Nanto ― Arosa (1991)

Chubu | Nanto City

City Partnerships

How a promotional move between two ski resorts morphed into the twinning of two alpine villages located on two different sides of the globe.

In the heart of Toyama

Look right below the Noto Peninsula, in Toyama Prefecture, and you will find Nanto-shi, a medium-sized city with a rich heritage and idyllic surroundings. Known worldwide for its Gokayama Gasshozukuri villages –in which the 1400-year-old "Kokirikobushi" folk song still resonates to this day, the area is blessed when it comes to natural scenery. From abundant woodlands to large mountains covered by up to 3 meters of snow during winter, Nanto-shi is before all an ideal place for adventurers and explorers, and especially winter sports enthusiasts.

A perfect partner

In the early 1990s, the construction of a vast ski resort was launched in Nanto-shi. As the city was not yet a major destination for winter sports, local authorities felt at the time that the project still needed a reputation boost. For that purpose, they settled on the idea of signing a friendly alliance with another European ski resort with a name that would convey a magical winter atmosphere.

After reviewing many locations, the village of Arosa, in eastern Switzerland, was eventually chosen, and a sister cities agreement was eventually signed between the two communities on September 8, 1991. Three months later, the Nanto-shi ski and hiking resort opened to the public, and was baptized "IOX-AROSA".

The hidden treasure of Graubünden

Why Arosa? Located at an altitude of about 1,800 meters in the canton of Graubünden (the "land of Heidi"), the romantic remote village of less than 3’000 souls has been a famous Alpine health resort since 1877 thanks to the outstanding purity of its air. To this day, it is still only accessible by Rhaetian Railways from Chur or by car across over 365 serpentine roads or curves and through several tunnels!

With its impressive range of mountain peaks all around, among which stands the mighty Weisshorn (2,653 meters), Arosa’s ski resort boasts over 60 kilometers of ski slopes and counts some of the country’s most breathtaking landscapes. In summer too, locals enjoy a sweet life, hiking among wild squirrels and bathing in the pure waters of the Untersee Lake.

From ski partners to friends

In the agreement, people of Nanto-shi and Arosa pledged to promote each other’s ski resorts, as well as to exchange delegations, human resources, and information and materials related to sightseeing and skiing.

The pact has been renewed every five years since its inception, most recently in June 2016 by Nanto Mayor Mikio Tanaka and Arosa Tourism Director Christian Menet. Beyond ski resorts, however, a real long-term friendship has been formed between the two communities, to the point that Arosa and Nanto-shi visit each other about once a year –much more regularly than what most sister cities do.

So remember: next time you visit IOX-AROSA and stumble across slopes and facilities named "Heidi" or "Jodel", someone else in a small Swiss village far away will most certainly be thinking about you!