Hokkaido in numbers
Niseko (Kutchan), Furano, Noboribetsu and Hakodate: a winter ski market and a summer touring market in one prefecture. Over the 12 months to June 2026, ryokan in Hokkaido filled 45.5% of their rooms (national ryokan average 39.2%), down 4.7 pt on 2019. Foreign guests stayed 12.6m nights, +43% vs 2019 and +2% on a year earlier; the largest groups at big facilities were Taiwan (23%), South Korea (22%), China (14%). Ryokan are busiest in July (57.8%) and quietest in April (27.9%) on the 2023–25 average.
Ryokan and resort hotel occupancy, monthly since 2019
Hokkaido: ryokan vs resort hotel occupancy
Table view
| Month | Ryokan | Resort hotel |
|---|---|---|
| 2019-01 | 45.5% | 65.5% |
| 2019-02 | 52.8% | 69.2% |
| 2019-03 | 42.9% | 52.4% |
| 2019-04 | 38.5% | 31.8% |
| 2019-05 | 51.3% | 46.3% |
| 2019-06 | 53.6% | 53.3% |
| 2019-07 | 59.6% | 63.3% |
| 2019-08 | 61.7% | 64.2% |
| 2019-09 | 59.0% | 56.6% |
| 2019-10 | 53.1% | 51.9% |
| 2019-11 | 41.0% | 30.4% |
| 2019-12 | 43.7% | 54.2% |
| 2020-01 | 40.2% | 63.6% |
| 2020-02 | 36.1% | 51.6% |
| 2020-03 | 18.3% | 12.9% |
| 2020-04 | 12.8% | 4.7% |
| 2020-05 | 11.0% | 4.0% |
| 2020-06 | 18.0% | 8.7% |
| 2020-07 | 29.1% | 20.0% |
| 2020-08 | 34.3% | 30.3% |
| 2020-09 | 39.7% | 40.7% |
| 2020-10 | 43.7% | 42.0% |
| 2020-11 | 34.4% | 20.4% |
| 2020-12 | 21.4% | 19.8% |
| 2021-01 | 17.0% | 13.3% |
| 2021-02 | 18.1% | 13.9% |
| 2021-03 | 18.8% | 18.1% |
| 2021-04 | 18.1% | 9.9% |
| 2021-05 | 16.5% | 12.2% |
| 2021-06 | 18.5% | 10.6% |
| 2021-07 | 29.3% | 23.3% |
| 2021-08 | 31.3% | 26.3% |
| 2021-09 | 25.6% | 19.7% |
| 2021-10 | 35.6% | 28.7% |
| 2021-11 | 33.8% | 15.9% |
| 2021-12 | 29.6% | 25.5% |
| 2022-01 | 27.1% | 24.0% |
| 2022-02 | 21.3% | 19.5% |
| 2022-03 | 24.0% | 22.5% |
| 2022-04 | 27.0% | 17.8% |
| 2022-05 | 36.7% | 24.6% |
| 2022-06 | 42.5% | 33.0% |
| 2022-07 | 46.1% | 38.9% |
| 2022-08 | 47.2% | 41.5% |
| 2022-09 | 49.4% | 37.6% |
| 2022-10 | 44.2% | 35.7% |
| 2022-11 | 37.5% | 19.2% |
| 2022-12 | 41.0% | 43.0% |
| 2023-01 | 35.5% | 45.6% |
| 2023-02 | 42.4% | 46.7% |
| 2023-03 | 35.7% | 35.7% |
| 2023-04 | 26.1% | 19.4% |
| 2023-05 | 42.7% | 35.7% |
| 2023-06 | 54.5% | 46.3% |
| 2023-07 | 58.3% | 55.9% |
| 2023-08 | 58.8% | 57.3% |
| 2023-09 | 55.6% | 51.6% |
| 2023-10 | 46.1% | 47.1% |
| 2023-11 | 37.3% | 29.3% |
| 2023-12 | 32.7% | 58.4% |
| 2024-01 | 35.0% | 59.6% |
| 2024-02 | 44.0% | 63.0% |
| 2024-03 | 31.2% | 48.7% |
| 2024-04 | 27.9% | 25.5% |
| 2024-05 | 37.4% | 37.4% |
| 2024-06 | 48.1% | 54.8% |
| 2024-07 | 58.9% | 58.6% |
| 2024-08 | 56.4% | 60.4% |
| 2024-09 | 52.6% | 57.2% |
| 2024-10 | 51.6% | 56.3% |
| 2024-11 | 38.6% | 26.6% |
| 2024-12 | 34.6% | 57.1% |
| 2025-01 | 40.3% | 65.3% |
| 2025-02 | 47.4% | 67.9% |
| 2025-03 | 34.7% | 50.1% |
| 2025-04 | 29.6% | 23.7% |
| 2025-05 | 40.4% | 43.4% |
| 2025-06 | 49.3% | 57.1% |
| 2025-07 | 56.3% | 55.0% |
| 2025-08 | 53.8% | 59.5% |
| 2025-09 | 51.5% | 53.1% |
| 2025-10 | 48.7% | 50.4% |
| 2025-11 | 36.5% | 29.9% |
| 2025-12 | 37.0% | 57.8% |
| 2026-01 prelim. | 42.4% | 56.7% |
| 2026-02 prelim. | 54.0% | 67.5% |
| 2026-03 prelim. | 37.7% | 54.1% |
| 2026-04 prelim. | 31.0% | 28.0% |
| 2026-05 prelim. | 44.2% | 44.5% |
| 2026-06 prelim. | 52.7% | 54.1% |
Seasonality
Seasonality in Hokkaido: average occupancy by calendar month
Table view
| Month | Ryokan | Resort hotel |
|---|---|---|
| January | 36.9% | 56.8% |
| February | 44.6% | 59.2% |
| March | 33.9% | 44.8% |
| April | 27.9% | 22.9% |
| May | 40.2% | 38.8% |
| June | 50.6% | 52.7% |
| July | 57.8% | 56.5% |
| August | 56.3% | 59.1% |
| September | 53.2% | 54.0% |
| October | 48.8% | 51.3% |
| November | 37.5% | 28.6% |
| December | 34.8% | 57.8% |
Averages of monthly rates across the whole prefecture. Individual towns can have very different seasons (see the town table below).
Foreign guests and where they come from
| Period | Taiwan | Korea | China | Hong Kong | US | Singapore | Australia | All others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 18% | 14% | 27% | 9.2% | 2.6% | 4.6% | 2.9% | 22% |
| 2022 | 12%* | 19%* | 6.4% | 12%* | 5.8% | 12%* | 3.3%* | 30% |
| 2023 | 22% | 24% | 6.8% | 9.7% | 4.1% | 6.5% | 2.7% | 24% |
| 2024 | 22% | 23% | 14% | 7.3% | 4.0% | 4.8% | 2.5% | 23% |
| 2025 | 21% | 21% | 18% | 6.1% | 4.4% | 4.6% | 3.1% | 21% |
| 12m to Jun 2026 | 23% | 22% | 14% | 6.4% | 5.1% | 4.8% | 3.3% | 22% |
Share of foreign guest nights at large facilities (10+ employees to 2025, 20+ rooms from 2026). 2020–21 omitted (borders closed). * = at least one month flagged by the survey as less precise. Change in nights vs 2019, last 12 months: Taiwan +83% · Korea +118% · China −28% · Hong Kong −3% · US +175% · Singapore +48% · Australia +62%.
Towns and cities
Reporting facilities only, lower bound. Town figures are the raw totals of the facilities that answered the survey in each month, not an estimate for every inn in town, so guest nights are a minimum; occupancy is for the responding facilities only. The survey publishes a town only when enough facilities respond, so some months are missing and small towns swing a lot. All accommodation types together.
| Municipality | Occupancy, 12-month average | Peak month | Low month | Guest nights reported, 12 months | Foreign share (reported) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sapporo 札幌市 | 79.1% | 86.3% Aug 2025 | 63.1% Apr 2026 | 10.5m | 38% |
| Hakodate 函館市 | 75.6% | 84.0% Oct 2025 | 63.1% Jan 2026 | 1.5m | 25% |
| Asahikawa 旭川市 | 75.7% | 89.4% Jul 2025 | 49.5% Apr 2026 | 1.3m | 25% |
| Kushiro 釧路市 | 61.8% | 80.4% Aug 2025 | 42.6% Apr 2026 | 836k | 12% |
| Obihiro 帯広市 | 74.5% | 88.2% Sep 2025 | 62.6% Mar 2026 | 634k | 8.8% |
| Noboribetsu 登別市 | 64.2% 9 months | 72.7% Oct 2025 | 51.9% Apr 2026 | 612k | 43% |
| Otaru 小樽市 | 67.2% | 81.1% Feb 2026 | 50.5% Nov 2025 | 545k | 29% |
| Chitose 千歳市 | 79.6% | 86.3% Feb 2026 | 67.2% Apr 2026 | 541k | 24% |
| Kitami 北見市 | 60.2% | 77.1% Sep 2025 | 38.6% Mar 2026 | 397k | 3.5% |
| Kutchan (Niseko Hirafu) 倶知安町 | 32.8% 9 months | 72.2% Feb 2026 | 5.2% Nov 2025 | 168k | 70% |
12 months = Jul 2025–Jun 2026 (or the months available). Town data is published from January 2024. Not shown (fewer than 6 months published in the window): Tomakomai, Furano, Abashiri.
Thinking of buying a ryokan or small hotel? Read Buying a Ryokan in Japan: licence succession since December 2023, onsen rights, fire and zoning rules, asset vs share deals, the Business Manager visa, due diligence and price bands. Use these occupancy figures to sense-check a seller's numbers: an inn reporting occupancy far above its prefecture's ryokan average deserves a closer look.
More for Hokkaido
Niseko property prices · Niseko official land prices · Airbnb/minpaku rules in Hokkaido (Sapporo, Kutchan, Niseko) · Earthquake & flood risk: Niseko & Hakuba · Tax & cost calculator
Other prefectures: Ehime · Gifu · Gunma · Hokkaido · Ishikawa · Kagawa · Kanagawa · Kyoto · Miyagi · Nagano · Oita · Okinawa · Shizuoka. All 47: occupancy by prefecture · foreign guest growth.
Notes on the data
- From January 2026 the survey stratifies facilities by number of rooms instead of number of employees. Year-on-year changes for 2026 may partly reflect this redesign (Japan Tourism Agency note).
- Nationality breakdowns cover large facilities only: 10+ employees up to 2025, 20+ rooms from 2026. They do not add up to total foreign guest nights, so we show them as shares.
- Nationality categories grew from 21 to 24 in 2026 (Nordic countries, Middle East and Mexico split out of "Other"), so "Other" is not comparable across years.
- Some nationality figures for small prefectures carry the survey's asterisk (standard error 30% or more); treat them as indicative.
- 2026 figures are 2nd preliminary values; final 2026 figures are due on 30 June 2027 and may differ slightly.
- Municipal figures are the raw totals of facilities that responded (not grossed up to all facilities), so guest numbers are a lower bound; occupancy is for responding facilities only. Small towns swing more.
- Occupancy is guest-room occupancy (rooms sold ÷ rooms available) as published by the survey. Our "12 months" figure is the simple average of the last 12 monthly rates (Jul 2025–Jun 2026), and "vs 2019" compares it with the 2019 average. Foreign guest nights are person-nights (延べ宿泊者数) across all facilities.
- Ryokan (旅館) and the other types follow the survey's own classification by the facility's main business (ryokan, resort hotel, business hotel, city hotel, simple lodging such as guesthouses, hostels and minshuku).
Looking for a ryokan or hotel in Hokkaido?
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Source: Source: "Overnight Travel Statistics Survey" (Japan Tourism Agency), https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tokei_hakusyo/shukuhakutokei.html — processed and translated by Japan House Prices (12-month averages, year-on-year and vs-2019 changes are our calculations). Figures for 2026 are preliminary (2nd preliminary release). This site is not affiliated with the Japan Tourism Agency.
出典：「宿泊旅行統計調査」（観光庁）（https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tokei_hakusyo/shukuhakutokei.html）を加工して作成（作成：Japan House Prices）
Licence: Public Data License (Version 1.0), PDL1.0 (compatible with CC BY 4.0), per the Japan Tourism Agency site policy. Rankings, trailing 12-month averages, shares, English names and all comparisons are our own calculations and are not published or endorsed by the Japan Tourism Agency (観光庁). Last data month: June 2026 (2nd preliminary). Data file generated 2026-09-27. Page last reviewed 2026-09.