Furano's Tourism and Property Boom Brings Growth and Community Strains

A Resort Town Changes as Land Prices Climb

Residential land prices in Kitanomine, beside Hokkaido's Furano Ski Resort, have risen fivefold in five years, recording the highest growth in Japan. Hotels, condominiums and vacation homes are drawing investment into a town where summer flower fields and winter powder snow already attract visitors from Japan and abroad.

Furano recorded 1.89 million domestic and international tourists in 2023, an increase of 16% from the previous year and almost a return to the level before the pandemic. The town now welcomes about 250,000 foreign overnight guests annually, a 4.2-fold increase over the past decade.

Developers see room for more accommodation. Furano's hotel capacity is expected to increase from 5,400 beds in 2023 to 6,400 by 2026. Tokyo developer Meiwa Jisho has acquired land near the Kitanomine slopes, while companies including Zekkei Properties, Flint Furano and Kuukan Inc. are investing in accommodation and property projects.

Residents face a more complicated picture. Tourism is bringing business revenue and construction and hospitality jobs, yet rising property prices, shortages of workers and friction over visitor behavior are testing the community. Furano's population has declined even as its number of foreign residents has quintupled.

The changes have brought comparisons with Niseko, Hokkaido's internationally renowned ski destination. Furano has a different foundation: its summer tourism, centered on flowers and countryside attractions, has long rivaled its winter appeal. The question facing the town is how to accommodate growing international demand while keeping homes, services and daily life workable for residents.

Tourism Growth Has Built Over Two Decades

Furano's recent recovery follows a much longer expansion in international tourism. In 2019, the town recorded 153,840 foreign tourist overnight stays, up 330% from 2012 and 2,500% from 2003. Visitors seeking powder snow and Japanese cultural experiences have helped bring the destination greater international attention.

The figures describe different parts of the visitor economy. Overnight stays measure accommodation use, while the 1.89 million tourist figure for 2023 covers domestic and international tourism more broadly. For hotels, restaurants and property developers, both the recovery in visitor numbers and the growth in overnight demand are important parts of Furano's appeal.

The main milestones show how tourism growth and property development have gathered pace:

• 2003 and 2012: The comparison years for the sharp increase in foreign tourist overnight stays recorded in 2019.
• 2017 onward: Market prices for land rose by 300% to 500%.
• 2019: Foreign tourist overnight stays reached 153,840, and around 50 lots in Kitanominecho were owned by foreign buyers.
• 2023: Tourist numbers reached 1.89 million, while hotel capacity stood at 5,400 beds.
• 2025: Japan's average land price rose 2.7%, with tourist destinations among the places driving increases.
• 2026: Furano's hotel capacity is expected to reach 6,400 beds.

Furano's attractions extend across seasons, giving accommodation operators access to both ski visitors and people traveling for flowers, scenery and local events. That mix helps explain why developers are looking beyond the established winter resort market.

Kitanomine Becomes a Property Hotspot

Kitanomine's position next to the ski resort has placed it at the center of Furano's property surge. In 2023, Standard Land Prices in Kitanominecho increased 20.1% from the previous year. Government assessed land values near the ski slopes rose 27.1%, outpacing even the Niseko region.

Some plots now fetch as much as 2.5 million yen per square meter. Market prices for land have increased by 300% to 500% since 2017. These measures describe different parts of the market: government assessments provide reference values, while market prices concern what land can sell for.

The national setting also favors tourism property investment. A Nikkei Asia report described lodging development in Furano as part of a broader pattern of tourism driving land price increases across urban and rural Japan. In 2025, average land prices nationally rose 2.7%, the fastest pace in more than a decade, with Furano and other tourist hotspots leading the charge.

Foreign investment has been visible for years. A 2019 Nikkei Style report noted that around 50 lots in Kitanominecho belonged to foreign buyers. The area now has numerous signs advertising property for sale, foreign language signage and restaurants busy with international visitors.

For existing property owners, stronger demand can increase the value of land. For residents trying to buy a home or secure property locally, the same price increases can make ownership harder to afford. That tension sits at the center of the community debate.

Who Is Building Furano's New Accommodation?

Meiwa Jisho, a developer based in Tokyo, recently acquired a plot of approximately 1,500 square meters near the Kitanomine ski slopes. The site is 400 meters from the gondola and a short drive from Furano Station, placing it close to both the resort and the town's transport connections.

The company plans a hotel or a hotel condominium. Flexible zoning permits a mix of residential, retail and hospitality uses. Zoning sets out what activities and buildings are allowed on a piece of land, so this flexibility gives the developer several possible uses for the site.

Zekkei Properties, known for luxury projects in Niseko, has launched Fenix Furano, a condominium in Kitanomine village with direct access to and from the ski slopes. Its presence connects Furano's development market with a company already associated with Hokkaido's better known international resort destination.

Local businesses are also participating. Flint Furano and Kuukan Inc. are investing in boutique accommodation, private onsens, or hot spring baths, and vacation homes that combine modern amenities with Furano's natural surroundings.

Kuukan Inc.'s Shikauchi real estate project offers rental villas intended for private retreats as well as investment. The company is also involved in sustainable tourism and property management in the region, promoting environmentally friendly practices and engagement with the community.

Domestic developers, local companies and foreign buyers are therefore contributing to the changes in different ways. Their projects expand the range of places visitors can stay, from hotels and condominiums to smaller accommodation and private villas.

Winter Snow Gives Furano Global Reach

Furano's winter appeal rests on 470 acres of ski terrain serving different ability levels. The resort has hosted the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup and Snowboarding World Cup a dozen times, giving it an established sporting history alongside its growing accommodation market.

Hokkaido's cold, dry interior produces the light powder snow that draws skiers and snowboarders from around the world. Furano also offers night skiing, high speed lifts and convenient access to the slopes from the main town.

The connection between town and mountain distinguishes Furano from more isolated resorts. Visitors can stay near the skiing while also reaching restaurants and other town businesses, helping spread spending beyond the slopes and accommodation.

International demand has helped move Furano into wider view, yet winter is only part of its tourism economy. The strength of its summer season gives developers another reason to invest and gives the town a broader visitor base than a destination dependent mainly on snow.

Summer Flowers Offer a Different Draw

Furano's summer landscape attracts more than 1.5 million tourists each summer, nearly ten times as many as Niseko. Fields of lavender, sunflowers, poppies and lilies bring color to the rolling hills and support a tourism season that has long rivaled winter.

Farm Tomita in Naka-Furano is the best known flower destination, while farms and scenic spots are spread across the wider valley. Visitors can also take day trips to Biei's Blue Pond and Daisetsuzan National Park.

The mix of flower fields, countryside and nearby nature destinations is central to Furano's appeal across the year. Summer travelers come for experiences very different from skiing, giving the area two substantial sources of visitor demand.

Furano's cultural associations add another reason to visit. The town was the setting for a beloved Japanese television drama from the 1980s, and domestic fans travel to its filming locations.

The Hokkai Heso Matsuri, or Belly Button Festival, adds an annual event to the calendar. The Furano Wine Factory is another attraction, broadening the choice beyond outdoor activities and flower viewing.

For local businesses, this range of attractions offers opportunities across different seasons. It also helps explain the comparison with Niseko: Furano is attracting growing interest in its winter property market while retaining a large summer tourism economy of its own.

Transport and Hotel Capacity Support Expansion

Furano lies about two hours from Sapporo by car and is within reach of major airports. Improved transport links have helped make the town attractive to domestic and international travelers.

Infrastructure improvements have also supported the construction of hotels, condominiums and vacation homes. As more accommodation is built, the town gains capacity to host the visitors drawn by skiing, flowers and other attractions.

The planned increase from 5,400 hotel beds in 2023 to 6,400 by 2026 shows the scale of the accommodation expansion. More beds create additional space for guests, while also increasing the need for staff and the services that keep hotels operating.

The city is working to improve infrastructure and services for residents and visitors. The practical challenge is to support the demands of a growing visitor economy while maintaining the everyday services used by the people who live in Furano.

More Business Meets a Shortage of Workers

Local businesses have benefited from increased tourism revenue, and construction and hospitality are generating jobs. Property development brings work during building, while new accommodation creates continuing demand for hotel and related services.

Employers nevertheless face shortages of workers. Hospitality businesses and caregiving services are struggling to recruit, and some hotels cannot operate at full capacity because they lack enough staff.

Furano's demographic changes make the problem more difficult. The local population has declined even as the number of foreign residents has quintupled. Growth in tourism and international residency is taking place alongside a shrinking population.

Many local high school students plan to leave after graduation. The city is organizing job fairs and practical work experiences to help young people learn about local employment and encourage them to stay.

For accommodation operators, the shortage means that expanding buildings and rooms is only one part of serving more guests. For the wider community, recruitment difficulties also affect caregiving, an essential service unrelated to whether visitors can find a hotel room.

Residents Face Higher Costs and Visitor Friction

Rising land prices have made property difficult for some residents to afford. Foreign investment and rapid development have also prompted fears of displacement and the loss of Furano's traditional community character.

Everyday behavior has become another source of tension. Improper garbage sorting, skiing on public roads and trespassing on private farmland have caused friction between visitors and residents.

Accidents involving foreign tourists skiing in the backcountry have increased, putting pressure on local rescue services. Backcountry skiing takes people beyond the managed resort slopes, making rescue capacity part of the demands associated with winter tourism.

A longtime Furano resident, speaking to a local reporter, described mixed feelings about the changes:

Furano's future looks bright, but it's hard not to feel like we're losing a part of what made this place special. The town is changing so fast, and not everyone is able to keep up.

Local leaders, businesses, developers and residents face the task of balancing economic gains with the preservation of the town's natural and cultural heritage. Overdevelopment and displacement are among the concerns accompanying new investment.

Companies including Kuukan Inc. are promoting sustainable tourism, property management and community engagement, while the city works on infrastructure and services. Furano's combination of summer attractions, winter sports and Japanese cultural experiences gives it substantial tourism potential. Managing that growth means addressing housing affordability, staffing and visitor behavior alongside the construction of new accommodation.

Key Points

• Furano recorded 1.89 million tourists in 2023, up 16% from the previous year.
• Kitanomine residential land prices rose fivefold in five years, while some plots now fetch up to 2.5 million yen per square meter.
• Meiwa Jisho, Zekkei Properties, Flint Furano and Kuukan Inc. are among the businesses investing in accommodation and property.
• Winter skiing and a summer season attracting more than 1.5 million tourists give Furano demand across different seasons.
• Hotel capacity is expected to rise from 5,400 beds in 2023 to 6,400 by 2026.
• Housing costs, shortages of workers, population decline and pressure on community services accompany the tourism boom.
• The city and local businesses are working on infrastructure, recruitment and tourism management as development continues.