Everyone expected a construction boom when the Hokuriku Shinkansen arrived, and three years on, it’s a mixed blessing.
According to NHK, the number of guests at big hotels in Kanazawa decreased slightly last year from the year before, but compared to the year before the Shinkansen opened, it’s up an amazing 26.5%.
On the other hand, the number of overnight guests last year at hot spring hotels in Ishikawa prefecture decreased by 6% from the previous year to 2.88 million. The Shinkansen effect seems to be fading, and the benefits have mostly settled in the city of Kanazawa. So, does that mean it’s “winner take all,” and the Kanazawa city hotel construction boom should continue? Maybe not. A hotel room glut is on the horizon, so the hotel industry shouldn’t be patting themselves on the back just yet.
