Rusutsu Ski Resort

One of the Imperial Stormtroopers on his day off.

 According to the home page of the Rusutsu Ski Resort, it has been the winner of Japan's 'Best Ski Resort' for the past three consecutive years. I don't know about that, but as of last Wednesday I'd say it was well on its way to winning this year's award for Japan's 'Emptiest Ski Resort'.
As I detailed in a previous post, Cian is now on an enforced 5 week lay off from school. And pretty much everything else. And these 5 weeks aren't officially holidays but a preventive measure to thwart the spread of the coronavirus. Thus, the boy is supposed to be making up for lost school time by hitting the books every weekday from nine to three.
Luckily for Cian his naturally gifted irresponsible father is from Ireland and doesn't believe in any of that auld educational shite. Never got me anywhere.
So on Wednesday last we jumped in the Forester and made for Rusutsu figuring it wouldn't be too busy on a weekday.
Too busy?
Choose your antonym: empty, vacant, bare, deserted, desolate, abandoned - all of them apply.
This is the car park.

Cian trying to make the car park look full.

And these are the slopes on Japan's triennial winner of the 'Best Ski Resort'.

Tumbleweeds just out of shot.

Yet again, another eerily quiet place. Or is it quietly eerie?

Essentially, we had our own private ski resort. There were a few other scarce souls slipping and sliding around the slopes, but I reckon there were more resort staff than skiers.
Yes, yes, I realize than the coronavirus is creating havoc and that my prideful claim of irresponsibility may not be so responsible, but you are not going to catch the coronavirus skiing on the airy, snowy slopes of Rusutsu.
As Cian so deftly demonstrates in this video. Those of you scared of rapidly moving objects may need to look away. And those of you easily queasy (nice) may also want to turn away (the camera work goes a tad juddery towards the end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SWEHvteIUQ