Adapting Mountain Lodging: Innovation and Challenges in Japan’s Hiking Industry

Summer is synonymous with hiking, and both Taiwan and Japan are renowned for their picturesque mountain trails. Yet, the 2020 pandemic transformed an age-old industry based on traditional mountain lodges, pushing it towards unprecedented innovation and transformation.

Mountain lodges in these countries can generally be classified into two categories: commercial lodges and emergency shelters. With 257 commercial lodges and 207 emergency shelters in Taiwan, and over 620 in Japan as of 2020, mountain lodging is a vital part of the hiking experience. In Japan, many of these are family-run, with business limited to the snow-free months between spring thaw and autumn foliage.

A Time of Change: The Pandemic’s Impact

The 2020 COVID-19 outbreak drastically affected this traditional sector. The shared sleeping areas common in these lodges posed a significantly higher infection risk compared to urban hotels. A survey conducted by Japan’s Tanigawadake Mountain Lodge Group in January of this year indicated that over 70% of the 1600 respondents were reluctant to stay in such communal settings.

This drove a wave of refurbishments. Hakuba-Sanso, Japan’s largest mountain lodge located at 2,832 meters above sea level, began a…