"Karuizawa has become a summer resort and now has a faint reputation as an international resort, thanks in large part to its celebrity effect."

Karuizawa is home to a royal summer resort, and that alone is a living signboard.

In addition, a large number of overseas tourists have spread its reputation more and more, and over the years, Karuizawa's growth has gradually become a success.

"Because royalty, politicians, celebrities, and other people from all walks of life have built their own villas in Karuizawa, and its reputation as a high-end resort is widely spread among the people.

The reason why so many people choose to buy property in Karuizawa is not only because of its excellent natural scenery.

Its relatively close proximity to Tokyo is also one of the advantages that should not be overlooked.

Unfortunately, the antlers do not have this advantage, and it is not destined to become a second Karuizawa. ”

Shirakawa Kaede has always seen very clearly that it is impossible to completely copy Karuizawa's model, even if it is possible to use banknotes.

This natural geographical advantage is beyond his personal control.

But that doesn't mean that the antlers don't have a chance, and although they are not as good as Karuizawa, they can try to close the gap between the two.

"Everyone, please see," Shirakawa Kaede took out another map of Karuizawa's surroundings and put it on the side of the antler map for comparison.

"The distance from Tokyo to Karuizawa is about 100 to 200 kilometers in a straight line, and the main means of transportation are the Shinano Railway and a large number of automobile highways.

The journey from Tokyo to Karuizawa takes just over two hours, and the cost of commuting can be limited to 10,000 yen.

However, according to the Hokuriku Shinkansen plan, in five years' time, around 87, the JR line will open a direct line from Tokyo to Karuizawa.

At that point, the journey time between the two will be reduced to about an hour.

This will greatly facilitate travel between the two places, and it can be inferred that Karuizawa's development will also be even higher at that time.

Note, however, that this is five years or more later. Shirakawa Kaede tapped on the map on the table and emphasized it specifically.

"What does Shirakawa-san mean?" Nagata seemed to understand a little, and he emphasized the intention of the question of time.

"Five or even ten years, that's enough for a lot to happen." Shirakawa Kaede glanced at Nagata Masashi with a meaningful look.

In fact, as far as he knew, the direct line from Tokyo to Karuizawa was only partially opened in '87.

The real direct operation of the private line between the two was in the 90s.

And such a long window of time is the best time for the antlers to catch up.

Nagata Masashi and the others obviously understood what Shirakawa Kaede meant by what he said, and to be honest, they were a little moved.

"Then Nagata-san, Ogawa-san, now let's see the situation with the antlers."

Shirakawa Kaede put his pen near Antlers and Odate, "If the railway from Odate to Antlers is completed, the commute time between the two places will be about 15~30 minutes at the current speed of the electric railway. ”

The speed of 80~100 kilometers per hour, 30 kilometers counting the stop time of the station, half an hour is more than enough.

And if it is a dedicated line, this time will be faster.

"It's a very short time, and it's very advantageous. So how can Tai Kwun get to the neon everywhere in the most efficient way? ”

Shirakawa Kaede drew a circle on the outskirts of Odate, "Here, in the future, it will be the location of Odate Airport." ”

"Aeroport?" Nagata Masashi and Kazuo Ogawa glanced at each other, and they both saw the surprise in each other's eyes.

An airport is an airport, and if there is an airport in this place, then the pattern of Antlers here will be very different.

"The two of you don't know that the plan of Tai Kwun Airport has been reviewed and approved a few years ago.

It's just that due to some process reasons, it is still in the preparatory stage for the time being. ”

Kikuharu Sasaki knows the situation best, because it was under his impetus that Odate Airport finally completed the project.

The delay in starting construction is partly due to process reasons, and partly due to financial pressures.

However, Tai Kwun's airport is already a sure thing, and at most it is a matter of whether it is sooner or later.

"And if Odate had an airport," Kaede Shirakawa drew a straight line between Odate and Tokyo, "and if you take a plane from Tokyo to Odate, a little more than an hour will be enough." ”

"In that case..."Shirakawa Kaede connected the antlers with Odate again, "Tokyo to Odate is about an hour, and Odate to Odate is thirty minutes."

In other words, it takes about an hour and a half to reach Antlers from Tokyo, which is less than the time to Karuizawa. ”

Shirakawa Kaede threw down his pen and looked at Nagata Masashi with burning eyes.

"Nagata-san, Ogawa-san, this is our opportunity, an opportunity to develop a second Karuizawa."

According to Kaede Shirakawa's introduction just now, Nagata Masashi and the others already know the advantages of antlers over Karuizawa in all aspects.

If the shortest traffic can be completed or even ahead, I have to say that this is indeed an opportunity, and it is still an extremely attractive opportunity.

Of course, the premise of all this is that the airport in Tai Kwun will be completed in the next few years, and the railway from Tai Kwun to Antler will be completed at the same time.

So can this premise be realized before the opening of the Karuizawa Shinkansen?

Yes, and there is still a great chance.

Nagata pondered for a long time before he spoke, "I just heard that the airport in Tai Kwun is still in the preparatory stage, so when is it expected to officially open?" ”

If the airport is not in place, then even the railway of the antlers will not help.

Although Akita also has an airport, Akita City is more than 100 kilometers away from Antler City.

It takes more than two hours to drive, and at least three hours to take the electric train.

Such a journey time would be meaningless for the antlers.

As for keeping up with Karuizawa, it's impossible to talk about.

Obviously, everyone understands that if you really want to make Antlers a tourist attraction, the airport in Tai Kwun is the top priority.

If it is not guaranteed, it must not be realistic to ask Nagata to pay real money to support the development of the antlers.

The construction of Odate Airport, there is no doubt that the pressure is on Kikuharu Sasaki.

The governor of Akita, who was close to the age of sixtieth year, frowned and groaned for a long time before finally gritting his teeth.

"The airport in Odate will be completed within four years, and it will be the first to open before the Karuizawa Shinkansen opens."

The reason why the current airport has not been implemented for a long time is that the process is driven on the one hand, and the financial pressure is also on the other.

But the cost of building an airport is not terrifying, and it is even cheaper than the construction of a railway.

That's right, taking Odate Airport as an example, the total cost is estimated to be around 400~50 billion yen, which is far lower than the 90 billion yen budgeted for the Antler Railway.

In addition to the runway, the airport is also the infrastructure such as the tower and the departure hall, and there is no high additional cost for others.

However, in addition to infrastructure such as stations, the cost of rails and electrical lines is much higher than that of airstrips.

That's why the cost of the railway is higher than the cost of the airport.

Now that Shirakawa Kaede is almost able to solve the railway problem, it is really unreasonable to drag his feet on the cheaper airport.

Therefore, Kikuji Sasaki made up his mind and dredged the process himself to the top, and it should not be a big problem.

As for the funds, there is no doubt that the lion's share must have come from the treasury and the prefectural treasury.

It really can't be done, and it's a big deal to prepare for the establishment of the Tai Kwun Airport Committee and seek the support of local capital.

Shouldn't you contribute to this kind of work for the benefit of the people of the prefecture as a member of Akita?

I silently estimated it in my heart, it shouldn't be a big problem, and Kikuji Sasaki gritted his teeth and agreed.

"Good! Sasaki-san's courage is admirable, and if construction of Odate Airport starts, the railway from Odate to Antlers will also be built at the same time. ”

With Governor Akita's assurance, Masato Nagata finally relented on the matter of the railway project.

"However, the premise of this matter is that the situation of the antlers is indeed as blessed as Shirakawa-san said.

Regarding the investigation of this part of the data, Keio Group will personally send someone to conduct a comprehensive field investigation, and it is expected that the cycle will be as long as 2~3 months. ”

As soon as the conversation changed, Nagata Masashi put the problem back on the actual situation of the antlers.

After all, such a large investment cannot be decided in a few words, and the research and analysis that should be done are also essential.

"This is the right thing to do, and Antlers also welcomes any company that has the intention of investing to come here to do research."

Shirakawa Kaede generously expressed his welcome, how could he attract the attention of others if he didn't show his antlers.

Seeing Shirakawa Kaede's sincere attitude, Nagata Masashi and them were also a lot more relieved.

"Do you have any plans for the development of antlers?"

Although a detailed investigation has not yet been conducted, Kazuo Ogawa has been considering the development of antlers in advance.

Whether it is Keio or Tokyu, in addition to the transportation industry, the tourism industry is also one of their businesses.

But this is the first time they have experienced a project like the development of antlers, the development of the entire city.

Once this kind of thing is done, the future benefits behind it are even more terrifying than the revenue generated by building a railway.

And, like the railway, its revenue is long-term. Even with the development of the times and the rise of the economic level, the tourism industry will become more and more developed.

Thinking of this, both Nagata Masato and Kazuo Ogawa began to stir in their hearts.

"Regarding the development of antlers, of course, we must give full play to its two major characteristics."

This point Shirakawa Kaede actually has a plan in his heart, and adapting measures to local conditions is always the most effective magic weapon to solve problems.

"The most distinctive seasons for antlers are winter and summer, and winter is as you can see." Shirakawa Kaede pointed to the snow outside the window.

"The snow season lasts until around March, and the abundance of snow makes it a great ski park.

If designed for the rolling hills, the ski resort here can even meet the specifications of international competitions.

And the promotion of the antlers' reputation by holding international competitions must be imagined by everyone. ”

Nagata nodded, this is indeed the quickest way to raise the international profile of the antlers.

At the same time, Antlers has abundant hot spring resources, and Hachimantai Onsen has a long reputation.

The acidic nature of the spring water is very good for healing from physical ailments, and this alone attracts many celebrities to build a sanatorium here. ”

As long as it is branded as a sign to prolong life, those rich people will definitely be willing to spend a lot of money on antlers to build their own hot spring annex.

"This is the winter characteristic of the antlers, so let's talk about the summer.

The average summer temperature of Antlers is around 20 degrees Celsius, which is very similar to that of Karuizawa, and the local vegetation is abundant and the air quality is fresh and pleasant.

In addition to these, the territory of the antlers is also full of streams. There are seven or eight waterfalls alone, and there are many ancient shrines hidden among the mountains and forests.

It is rare that there is also the Flower Wheel Basin, which is suitable for the development of a fully functional cluster resort, a large-scale summer resort integrating tourism, shopping, sports, leisure and food.

The two lakes in the north and south, the stone henge around the big soup, and the bicycle path built through the forest and around the mountains will all be part of the scenic spot.

Even in autumn, the beauty of the mountains and forests is a sight to behold, and aerobic exercise here is sure to be popular with many people. ”

In fact, as Shirakawa Kaede said, the natural resources of antlers are indeed very rich, and it is not a fool's dream to develop them into a resort area.

Antlers' traffic problems may not be the next famous tourist destination.

(End of chapter)