It was October 15, 1989.
[Nikkei 225: 35,480 points]
Two days until the official opening of Gokurakukan.
At 9:00 AM, a blizzard raged on the highway from New Chitose Airport to Niseko. A luxury shuttle bus, painted sleek silver-gray and branded "S.A. Resort," glided along a single lane carved through the white wasteland.
Inside the cabin, the air was warm and scented with lavender. Aviation-grade leather seats cushioned the passengers, sealing them off from the Hokkaido wilderness.
Yumi and Kana, two trading company employees from Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, sat by the window with hot coffees. They wore high-end cashmere, makeup flawless, designer travel bags tucked at their feet.
Yumi pulled two gold-edged cards from her Hermès handbag. The Saionji family crest, the hidari mitsu tomoe, sat in the corner above bold text: [Niseko · Gokurakukan One-Day Experience Pass].
"We're so lucky," Yumi whispered, fingers tracing the raised texture. "I can't believe we won the first lottery."
"It's all thanks to you," Kana replied, staring at the cards wide-eyed. "I heard they only let in three thousand people a day to keep it exclusive. And fifteen thousand yen? That's not even a fraction of my winter bonus. It's so cheap…"
"The ticket is cheap," Yumi agreed, sipping her coffee.
"But my Section Chief said the real spending happens inside. A specialty drink is three thousand yen. One session in the wave pool is five thousand."
Kana's eyes widened. "Three thousand yen for one drink? In Roppongi, that's two top-shelf cocktails."
"What does it matter?" Yumi turned to the window, pointing a manicured finger outside.
The minus-fifteen-degree gale swirled with ice crystals, battering the glass with invisible fists.
"Think about it, Kana. In a few minutes, we'll step out of this hell, shed these heavy coats, and walk barefoot on white sand in our new bikinis. Constant twenty-eight degrees."
Yumi leaned back, eyes gleaming with fanatical longing.
"One second you're freezing in a minus-fifteen wasteland, the next you're in a tropical rainforest. Buying an experience that breaks the laws of nature? No matter the price, it's a bargain."
She blew on the steam of her coffee, tone turning indifferent.
"Besides, money is easy to make. My NTT stock is doubling by next quarter. Why nitpick over a few bills when you can live like this?"
Kana laughed, anticipation bubbling in her chest. "You're right. If the money's gone, we'll just earn more. We're going to the Hawaii of Hokkaido!"
The bus pulled into a massive, glass-covered drop-off area. With the hiss of pneumatic brakes, the doors slid open.
Even under the canopy, the Hokkaido chill surged in. The two women wrapped their coats tight and hurried toward the entrance. The bluestone pavement was bone-dry. Underfloor heating evaporated every snowflake that dared to land.
Reporters and onlookers who hadn't won tickets stood behind a metal fence, cameras clicking frantically in the blizzard. The fence, the guards, and the exclusive passage gave winners a sense of value far beyond fifteen thousand yen.
"There are so few people," Kana said, surprised by the lack of a crowd.
"It's a limited release," Yumi explained. "If it were packed like a department store sale, the ticket wouldn't be worth the paper it's printed on."
They reached the airlock. The heavy thermal doors slid open with a hiss. Inside the buffer room, high-speed air curtains stripped the residual cold from their clothes.
Three seconds later, the inner glass doors opened.
"Welcome to Niseko · Gokurakukan. May you enjoy earthly bliss to the fullest here."
They crossed the threshold.
A wall of warm, humid air hit them. Twenty-eight degrees. The scent of coconut sunscreen and salt water filled their lungs. Ahead, tall palms swayed in an artificial breeze. The distant roar of waves echoed through the dome.
"It's so hot!" Kana laughed, unbuttoning her coat to reveal a summer shirt. "It's literally Hawaii."
They hurried to the cloakroom. An electronic screen announced the price: one thousand yen per coat.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The sound of scanners and cash registers merged into a steady hum. The black terminals were methodically eating the cash in the tourists' pockets, and no one looked back.
They arrived at the Kazehana Annex, third floor.
A bellhop in a sharp uniform set two scuffed suitcases in the entryway and bowed out.
Section Chief Tanaka walked in, holding his wife's hand. His suit was crisp. His shoes hadn't touched a drop of slush. Their five-year-old son, Kenta, ran ahead.
"The service is incredible," his wife whispered, looking at the warm walnut floors. "From the airport to the underground garage, we didn't see a single snowflake."
"Of course," Tanaka said, his tone carrying a lavishness he never showed at the office. "This is 'Kazehana.' One night is two hundred thousand yen. In this economy, that's a few nights drinking in Ginza. We're staying in a palace. Take off your coats."
He hung their clothes in a matte black wardrobe. As the door closed, a silent fan circulated warm, deodorized air.
His wife looked at the sensor panel with awe.
"A climate-controlled wardrobe? They thought of everything. In our public housing, you can never get the winter dampness out of the fabric."
Tanaka changed into a short-sleeved shirt and drew the curtains.
Beyond the double-layered glass, a minus-fifteen-degree gale rampaged, turning the world into a silver-white blur. Inside, the heat held at a constant twenty-five degrees. The visual cold and physical warmth made a powerful, intoxicating contrast.
Tanaka felt a bead of sweat on his forehead.
"Let's go," he said, grabbing the room card. "Kenta, let's go play in the sand."
The family took the elevator to the first basement level. The doors opened to a fully transparent, climate-controlled gallery.
Above the glass ceiling, a thick layer of snow pressed down. Beneath it, massive tanks held jellyfish and deep-sea fish from the Sea of Okhotsk, swimming under eerie blue lights.
Tanaka walked with his hands in his pockets, his wife by his side. The frustration of his year-end evaluation was gone, smoothed away by a sense of privilege only money could build.
"Daddy! Look at the fish!" Kenta shouted, tapping the glass.
Tanaka looked up at the snow, then at the deep-sea fish, then toward the tropical beach ahead. He took his wife's hand.
The bonus was well spent.
At the end of the gallery, the doors opened. The roar of the ocean filled the air. Kenta cheered and ran toward the sand.
High above, along the dome's edge, a single drop of melted snow slid down the curved glass. It hit the metal drainage grate at the bottom and shattered into a thousand tiny droplets.