A new type of programming course, "Pirikasukupu," will start in 2022 in Niseko Town, Hokkaido. This course is a "hybrid course" that combines a two-month online course with a five-night, six-day offline training camp in Niseko Town, Hokkaido. You can learn practical programming skills.

The online course will be held on weekday evenings, with the participation of working adults in mind. The training camp in Niseko Town will be held in September. During the training camp, an optional sightseeing tour of Niseko Town will also be available.

--What prompted you to hold this event?

I am in charge of brand strategy and city promotion planning at the Niseko Town Hall, and I think that when people think of Niseko Town, they have a strong image of it being a snow resort famous for its powder snow. On the other hand, this also poses the challenge of making Niseko known to people who do not do winter sports.

The results of a survey showed that about 60% of women in their 20s to 40s in Tokyo knew about Niseko Town, while about 40% had never heard of Niseko. Therefore, we wanted to approach people who don't do winter sports in Japan, and a different demographic from those who have traveled to Niseko in the past.

Recently, Niseko Town has seen a rise in "migration and entrepreneurship," and we are also feeling the growing demand for workcation. At this time when the COVID-19 pandemic is making full telework mainstream, lifting the ban on side jobs and a three-day work week are causing major changes in working styles, we wanted to create brand value as a town that is taking on new initiatives in the business field, so we proposed the "Niseko Town Short-Term Camp with Programming Course Pirikasukupu."