The ski industry, another victim of the nation's frigid financial state, is trying to get people back on the slopes.
A white paper compiled last year by the Japan Productivity Center for Socio-Economic Development estimates that the ski population stands at 10.9 million and the snowboard population at 5.4 million, unchanged for the last several years.
"Even those with enough money are reluctant to spend during the recession," an industry official said.