Willin Low in Niseko: ‘The community has become my family’

SEVERAL years ago, Willin Low hit a fork in the road. Having just wound up his modern Singaporean (mod-Sin) restaurant, Wild Rocket, he was offered the opportunity to start afresh in either Shanghai or Niseko. 

The Shanghai option was a 300-seater restaurant that was backed by a conglomerate which had plans to roll out another 25 outlets across China, plus ready-to-eat meals at convenience stores. 

The Niseko choice was a seasonal, 30-seater eatery in The Maples, a condotel developed by Keimin Investments, a privately owned subsidiary of Cathay Organisation. It’s located right by the ski slopes of Grand Hirafu.

“If those options (had been) presented to me when I was in my 30s, I might have chosen Shanghai,” Low, 51, shares. “But I am at a stage in my life where I want to only accept projects that are meaningful to me. To me, making money – though necessary – isn’t as meaningful as leading a fulfilling life.”

He adds: “I love Japan, I love snowboarding. The landlord is a friend who loves Niseko dearly. The ingredients here are amazing. It’s any chef’s dream to work with the ingredients this country is blessed with. (So) I chose Niseko.”

In December 2018, he opened Roketto – the Japanese transliteration of “rocket” – as a paean to his original business. It’s the only non-Japanese lunch venue on the Hirafu slopes, serving Singaporean flavours with Japanese ingredients: think laksa udon made with snow crab broth. Dinner there is a more intimate affair, with just 12 guests each night enjoying a view of the slopes and – more importantly – Wild Rocket’s mod-Sin omakase menu.

Running the restaurant, which Low set up with personal funds and the help of a loan, has not been easy, he admits. On one hand, there is stability, predictability and order. On the other hand, navigating the bureaucracy comes with difficulties. And the business is still not profitable.

“Another challenge is language – this is obvious,” he says. “If you can’t communicate, how do you even start talking to your suppliers, your accountant and lawyers? Culture, too, can be another difficulty. Many times it’s what’s unsaid that’s much more than what is said here.”

That’s not to mention the manpower crunch. With the labour force in Niseko being seasonal, the vast majority of staff are young foreigners who are there on a working holiday visa. Some need to be trained from scratch, and the process repeats itself each winter. 

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The pandemic years were tough. “When Covid-19 hit in 2020, the cancellations started coming in fast and furious, and you could see everyone packing and leaving. It was scary,” Low says. “We were standing around in the kitchen looking at the empty restaurant and empty ski slopes. I decided to shut the restaurant and we all went snowboarding. Best social-distancing activity ever.”

It was only in 2022, when Japan reopened its borders, that Roketto opened again. Low’s recovery strategy was to “pray like mad”. “Part of the reason we haven’t broken even yet is because of Covid-19, but we are on track to being in the black soon. We are also optimistic that an Enterprise Singapore grant will be made available to us soon.”

Despite the challenges, Low’s experience has been rewarding, thanks to the surrounds and the warmth of the locals. “Living here, it’s like I’m in Narnia – a winter fantasy world,” he says.

“The snow first brought me here, but the people kept me coming back. In 2018, we discovered a small Japanese church to attend, and now the community has become my family.”