Josetsu means snow removal and this is how it’s done in Niseko

In Japanese the word “josetsu” (除雪) means “snow removal”. In Niseko there’s a lot of time and effort put into snow clearing and the locals have a wealth of tools and machines to keep the area moving.

This is what I saw within a 1km radius and a half hour walk in Kutchan on 27 December 2011 during yet another snow storm.

Moving snow by hand

Heavy machinery to move the snow

Moving one tonne a second? 27 December 2011