Ski Pass Economics: Teaching Conditionals and Statistics in Japanese

Hook: Real news, real practice — stop memorizing isolated grammar

Struggling to turn JLPT N2 grammar into usable Japanese for reading news, discussing data, or debating policy? Youre not alone. Many intermediate learners can conjugate conditionals and use comparison words, but they cant confidently talk about real-world statistics or explain cause and effect in Japanese. This lesson uses two timely 2025-2026 stories — the mega ski-pass debate and Aldi's 2026 postcode penalty study — to teach conditionals, statistics, and economic vocabulary through authentic, scaffolded practice.

Why this approach matters in 2026

In late 2025 and early 2026 weve seen two trends that shape classroom and self-study content. First, consolidation in travel and leisure industries has made multi-resort passes a hotter political and economic topic than before: passes like Ikon and Epic expanded partnerships and dynamic pricing models in 2025, pushing debates about affordability vs overcrowding. Second, grocery access and cost-of-living research (for example a January 2026 study about a UK 'postcode penalty') put local price inequality into headlines. Those facts let learners practice data discussion and conditional reasoning with current, high-interest material.

Learning objectives

• Use four common Japanese conditionals (ば, たら, と, なら) correctly in context
• Describe and compare statistics in Japanese: increase, decrease, percent, proportion, average, median
• Acquire 40+ economic and policy-related vocabulary items relevant to JLPT N2 reading
• Complete reading comprehension passages modeled on 2026 news items and answer N2-style questions
• Produce a 150-200 word opinion paragraph in Japanese summarizing trade-offs using conditional grammar

Quick strategy: The inverted-pyramid lesson

Start with a short authentic passage (the lede), extract the key numbers and claims, practice targeted grammar patterns, then use speaking and writing tasks to synthesize. Each lesson here follows that flow: read & highlight, grammar drill, data language drill, compare & discuss, produce.

Core concept 1: Japanese conditionals you must master

Use these patterns with the nuance notes and sample sentences below. Practice swapping them in the same sentence to feel the nuance differences.

• ば (hypothetical, often formal): 動詞れば / い-adjければ / な-adjならば

  Example: メガパスがあれば、家族で何度もスキーに行ける。If we had a mega pass, we could ski many times with the family.

• たら (if/when; often used for conditional events): 短形 + ら

  Example: メガパスを買ったら、他の山に行くことが多くなる。If you buy the mega pass, youll go to other mountains more often.

• と (whenever/when; result is inevitable or natural consequence)

Example: 人が増えると、混雑がひどくなる。When people increase, congestion worsens.

• なら / のなら (if its the case that; contrasts or recommendations)

Example: 値段を最優先にするなら、メガパスは有効だ。If price is your priority, the mega pass is effective.

Nuance checklist

• Use と for natural or habitual consequences (データが示すと、～)
• Use たら for specific hypothetical situations or when emphasizing sequence (買ったら、行ったら)
• Use ば for general hypotheticals in formal sentences (費用が下がれば、参加者が増えるだろう)
• Use なら when responding to a topic or offering advice (その点なら～)

Core concept 2: Talking about statistics and comparisons

Key statistical vocabulary and comparison structures you will use in reading and speaking.

• 割合 (わりあい) — proportion, percentage
• 増加 / 減少 — increase / decrease
• 平均 / 中央値 / 標準偏差 — average / median / standard deviation
• 〜パーセント増 / 減 — percent increase/decrease
• 世帯あたり — per household
• より / の方が / ほど — comparative structures

Useful comparison sentence patterns

• AはBより高い。A is higher than B.
• AはBほど高くない。A is not as high as B.
• AはBと同じくらい高い。A is about the same as B.
• 中央値は平均より低いことがある。The median can be lower than the mean.

Authentic reading passage 1: Mega-pass debate (intermediate Japanese)

Read this 130-160 word passage. Circle conditionals and numbers. Then answer comprehension questions below.

パッセージ

「メガパスがなければ、家族でスキーに行くのは難しい」と書く人が増えている。一方で、メガパスが普及すると特定のリゾートに人が集中し、混雑が深刻になるという批判もある。最近の調査では、複数のリゾートを利用する客の割合が2019年以降で30%増加したが、ピーク時の混雑度は平均で20%上昇した。もしスキー場側が予約制や動的価格を導入すれば、混雑の分散につながる可能性があるが、決して簡単な解決ではない。

Comprehension questions

1. なぜ書き手はメガパスを支持しているのか、短く答えなさい。
2. 2019年以降の変化は何ですか。
3. 筆者はどのような対策を挙げていますか。条件文を使って答えなさい。

Model answers and grammar notes

1. 家族でスキーに行く費用が下がるから、メガパスを支持している。
2. 複数のリゾートを利用する割合が30%増え、ピーク時の混雑が20%上昇した。
3. 「もしスキー場が予約制や動的価格を導入すれば、混雑を分散できる可能性がある」と筆者は書いている。ここではたら形が原因と結果をつなぐのに適している。

Authentic reading passage 2: Aldi postcode penalty (intermediate Japanese)

Read this short passage modeled on early 2026 reporting. Highlight numbers and the main claim. Then practice a comparative rewrite.

パッセージ

2026年1月の調査によると、200以上の英国の町ではディスカウントスーパーへのアクセスが限られており、平均すると家族は年間数百から最大約￡2,000の追加支出を強いられている。アクセスが悪い地域では、生鮮食品の価格や配送料が高くなる傾向があり、低所得世帯への負担が特に大きい。研究者は、店舗網の拡大や配送料補助が効果的だと提案している。

Practice task: Rewrite the data sentence as a comparison

Original idea: "家族は年間最大￡2,000の追加支出を強いられている。"

Rewrite using comparison: "アクセスが悪い地域では、アクセスが良い地域より家計への負担が大きい。" Then add a numeric phrase: "最大で年間￡2,000多く支出していることがある。"

Target vocabulary list (Japanese - English)

• メガパス — mega pass, multi-resort pass
• 混雑 (こんざつ) — congestion, overcrowding
• 動的価格 (どうてきかかく) — dynamic pricing
• 割合 (わりあい) — proportion, percentage
• 世帯 (せたい) — household
• 追加支出 — additional expenditure
• 店舗網 — store network
• 配送料 — delivery charge
• 低所得世帯 — low-income households
• 分散 — dispersion, decentralization

Drills: Conditionals and statistics

Do these drills aloud and then write your answers. Time yourself: 10 minutes for the drill set.

1. Convert this statement into four conditional sentences using ば, たら, と, なら:

   メガパスが安くなる -> (examples)

2. Rewrite the Aldi sentence using 比較文: "アクセスが悪い地域では...より..."
3. Translate this into Japanese using 統計語彙: "The percentage of families visiting multiple resorts increased by 30% since 2019."

Answer keys (brief)

• ば: メガパスが安ければ、家族でスキーに行きやすくなる。
• たら: メガパスが安くなったら、家族旅行の回数が増えるかもしれない。
• と: メガパスが安くなると、人気の山に客が集中することがある。
• なら: 値段が最優先なら、そのメガパスを買うべきだ。
• 比較文: アクセスが悪い地域では、アクセスが良い地域より年間の食費や配送料が高く、最大で￡2,000多く支出していることがある。
• 統計訳: 複数のリゾートを訪れる家族の割合は2019年以降で30%増加した。

Production task: Write a 150-200 word paragraph in Japanese

Prompt: あなたはスキー場の自治体担当者です。地域経済と観光の両面を考えて、メガパス導入の賛否と、データに基づいた1つの条件付き提案を述べなさい。最低1回はば、たら、またはならを使ってください。

Evaluation criteria (JLPT N2 level): correct conditional use, correct statistic expressions, coherent argument, 150-200 words.

Speaking / roleplay

Pair activity: Person A = local resident worried about overcrowding. Person B = parent who can only afford skiing thanks to the mega pass. Use these prompts:

• Person A opens: 「もし混雑が続くなら、地元の環境が壊れてしまいます。」
• Person B replies: 「メガパスがなければ、うちはスキーに行けません。もしパスが使えなくなったらどうすればいいですか。」

Try to use at least three conditional sentences each and refer to one statistic from the readings.

Advanced grammar tie-in: N2-level patterns often seen in editorials

Beyond conditionals, editorials use patterns like 〜にしては, 〜に反して, 〜とはいえ. Practice the following:

• にしては: 「観光収入にしては混雑対策が不十分だ」
• に反して: 「期待に反して、混雑は減らなかった」
• とはいえ: 「とはいえ、家族の負担は軽くなった」

Assessment: How this maps to JLPT N2

JLPT N2 tests reading complex sentences, conditional logic, and practical vocabulary in context. This lesson targets those skills by:

• Presenting authentic, slightly condensed news texts with data
• Requiring synthesis using conditionals and comparative structures
• Practicing high-frequency N2 vocabulary and connective grammar

Practical study schedule (4 weeks, intermediate)

1. Week 1: Read both passages, learn 20 vocab words, drill conditionals (daily 20 min)
2. Week 2: Do drills and rewrite exercises, complete production task, get corrected by teacher/tutor
3. Week 3: Roleplay and timed reading comprehension (JLPT-style), practice advanced connective grammar
4. Week 4: Final writing and speaking assessment, add real news article practice from Jan 2026 sources

Resources and 2026 trends to follow

To keep materials current in 2026, use these sources and tools:

• Major English-language outlets covering ski-industry consolidation and dynamic reporting tools (late 2025 summaries)
• Retail studies on grocery access published in early 2026 (postcode penalty research)
• 日本経済新聞 and local prefectural news for regional economic reporting
• Data visualization tools: practice reading graphs and translate chart captions into Japanese
• AI-driven feedback tools for spoken Japanese, but pair with a human tutor for nuance

Actionable takeaways — what to do next

• Today: Read the two passages aloud and highlight every conditional form you hear. Time: 15 minutes.
• This week: Write the 150-200 word paragraph and get corrective feedback from a tutor or language partner. Time: 2 sessions.
• Ongoing: Track one real story in Japanese for 2 weeks and note new statistical vocabulary. Add those words to an SRS deck.

「現実のデータを使って文法を学ぶと、ニュースも議論も自然に読めるようになります"

Final tips for teachers and self-learners

• Use real numbers, even simplified ones, when practicing conditionals — it forces precise grammar.
• Encourage students to swap conditionals in the same sentence to clarify nuance.
• Pair data vocabulary with visual aids: charts, maps, and simple tables are ideal for intermediate learners.
• For JLPT N2 prep, prioritize fast parsing of long sentences and correct use of connective patterns after mastering conditionals.

Call to action

Ready to turn news into fluency? Download our free worksheet pack that accompanies this lesson, including answer keys, audio for the passages, and an editable speaking rubric for tutors. If you want personalized corrections, book a 1-on-1 review with a vetted tutor who specializes in JLPT N2 economics and business reading. Practice with real 2026 data now and transform how you read Japanese news.