News

Addressing surging land prices in Furano and slowing growth in Sapporo, our integrated “vacation rental × monthly lease” strategy breaks through the limits of traditional fixed rental income.

Kukan Inc. (Headquarters: Furano, Hokkaido; CEO: Kentaro Yamamoto), a space design and hospitality development firm, is strengthening its real estate Asset Management (AM) service “JANKEN” across Hokkaido—including Furano, Niseko, and Greater Sapporo—following the benchmark land price data released on September 15, 2026.

While residential land prices in Furano led Japan in growth for the second consecutive year, Hokkaido’s real estate market faces structural challenges: market polarization and rising costs driven by soaring construction expenses and slowing growth in Sapporo. In response, “JANKEN” moves beyond conventional fixed-rent models. Combining a hybrid “vacation rental × monthly lease” strategy with bespoke space design, JANKEN maximizes real estate returns in this high-cost environment.

“JANKEN” – Integrated Vacation Rental Platform for Real Estate Asset Management
URL：https://janken-hokkaido.com/en/

Benchmark Land Price Trends and the New Normal in Hokkaido Real Estate Management

Rapid Growth in Furano & Chitose vs. Slowdown in Sapporo: Land Prices Highlight Hokkaido’s Polarized Market

According to the official benchmark land price data released on September 15, 2026, and regional news reports, Hokkaido’s real estate market highlights stark regional contrasts and shifting cost structures.

Furano Residential Land Growth Ranks No. 1 in Japan for 2nd Consecutive Year

Residential land in Furano (Kitanomine-cho) surged +32.0% (up from +27.1% last year), strongly driven by inbound resort development.

Chitose Commercial Land Maintains High Growth

Driven by the entry of next-generation semiconductor plants, commercial land in Chitose averaged +20.6% growth, with top locations ranking 5th nationwide (+25.2%).

Slower Growth in Greater Sapporo Amid Soaring Construction Costs

In contrast, Sapporo’s residential land growth slowed to +0.7% (down from 1.4%), with surrounding suburbs also decelerating. High construction costs—pushed up by freight charges and mandatory cold-climate insulation—have led to buyer hesitation, particularly in suburban single-family housing markets.

◇参考
“Hokkaido Benchmark Land Prices: Furano Residential Land Ranks No. 1 Nationwide in Growth for 2nd Consecutive Year, Greater Sapporo Growth Slows” (Hokkaido Shimbun, September 15, 2026)

“2026 Prefectural Land Price Survey” (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)

Challenges in Capital Recovery Under Traditional Fixed-Rent Models

Rising land and construction costs make reliance on standard fixed-rent residential leases increasingly unsustainable.

Residential rents are capped by local market rates, proximity to stations, and local income levels. Even as development costs double, raising residential rents by 200% is unrealistic. Consequently, rental yields plunge, significantly extending payback periods.

Asset Management for a High-Cost Era: Leveraging “Tourism Demand × Monthly Leases”

In regional Hokkaido, a fully occupied apartment generating ¥40,000/month yields just ¥480,000 annually. However, high-spending inbound travelers visiting Furano, Niseko, and Sapporo can generate that same amount in just a few nights.

Shifting away from fixed residential rents toward dynamic pricing for peak tourism—complemented by steady monthly rentals during off-peak seasons—represents the ultimate solution for sustainable real estate investment in Hokkaido today.

“JANKEN” Integrated Asset Management: Balancing Profitability and Stable Occupancy

Integrated Solutions Engineering High Yields Beyond Conventional Models

Far beyond basic Property Management (PM), Kukan’s “JANKEN” delivers total financial re-engineering—from fundamental cash-flow optimization to strategic exit planning.

Hybrid Operation: “Vacation Rental × Monthly Lease”

During peak tourism seasons, properties operate as high-ADR vacation rentals to maximize profitability. In off-seasons—or during the remainder of the 180-day regulatory cap under the Private Lodging Business Act—they seamlessly transition into monthly leases targeting remote workers and infrastructure project contractors. This mitigates year-round vacancy risks and stabilizes cash flow.
URL：https://iwor-monthly.com/

Reference｜Recently Launched Monthly Apartment Management Service “Iwor Monthly”
URL：https://iwor-monthly.com/owner/

Spatial Design Engineering High Average Daily Rates (ADR)

We deliver tailored spatial design that honors the unique landscape and story of each destination—whether Furano, Niseko, or Sapporo—while standardizing high-performance specs tailored for Hokkaido’s cold climate, including superior thermal insulation and snow prevention. By creating clear differentiation from generic rental units and competing accommodations, we craft compelling spaces that consistently command premium pricing and high demand.

“JANKEN” Renovation & Remodeling Services
URL：https://janken-hokkaido.com/reform-renovation/

End-to-End Support: From Acquisition to Exit Strategy

We deliver comprehensive, one-stop solutions—ranging from site selection and project design to daily revenue management, asset resale, and M&A advisory—maximizing Net Operating Income (NOI) and overall asset value for investors.

Real Estate Acquisition Process on “JANKEN” (FLOW)
URL：https://janken-hokkaido.com/en/real-estate-buying-process/

Furano-Born Hands-On Execution: Capturing Demand Through User-Centric Spatial Design

“Seeing the news that land prices rose by 32%, sellers might be the only ones blindly celebrating.”

While having our hometown of Furano rank first nationwide in land price growth for two consecutive years is a source of immense pride, from an asset manager’s perspective, it signals the start of an extremely challenging landscape: land prices are so high that building standard apartments for traditional leases no longer yields viable returns. On top of that, Hokkaido’s unique structural burdens—such as elevated freight fees and strict insulation requirements—weigh heavily on development costs.

Yet, this is precisely where we thrive. If land and construction costs are sky-high, our mission is simply to craft spaces that deliver experiential value and room rates that effortlessly surpass those investments.

Real Estate Investment Strategy in a High-Cost Era: High-Yield Asset Management Leveraging Hokkaido’s Tourism Demand

Rather than remaining confined to traditional regional leases yielding only tens of thousands of yen a month, we design extraordinary accommodation spaces that global travelers eagerly book at ¥100,000 per night. During off-peak seasons, we solidly backfill occupancy with authentic local demand, including infrastructure workers and medium-to-long-term visitors. Moving far beyond theoretical spreadsheets, our firsthand experience with Hokkaido’s harsh winters and booming tourism empowers us to build resilient, highly profitable real estate assets capable of thriving in a high-cost environment.

“JANKEN”: Comprehensive Vacation Rental Platform Driving Real Estate Asset Management
URL：https://janken-hokkaido.com/en/

About Kukan Inc.

“Creating Spaces, Circulating Value”

Based in Furano and Sapporo, Hokkaido, Kukan Inc. is a creative agency providing end-to-end solutions across spatial design, real estate asset management (“JANKEN”), and web production. Combining the power of design with locally rooted business strategies, we partner with clients to solve regional challenges and maximize real estate asset value.

Kukan Corporate Website
URL：https://kukanhokkaido.co.jp/en/

● Company Name: Kukan Inc.
● Established: November 29, 2022
● Capital: ¥1,000,000
● Representative: Kentaro Yamamoto
● Locations (Furano Office): 4-7 Sakaemachi, Furano, Hokkaido 076-0023, Japan
● Locations (Sapporo Office): 1-1 Toyohira 4-jo 3-chome, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 062-0904, Japan
● License Number: Real Estate Transaction Dealer Hokkaido Governor Kamikawa (1) No. 1316

Business Activities

● Minpaku Investment Business – Planning and operation of JANKEN, support for minpaku investment projects in the Hokkaido area.
● Creative Business – Business development, branding, planning support for marketing solutions.
● Real Estate Services – Buying, selling, leasing, brokerage, purchase and revitalization, development, property management, detached housing/land subdivision, house/condominium construction and sales, interior construction, renovation work.
● Web Services – Website planning, production, and operation, IT support services, online secretarial services, internet information provision.
● Recruitment Support Services – Comprehensive solutions to build high-performance teams through Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), employer branding, Wantedly management, career site/video production, and recruitment DX integration.

Related Links

● Kukan：https://kukanhokkaido.co.jp/en/
● JANKEN：https://janken-hokkaido.com/en/
● Real Estate Buying Specialist “Goen”：https://goen-hokkaido.jp/
● Web Support Services：https://kukanhokkaido.co.jp/websolutions/
● Kukan Real Estate：https://kukanhokkaido.co.jp/realestate/
● Recruitive：https://recruitive.hokkaido.jp/

Related News

●　Hokkaido Short-Term Rental Platform “Iwor Monthly” Launches: Solving the 180-Day Limit and Vacancy Challenges
https://kukanhokkaido.co.jp/pressrelease-en/8259/
●　Hokkaido Nakafurano Private Villa “Shikauchi” Achieves 58.9% Annual Occupancy Rate in First Year
https://kukanhokkaido.co.jp/pressrelease-en/7810/
●　Kukan Real Estate Celebrates 1st Anniversary in Furano, Biei & Kutchan: Expanding Development, BPO & Villa Management
https://kukanhokkaido.co.jp/pressrelease-en/7658/

Inquiries Regarding This Matter

Company Name： Kukan Inc. Public Relations Manager
E-mail address： pr@kukanhokkaido.co.jp