The town of Hakuba, to which the ski resort Happo belongs, lies in the Japanese Alps near Nagano. All the downhill events of the 1998 Winter Olympics were held in Happo, which is one of the leading ski resorts in Japan and is also a member of the ”Best of the Classic Mountain Resorts Japan“ association. In addition to a highly-developed network of ski lifts and pistes, both sizes of Olympic ski jumps can be found in Happo, where World Cup events are held every year.

Happo itself has a village atmosphere and lives – in a similar way to Lech – largely on winter tourism. But the ”Japanese Summer“ also has a lot to offer. The twinning arrangement between Hakuba-Happo and Lech was officially signed and sealed in May 1995. Since then there have been several joint activities. For example, several exchanges of skiing instructors between the ski schools in both towns along with presentations of Lech/Zürs in Japan and a great many visits to Lech. A youth exchange programme is also planned for the future, so that the children can get to know each other's culture which is as yet foreign to them. Once more, the Lech Festival Wine serves as a link between the Arlberg and Japan, as it is available in many hotels in Hakuba. Each October, wine growers from the wine district of Austria present their specialities in Japan.