1日目8：00-8：30pm練習、質問時間、いくつかの「取引の秘訣」
2日目：午後6時〜午後6時30分クイックハウスキーピングとワークショップのルール、簡単なガイド付き瞑想と紹介。
2日目6：00-6：30pm足と腰の前のマッサージ
2日目7：30-8：30p頭、首、腕、手。
2日目8：30-9：00pm足の紹介とその後のフリープラクティスの時間。もちろん、今後のワークショップで利用可能ないくつかのオプションについてフィードバックを受け取ります。
I have a confession to make first.
I have not been back to the gym since the Corona Virus shutdown my favourite little weights room at the Kutchan gym. You can see updated status on the Kutchan public gymnasium on the link below
https://www.town.kutchan.hokkaido.jp/culture-sports/sports-shisetsu/kucchan-taiikukan/
Sure there are plenty of other options here in Niseko and Hirafu, but I am still a bit lazy and enjoying a good excuse to delay rehabbing my dodgy knee conditioning my joints for the stresses of doing Chiropractic and bodywork all day.
When I was training last summer season there was a school of thought going round the gym and probably every gym that you really need to keep pushing your reps until you fail, until you are not able to squeeze out even one more press. That was the point that you had a short rest, then repeated the movement. It was based on the idea that by pushing to failure you are more likely to cause the micro-damages necessary to cause muscle hypertrophy and also help train your nervous system to better at muscle recruitment.
Here is the interesting thing. that theory has not been tested by science as much as you think it would have by now. A brilliant study was just published by Lacerda et al ( 2020) that looked at the effect of weight training to failure verses just doing an equal amount of reps overall but not pushing up to the point that you simply can’t perform one more press.
The good news is they both work.
If you start training regularly you will get stronger. This is also suits the findings or other research looking at number of reps verses amount of weight etc. Whatever you end up doing. If you do resistance training regularly you will stronger and the difference between various methods may not be as much as we think.
What Lacerda’s study did was divide the group of 10 untrained me in to 2 groups. Over 35 training sessions one group pushed right to failure the other just did the same amount of reps but with a little more rest. Interesting for about 50% there was no difference whilst some individuals found a small difference with some getting better results with going to failure, others getting better results just doing the volume.
But the take of the home message of this study has to be that it’s really the volume and number of training sessions that seems to be more important that if you go to failure or not. This is certainly new news to some gym folk law that is still passed around. The caveat here is still need to be putting in a hard effort however, please don’t misinterpret this message as ” working hard doesn’t matter ” it’s just we are trying to tease out just how important it is if go right to point that we simply can’t perform the last rep.
The findings of this study may be particularly interesting to you if you rehabing an injury. Obviously by pushing to failure there is much high chance of loosing good form in our lifts and also becoming unstable and risking further injury.
So if you are comfortable training to failure and can maintain your good lift form even at failure you are probably just fine to keep on going the way you are, but if you are new to weights, nursing through an injury or worried you may slip and fall then you can pull back from this brink and know you are still getting a great workout.
Niseko Chiropractic can provide quality chiropractic and rehab and consultations are now available at The Studio in Kutchan where Powder yoga runs from.
To make booking go to
www.nisekochiropractic.com/appointments
Lacerda LT, Marra-Lopes RO, Diniz RCR, et al. Is Performing Repetitions to Failure Less Important Than Volume for Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength?. J Strength Cond Res. 2020;34(5):1237-1248. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000003438
Pubmed link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31809457/
Ok I am going to say it again.
I’m sorry its like some sort of Niseko Chiropractic tourette’s syndrome.
Do they work ? Sorta.
A recent meta-analsysis was recently published in the Dove Open access Journal of sports medicine that reviewed 21 studies on the usefulness of below knee compression stockings in athletes. If compression stockings are going to be useful they are going to have 2 benefits
What the authors found in a nutshell was that 3 studies out of the 21 showed some performance improvement and others showed mixed or neutral results.
However many more studies found that there was better evidence to support the idea that compression stockings may reduce the number of hours needed for recovery and also decrease the pain from delayed onset muscle soreness associated with high level competition.
So if you are comfortable wearing them in competition and find them helpful then it may be worth considering them but it seems the current evidence casts doubt that this action alone is going to send you to the front of the pack.
On the recovery side of things there is stronger evidence to support their use after competition to improve lymphatic flow and aid circulation.
You can find the link to full study below
If you would like to schedule an appointment with an english speaking Chiropractor in Niseko, Annupuri or Kutchan you can do so on the link below
Exercise for headaches ?
A nice meta-analysis was recently published on migraine headahces.
The authors reviewed many of the recent research in regard to what affect exercise programs have on the frequency and intensity of migraine headaches.
They found that exercise was particularly beneficial for those suffering from low endorphins in their system as well as those that have other co-morbidity such as neck pain. More interestingly it appears that few bouts of high intensity training may be better than moderate exercise.
It’s certainly been the experience of Niseko Chiropractic that the best migraine treatment involves some moderate changes to lifestyle including a daily exercise program, some release work on the mucles in the back of the neck and having a good look at the triggers. Caffeine and alcohol usually seem to end up in the mix somewhere.
You can read more about the study on the link below
Barber, M., Pace, A. Exercise and Migraine Prevention: a Review of the Literature. Curr Pain Headache Rep 24, 39 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-020-00868-6
Due to the current state of emergency declared on the 13th of April Niseko Chiropractic has made the difficult decision to temporarily cease trading until the state of emergency is lifted or we are directed otherwise by the Hokkaido government.
We wish all our past and future clients the best getting through this challenging period and hope to update further on our re-opening when it is safe to do so.
Nobody really knows where the Covid-19 pandemic is heading for Niseko. Let alone me.
A worldwide pandemic of this nature has not been seen since the Spanish flu of 1918 which was still holds the unbeaten record of killing the most humans in one sweep with 50 million lives being taken (1) . Thankfully Covid-19 is far more mild but still a serious concern.
But some of us here in Niseko do not have the luxury of throwing up are hands and saying “well we will just see what happens”
Businesses here must plan for the future and that means having some sort of model or thoughts ( even if they change quickly ) on how this will likely pan out.
I must also add the caveat that I am not suitably qualified to write on this topic and this is my non expert opinion. I’m just trying to get my head around it all like everybody else.
It’s entirely possible that by the you reading this some of the content may be out of date and superseded with better knowledge. However I do have some background in health research and in the absence of somebody more qualified (who I hope turns up soon ) perhaps this little article may at least get us asking the right questions.
It’s also been a very emotional journey for all of us Niseko locals.
If feels like our little hedonistic Niseko bubble where we could just hide from the cruel world, discover our inner child again, let out a yippee !! and slide down the pow then party after has been burst.
An entire seasonal staff crew was laid of early and there is now sadly some downsizing already of some valued year round staff identities as the Niseko comes to grips with a cessation of international tourism for the time being.
What was already a season of marginal snow quality ended sharply in a way we could never have imagined. Stories from our friends and family back around the world regarding job looses and economic hardships also weigh on our minds. And it’s only just began.
I think this question is best split into 2 parts
coronavirus 2 (covid-19 ) was first identified in Wuhan in Dec 2019 spreading quickly through China resulting in the world health organisation declaring it a pandemic on the 30th of January 2020 (2)
So if you have Covid-19 it’s likely on average that you pass it to 1 to 3 of your friends. That’s actually not as high measles (12 to 18 people ) which is really contagious before vaccination started but it’s still pretty high (3).
And that brings us to the topic of exponential growth. There is an old myth that the inventor of the game of cheese requested his payment from the king be a single grain of rice placed on a chess board. So on sqaure one would be one single grain, sqaure 2 would contain 2 grains, square 4 would have four grain. By the end of the chesboard the king was unable to pay as the rice would cover the entire continent of India deeply and be greater than the worlds rice production by several thousands of times.
A great video about exponential growth and it’s implication for viruses can be found here
3. Last point 3. Covid-19 has another secret weapon compared to other viruses doing the rounds.
It has fairly short serial interval (4) This is the time it takes for one person to start to get symptoms before the next person gets symptoms. Say you contracted Covid-19 on Sunday. By about friday you are developing symptoms. But you already gave it your friend Jake on Wednesday before you developed symptoms. Jake starts to feel crappy by the following Tuesday but has already passed it Sally on the weekend.
So the serial interval of Covid-19 is about 4 days.(4) from the time you got symptoms on Friday to the time that Jake got symptoms on Tuesday. The implications of the short serial interval is that means Covid-19 is sometimes transmitted by individuals that do not have symptoms at the time.
A recent study from the Diamond Princess that made the perfect controlled environment for study estimated that the asymptomatic transmission rate of Covid-19 is about 20% (6) so there is a 1/5 you will catch or give the virus to somebody else before either of you know it.
This has implications for Niseko employers and accommodation providers too. Screening for symptoms is still going to miss 20% of possible transmissions of your guests and staff. We still need to be cleaning like crazy to minimize transmission risk.
So now we have a virus that is relatively nasty particularly for elderly, is transmitted up to 3 people on average and is hard to detect because you get it from people that are not displaying symptoms yet. Oh goodie.
So where are we now ? By the time you read this graph it will be well out of date but it does demonstrate just how quickly this have grown around the world since Dec 2019. 
Source: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-cases/
It’s also very interesting to see the different rates between vary countries. Researchers are scrambling to try and explain the differences and probably making some mistakes along the way but it’s going to a be complex interplay between geography, population density, climate,culture etc.
The good news that must viruses tend to mutate and burn out long before we are able to come up with vaccine. There is some pleasing news from China and South Korea that peak infection rates may have already occurred. The jury seems out on how long new hotspots will keep emerging there as public freedoms increase again.
There is some good news here. Japan has not seen the crazy growth of Italy Iran or the US and in fact has not even seen the moderate growth of Australia. As of the 13th of March Japan has 1307 cases (7)
For Hokkaido we seem to be steady over the last week or 2 as of the 26th of March at 163 cases but only 2nd to Tokyo as being the highest in Japan (7). Japan seems to be doing a pretty good job of ” flattening the curve” with the culture of cleanliness, social distancing and adhering to government advice far better than other countries.
Perhaps the culture of not shaking hands and not socializing as much has helped. As the husband of a Japanese wife I can tell you how hard it is to get somebody around for a dinner party !
It’s too early say for sure but It’s entirely possible and maybe even likely that Japan may be able to quell the rate and dodge an economic bullet that smashed europe and now the US.
Niseko has been all but shut down to international visitors and with domestic tourism not due to pick up until July anyway we have a nice little window of quiet and less humans moving through here so that should aid containment a lot.
Should Japan see an exponential rise in cases they are also better placed to handle it than many countries with a good track record of handling disasters and one of the highest rates of hospital beds of 13 per thousand in the western world (9)
Some bad news: Japan was slow to start test and still does not have a high testing rate. South Korea over the last month was testing at rate 10 times higher than Japan (10). Japan also has not taken the kind of action as Australia and New Zealand such as limiting public gatherings etc.
Tokyo’s population density is one of the highest in the world and I think those will be the figures to watch closely to see if Japan can bring this back under control.
Should Japan see a rapid rise it also has larger problem than many other counties. It has a very high percentage of elderly and high risk patients. over 28% of Japan’s population are over 65 and 14% are over 75 (11). Should Covid-19 take hold in japan the death rate would far higher than average than purely based on the age distribution.
Japan in my mind does not have the option of the ” herd immunity ” strategy that was briefly discussed by the UK and now seems to be considered by Trump as a possible strategy for the US. They must stamp this out at any costs.
In Kutchan the main town services Niseko the number of people over 65 makes up 60% of our 15,000 odd population( 11) and the effect of outbreak would be a little ugly.
Japan can’t afford to be complacent and although the rate is far lower than other countries cases are still growing daily and I think we can expect pretty draconian action from the government such as limited travel over prefecture borders etc should number of cases build over a few thousand in the next few weeks.
So in summary my current read on the health implications for Niseko is we have a good chance here in Hokkaido of bringing this under control by the end of summer (13) but if we see sharp rise in the mainland I think we should prepare for a similar journey that western countries are now starting to live through with tight restrictions on public gathering and hospitality to come under lockdown too.
So that concludes my thoughts on the health situation and risk but what about the econcomic impact to a small Ski town that depends greatly on international tourism ?
Without yet knowing how this is going to pan out in Japan and Hokkaido it’s really hard to say but I think we can start to draw some conclusions for the implications for next season.
I think it’s fair to say that distantly viewed in the scheme of human health threats Covid-19 is getting an unfair amount of coverage.
In 2018, there were an estimated 228 million cases of Malaria worldwide and the estimated number of malaria deaths stood at 405 000 in 2018 (15) but the economic hardships will be very real and very pressing and I think still not fully appreciated.
The UN is anticipating the effect of Coronavirus on the world economy of 1 Trillion dollars (18) with global production . I don’t even know how much a trillion is so I had to write it down.
1,000,000,000,000. You could give ( or perhaps more accurately take ! 1 million dollars from one million people !
I think the 3 key questions are
1. Many international airlines will collapse. Qantas in Australia just laid off 20,000 flight staff and grounded it’s entire international fleet (12). The larger airlines are seeking government bailouts of up to 50 billion of taxpayers dollars and may likely get them but many smaller operators that our guests use for those affordable direct Niseko flights will sadly probably collapse.
Government travel bans on hotspots such as China and Italy seem likely for many months yet and as of the 26th of March about half of the international flights scheduled out of New chitose are cancelled and the recent boom of options for international flights into Niseko is going to be over for probably a few years.
It seems likely that travel bans will start to be lifted after Japan’s peak infection rate tipped to be around late April and last until August (13) but the worldwide trend towards maintaining self isolation after international travel may be with us for 6 months or more so I think it’s likely that we can dismiss any chance of much summer international tourism in Niseko purely based on the physical logistics of getting here.
Winter should be possible if the rest of the world also peaks around May but again I think we need to see the removal of the 14 day self isolation rule that many countries have imposed for some time before we see chance of a viable winter season again. I can’t imagine punters wanting to sit around their hotel rooms for 14 days before they hit the pow.
By June we should see what the trend is here in regards to government policies on travel over our precious booking window but the chances of any bookings coming in early for next season seems greatly reduced. Needless to say heavy restrictions still in place by December on international travel would catastrophic for Niseko and it’s economy.
It’s no doubt the world has changed.
The effect of Covid-19 is probably the most significant event in consumer behavior since the great depression. I think we will see a lot less buying on credit for nice things like holidays and much less buying in advance and people may feel that travel now has risks in both personal and economic security that will be with us for some years yet.
Many consumers will have lost money on overseas holidays and will rightly be asking themselves ” What’s the real advantage of booking ahead at the moment ” and is travel going to increase my chances of acquiring an infection. You can bet our bastard insurances companies are busy changing policy wording to make getting healthcare from Covid-19 whilst traveling that little bit trickier too.
Given that most businesses are looking at reduced occupancy rates perhaps it worth reviewing cancellation policies to allow a full refund for anything but very last minute cancellation if there is any chance of getting forward bookings for the next season ?
It seems going to be a bumpy ride with a lot of uncertainty and last minute bookings and this is going to make planning for staff numbers very tricky indeed.
But let’s remember too. People have short memories and us humans are not very good at panicking for that long.
The pow in Niseko is not going anyway and many astute snow lovers may realise that next season may be a very good chance of seeing a significant improvement in the crowd factor that quickly chops up Strawberry fields !
By now it’s becoming apparent just how bad the effects of some of the some of the government polices on controlling the outbreak have had on economies. Australia’s unemployment rate is forecast to go from 5 to 11% and the amount of disposable income is going to drop to a trickle (14). The effect of restaurant closures and the hospitality and tourism sector is going to be brutal.
There is also the effect of exchange rates to consider. In times of global uncertainty the Japanese Yen grows strongly in value and this will make the average ski holiday a few thousand dollars more expensive that it was last season. In March 2019 the rate was 80 yen per dollar but that has now dropped to around 60 and this may be a factor in the affordability of Niseko.
I think it’s fair to say for the average Aussie family that did the odd Niseko holiday that next season just got a little trickier.
But Niseko has been changing. The “average ” Australian ski family now makes up a smaller proportion of our international guests as interest from the top end of town from China and South East Asia and I there will still be no shortage of demand from the wealthy for a trip to Niseko even in times of economic uncertainty and job losses.
Perhaps it’s also time Niseko concentrated on an unfairly neglected part of it’s success.
Japanese domestic tourism.
In all our interest to bath in our new found glory as the Swiss alps of Asia have we treated the Japanese tourist as well as we should have ? I remember one of my wife’s friends being upset that no staff in her hotel she checked into spoke the language that should be used here. Even now I still have not got around to making a Japanese version of my website.
Can we lift our game to cater better to the people that allowed Niseko to get established as the worlds best powder resort ?
Anyway more questions than answers perhaps on all of this and I would to wish everybody the best of luck in getting through this together and also remind you and me and that as long as the slopes stay steep, the powder stays deep and mount Yotei humbles us we will get though this.
Oh and Kutchan has it’s own toilet paper factory !
If you are like me on the wrong side of 40 you might experience some knee pain when skiing or snowboarding Niseko.
There is already good evidence that weight training can help increase our knee stability and reduce pain but now some surprising new research suggests that marathon running can actually increased the quality of our joint cartilage and internal structures.
So if you are considering long distance running to help your ageing knee’s research suggests that for a health population you may expect some improvement in your joints function.
You can read the free full text article below
https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/5/1/e000586
Hokkaido and seems to have a spike in the number of backcountry incidents over the 2020 season recently that has sadly resulted in some pretty tragic outcomes.
An interesting article was recently published in the International Journal of Environmental Research
and Public Health regarding backcountry accidents. Admittedly it was Switzerland and the stats for Niseko would likely be different due to different relative risks of the terrain but perhaps there is something we can learn from it.
Given that there has been a big improvement in the quality of backcountry safety gear such as better beacons, airbag systems are we seeing a decrease in the frequency of backcountry accidents.
You only need to play around with one of the first generation beacons compared to the most recent ones of the market to appreciate just how much easier is it find somebody buried under snow with far less in depth training and practice.
We can now access pretty accurate weather and avalanche forecast information on the internet. Surely this should be sending our accident rate down ?
Surprisingly accidents in Switzerland are increasing or steady despite the quality and safety of gear increasing although we do seem to be loosing our way a little less. Perhaps phone GPS ?
The findings from a swiss study from 2009 to 2018 looking at 3044 accidents found that on average accident rates are not falling and are probably about steady or even increasing slightly for some categories.
The study did not specifically address this question but the authors hypothesized that whilst the gear is indeed getting better the increase in the number of inexperienced skiiers going into the backcountry is causing the accident rate to stay the same.
It certainly does appear that backcountry skiing is getting more popular each year in Niseko so perhaps there are some lessons to be learned here.
I also think it worth noting the accident percentages. Falls counted for 44.6% of injuries and avalanche counted for 18.3%. So you are twice as likely to get in trouble with a fall than avalanche. They did however find that younger skiers are more prone to avalanche risk than older skiers so perhaps the salty old snow dogs experience helps the sniff out trouble early or they are just less likely to try dumb stuff.
I think the take message from this Swiss study to bring to Niseko is
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(3), 901; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17030901
Niseko’s Chiropractic’s mobile 2 hour session is really designed to have the time to go deep into long standing issues and also relieve tension throughout the body that can build up when you hit the ski slops again after a long break.
We can come to you and treat you in the comfort of your Niseko based accommodation.
Prior to studying Chiropractic Brent spent years working as certified massage therapists in Australia and if you like your bodywork on the sports side of things that can really address old long standing injuries then our 2 hour session is for you.
Niseko Chiropractic takes the time to properly assess your bodies tension,movement patterns and then start to zoom in individual spinal segments specific joints and then tailor a treatment to best address your individual issues and problems.
If you are looking not just for a relaxation massage but a top end tailored bodywork treatment that targets your problem areas by an experienced practitioner then our extended sessions are you for.
You can see what others have to say about this treatment on our google business review page
To check the availability of Niseko Chiropractic and to book your appointment online go to the link below and select
It’s great to be busy in business. But one of the downsides of living and working in Niseko is whilst you watch these amazing conditions from the work window is you can look but not touch.
But not today. Today Niseko Chiropractic was able to get some great slides with bluebird conditions on the back of the mega dump that came on the 17th of January.
To be fair it was not so much a powder day but the snow quality at the moment is just superb for getting out there and throwing down some nice carve turns. Beginners were also enjoying the nice conditions and it is certainly a lot easier to learn when the snow grips so well under your feet.
With moderate snow forecast again on Monday and Tuesday we should see some classic Niseko conditions return after what has been a slower season that previous years.
If you need a mid season tune up or wish to book one of our mobile sports massages right here in Niseko, Annupuri or Rusutsu we would love to be able to help.
You can book online for Niseko Chiropractic and we can come to you at
Just a reminder that Niseko Chiropractic is now available for consultations within the Rusutsu resort area. As this is an increased distance from our usual treatment area there is an additional 2,000 Yen charge for extra travel but this can be waived if 2 or more consultations are booked.
If you would like to book an English speaking Chiropractor during your stay in the Rusutsu resort complex please go to
www.nisekochiropractic.com/appointments
Just a courtesy note to let current and future clients of Niseko Chiropractic that we are unavailable to provide consultations until the 12th of Jan as we are on a family visit to the amazing Sapporo city.
We will resume usual hours from Monday the 12th of Jan.
Wishing you all a happy 2020 and for those that are skiing niseko we hope some more of that famous Niseko powder falls soon.
If you were like me before I moved to Niseko there was always the issue of weather to transport your own gear or rent.
Obviously it’s better and often cheaper over the long term to ride your own gear and you can tune it to just your specifications but one big drag is getting trying to drag it through international airports often with family dangling off the other arm. I know for me the thought and cost of dragging all my gear around often lead me to rental decision on several trips.
Recently a service has opened in Niseko where they can store your own gear right here in Niseko and delivery it your accommodation when you arrive.
This is not just for convenience. At least a few times a year Niseko Chiropractic is called upon to treat injuries created by snow gear before it even gets to the slopes. Carrying awkward heavy bags can be a sure way to ruin a good Niseko ski trip before it’s even began.
You can learn more about the Japan ski gear valet services based right here in Kutchan by going to
Please do not hesitate to contact Niseko Chiropractic if you have any questions.We apologize in advance if there is some delay in our response during peak periods. You can contact Niseko Chiropractic at info@nisekochiropracic.com
Copyright by Niseko Chiropractic 2018. All rights reserved.
