The company emphasizes its easy-to-work environment and provides its workers free dormitory rooms and meals. For Lai and Zhang, other perks sealed the deal. They get free lift tickets and ski gear rentals on their days off, and they can bathe at a pure natural hot spring at the resort. "Taiwan lacks ski resorts because it has few places with snowfalls," Lai said. "I wanted to ski and thought the system here would provide me a good opportunity." Zhang had never seen snow before coming to Japan. "I'm going snowboarding for the first time soon," Zhang said. "I am really looking forward to it." Workers from outside Japan are bringing "essential help" to Kuma no Yu, Goto said. Kuma no Yu employs two college students from China under an internship program and three Taiwanese via the working holiday framework.