There are many ways to access the famous powder snow of Japan’s ski resorts, but surely the most convenient is to hop on a direct train. And not just any old train, but the fastest and most reliable in the world – the Japanese shinkansen. Bullet train access near to some resorts in Nagano and Niigata has been around for a while and you can get to Iiyama Station, which serves the resorts of Madarao and Nozawa Onsen, in just a couple of hours from Tokyo. This access has increased domestic visitation in both winter and summer.

So what’s next? Surely one of the most epic engineering projects ever as the bullet train makes its way through one of the snowiest places on the planet, Hokkaido. Access to Hakodate from Tokyo is already possible, but tunnels and bridges continue to be built for the final leg to Sapporo. By 2030, when Sapporo is hoping to be hosting the Winter Olympics, the route will be complete and will feature a stop at Kutchan Town.

“Kutchan Town is, along with Niseko Town, the main service centre for Niseko United.” explains Chris Pickering, CEO of Uchi. Japan’s most comprehensive resort real estate site. “The station is less than 10 minutes from both Niseko-Hanazono and Niseko-Hirafu resorts and even now many visitors arrive by train despite the fact it is a two and a half hour journey from Sapporo’s New Chitose Airport. But once the Shinkansen is complete, that journey to Sapporo will only take about 25 minutes! And heading to Niseko’s famous snow from Tokyo will only take about four and a half hours by train – given that there is no need to change or move bags from plane to bus, this is a really viable alternative to travelling up by plane from Tokyo.

“Today I’m going to introduce some really exciting investment opportunities in Kutchan Town. Prices have already begun rising, but there are some excellent opportunities still around. Once Kutchan is on the bullet train map, you can expect a huge increase in tourists, investors and workers from all over Japan to head to Kutchan, plus the added convenience and excitement for international guests as well.

We currently have over 800 listings from all over Japan, but you can search all our Kutchan listings immediately by clicking here or check out my hand-picked properties below!

Central Kutchan Prime Land

Land Area: 318 sqm
Price: 29.5m JPY ($230k USD)

Central Kutchan Prime Land

Central Kutchan Prime Land. View more images

A well-located land site in a residential district one block away from the main route 5 road. This land plot is suited to a private home or even a block of apartments and has excellent access to supermarkets and other stores. Well-located land plots are getting rarer by the day in Kutchan.

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Sushi Train Restaurant

Building Area: 588 sqm
Land Area: 937 sqm
Price: 170m JPY ($1.32m USD)

Kutchan Yoteimaru Restaurant

Kutchan Yoteimaru Restaurant. View more images

A turnkey opportunity to take over Kutchan’s only Sushi Train restaurant. With a huge dining space and both office and residential upstairs, you could choose to continue the business (yes please!) or otherwise take advantage of the A1 location to develop a new commercial or residential plan.

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Kutchan House

Building Area: 161 sqm
Land Area: 330 sqm
Price: 24.8m JPY ($190k USD)

Kutchan House

Kutchan House. View more images

This 5 bedroom house boasts huge garages – perfect for avoiding that snow-clearing in the morning – and would suit a buyer looking for rental returns from staff accommodation or a refurb for a well-located home.

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Kutchan Station Street Complex

Building Area: 824 sqm
Land Area: 532 sqm
Price: 140m JPY ($1.1m USD)

Kutchan Station Street Complex

Kutchan Station Street Complex. View more images

It doesn’t get more prime than this when considering the impact of the shinkansen’s arrival. This property is located a snowball’s throw from the current station and right on the “Station Street” and provides a blank canvas for development.

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Gran Fronte Building

Building Area: 951 sqm
Land Area: 571 sqm
Price: 398m JPY ($3.1m USD)

Gran Fronte Building

Gran Fronte Building. View more images

A brand new 14 unit apartment building situated perfectly for access to supermarkets and shops, this is a unique opportunity to acquire the whole building and enjoy rental returns, which will surely grow as the bullet train arrives. With 8 x 2 bedroom and 6 x 3 bedroom units, all with air-conditioning, this property is well suited for year-round living.

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