CoronaChampions: Atsuhiro Tokutake, haluta hakuba

CoronaChampions is a new interview series exploring how Japanese sustainable organizations and brands are meeting the challenges from the coronavirus threat head on.

Please tell us about haluta hakuba.

haluta hakuba is a self-retreating accommodation facility in Hakuba Village, Kita-azumino-gun, Nagano Prefecture, with the concept of “a place to return to what you were originally”. We have taken over the old inn for ski guests, which has been loved for many years in Hakuba, and renovated it. Our company “Haluta” is headquartered in Ueda, Nagano, and has offices in Karuizawa, Tokyo, and Denmark Copenhagen. We are engaged in the healing, food and housing businesses related to lifestyle inspired by the lifestyle of Northern Europe.

The hotel is well-insulated and air-conditioned to meet the strict housing standards of Northern Europe, and its main feature is an air environment where you can stay only with light clothes all year round without using an air conditioner or stove. You can also enjoy a steam bath facility, “Toji-ba haluta” by reservation, and so fill your body with full of minerals that tend to be lacking in the body.

How has haluta hakuba been affected by the new coronavirus epidemic?

We believed that the safety of our guests and employees was our top priority, and decided to temporarily close haluta hakuba for three months from April to the end of June.

Will you restart haluta hakuba in July?

Since the state of emergency has ended, we are planning to restart haluta hakuba in July. This is to respond to the wishes of customers who want to retreat in a place rich in nature because of such difficult times, while making every possible effort to prevent the spread of infection.

Throughout this period of refraining from going out, many of us have once again felt the importance of staying healthy and the effects of living environment on the mind and body. We will operate with consideration for the environment where our guests can feel secure by providing check-in time one by one, in addition to our original feature we have only 8 rooms in total to ensure spaces where our guests can relax.

From July 10th to 12th, we plan to carry out a “summer special retreat plan” for 2 nights and 3 days with vegetarian food produced by Yayoi Nomoto, who is active as a vegetarian cuisine chef. *The plan has been fully booked. Waiting for cancellation is being accepted.

A “sustainable future” is the goal we want to achieve. We think it is important not only to refrain from self-control, but also to drive the economy. By grasping this situation where we have no choice but to change as a kind of “turning point”, we want to protect this place where we can feel what is truly comfortable.

Is there anything you’d like to share with our readers?

I think this coronavirus crisis has made us aware of the relationships between people and the social activities that we used to take for granted, and made us think about what we should do in the future. This is an opportunity. I hope that good action will allow us to depart from a society of mass consumption.

We shall wait for you in Hakuba.