The procedure for Landscape Ordinance is changing!

The town has reexamined the way it has created landscapes up to now, and revised the Niseko Town Landscape Ordinance with the aim of creating better landscapes through cooperation between residents, businesses, and the government.
With this amendment,From April 2025The review criteria for the Niseko Town Landscape Ordinance have become the considerations regarding landscape and snow management described in the Niseko Town Building Guidelines.

We will utilize the "Niseko Town Building Guidelines," which summarize the basic policies for planning and designing all homes and buildings constructed within the town, regardless of size or purpose.

Purpose

• It sets out common points for landscape creation.
• The guidelines' considerations are qualitative rather than quantitative, aiming to avoid regulatory, uniform landscape creation in which businesses must meet targets for consideration, but rather to promote "mutually coordinated landscape creation" in which businesses themselves think about how to create better landscapes.

Niseko Town 's landscape creation is based on "mutual understanding through dialogue with residents and business operators" and "prior consultation" based on Landscape Ordinance, as well as "scenic districts" and "specific use restricted areas" in the Niseko Annupuri/Moiwa foothills area. It has been advanced by setting.
Based on the above,From October 2025The procedures for Landscape Ordinance will be changed as follows:
* There is no change to the targets of development projects that require prior consultation based on the Niseko Town Landscape Ordinance.

• For projects that require prior consultation, in addition to the existing public information meetings, a "prior opinion exchange meeting" will now be mandatory at the basic concept stage, and the landscape will be created through a two-stage dialogue with residents.
• The person in charge of the project must attend the pre-examination meeting so that residents and business operators can exchange opinions directly.

*A facilitator will be assigned to the pre-examination meeting if necessary, for example if requested by the business operator.

Purpose

• At the basic design stage, project managers will engage in dialogue with local residents to understand more specific and detailed landscape characteristics of the planned area, which are difficult to indicate in guidelines.
• At the preliminary opinion exchange meeting, the intentions of both the business operator and residents will be confirmed, and the business operator will create a basic design based on detailed landscape characteristics, etc., and then at the residents' briefing meeting, they will create the landscape through dialogue based on the preliminary opinion exchange meeting.

effect
<Business operators>
This will enable the holding of public information sessions based on the opinions of residents at the preliminary exchange meeting and the opinions expressed in the expert committee (described below), ensuring smooth dialogue at the sessions.
(Residents)
This allows residents to communicate their opinions on landscape considerations based on the basic concept plan for the planned area, as well as their intentions and requests for the basic design at an early stage. In addition, the residents' briefing session allows for dialogue based on the prior opinion exchange meeting.

• Residents who attend the preliminary opinion exchange meeting may, if necessary, submit a resident opinion within 14 days after the meeting.
• Residents who have submitted a resident opinion letter may attend the expert committee and explain the contents of the resident opinion letter they submitted.

effect
<Residents> By submitting a resident opinion, opinions are shared with the town and experts, and the contents of the resident opinion can be taken into consideration in the expert committee.

Please attach a list of attendees at the preliminary opinion exchange meeting (including names and addresses), materials used at the preliminary opinion exchange meeting, and copies of any opinions submitted by concerned residents, etc.

• The developer will submit a preliminary landscape survey report that projects the image of the development project onto a photograph of the site where the development project is planned. (Continued)
• Based on the preliminary opinion exchange meeting, the developer will submit a checklist summarizing their thoughts on the matters to be considered in the architectural guidelines (new).
• The checklist will be used at expert committees and public information sessions, and will be revised as appropriate based on the contents of those sessions.

effect
<Businesses> We will use checklists to centralize and streamline discussions.
The Residents' Checklist makes the considerations of the business operators visible and allows them to confirm how the contents of the pre-examination meeting have been reflected.

• After the pre-examination meeting, Niseko Town will hold a special committee within the City Planning Council to provide a forum for experts on landscape and snow management to exchange opinions with the business operator. Based on the contents of the special committee, the town will notify the business operator of the "Statement of Opinion for Pre-examination".
• After the residents' briefing session is held, if necessary, the town will ask the expert committee for their opinion on holding another briefing session.

effect
<Businesses> will be able to receive opinions and advice on landscape and snow management from a professional perspective.
Residents and businesses will be given professional opinions and advice based on the contents of the pre-examination meeting.

• In principle, the resident opinion documents after the pre-examination meeting, the report on the results of the pre-examination meeting, the opinion documents for the pre-examination from the town, and the report on the results of the resident briefing session will be made public, so that residents, businesses, and Niseko Town can take responsibility for their actions.

LandscapeAn area guideline system that stipulates more detailed guidelines for considerations for each residential block or other district (small area)will be established.
Area guidelines are based on the ideas of residentsWhile striving for consistency with the guidelines (landscape section),Guidelines established independently by residents​
Landscape Ordinance will require prior consultation for projects within the area covered by the approved area guidelines to provide explanations to the certification body.Additionally, when new area guidelines are approved, we will update the building guidelines and add the details of the area guidelines.

Purpose

• Since it is difficult for architectural guidelines to specify the specific landscape characteristics of a particular area in greater detail, if residents feel it is necessary to specify more detailed considerations that are suited to the specific conditions of their local area, the guidelines make it possible for residents themselves to indicate the considerations and then proceed with creating the landscape.

• At the moment, there are no major changes.
• In the relevant areas, while following the regulations of "Scenic Districts" and "Specific Use Restricted Areas" as a basis, we will protect and cultivate beautiful landscapes through public information meetings and prior consultations under Landscape Ordinance.

• We will gradually publish and archive on our website and other media cases where prior consultations have been completed that utilize the architectural guidelines, thereby accumulating case studies.
• Among the projects for which preliminary consultations have been completed, we will consider establishing a certification system for completed buildings that contribute to creating a better landscape, taking into account the landscape characteristics of Niseko Town.

Purpose

• We aim to visualize more detailed landscape characteristics that are difficult to indicate in architectural guidelines through archived examples, and to create ever-improving and evolving landscapes by accumulating archived examples and certifying buildings and other structures that contribute to landscape creation.

effect

• Businesses and other entities that refrain from prior consultations will be able to use the archive to understand the landscape characteristics of similar areas before making plans.
• We hope that the certification system will help brand buildings and other structures.