March 25, 2023. Hokkaido Newspaper.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism announced the official government land prices as of January 1 this year on March 22 and official land prices in Kutchan rose 3%. Real estate transactions that were stagnant during the Covid19 pandemic have bounced back with one real estate agent saying that, “This year is going to be lively, with prices and transactions rising again.” Official land prices in Kutchan Town increased by only 3% year-on-year in the ski resort area and in the town center, falling below the previous year’s figures for the fourth consecutive year. People involved in the real estate industry believe that the temporary stagnation in property transactions due to the Coronavirus pandemic is a factor, and that the rate of increase in property transactions is likely to increase again in the future. The highest price per square meter for residential land was 156,000 Yen for a plot of land located at Niseko Hirafu 5-3-17-15, in the ski resort area. This represents a 3.3% increase compared to the previous year however, It fell below the 11.9% increase recorded in March 2022. The highest price per square meter for commercial land was 130,000 Yen for a plot of land located at South 1 West 1-40-1 in the center of Kutchan Town. This represents a 3.2% increase however last year, land in this area rose 4.1%. Mr. Hashizume, President of Niseko Alpine Development, a real estate company in the ski resort town, commented on the situation in the resort area, saying, “The impact of the Coronavirius trainwreck left foreign investors unable to come to Japan because of travel restrictions. Now, with the borders open again, real estate transactions are increasing and land prices are expected to rise again.” However, there is not a lot of land left for development in the central part of the Hirafu district of Kutchan Town, and the area where a high rate of property price increase is expected will move to the Hanazono district in the northern part of Kutchan Town. A spokesperson for another real estate company in Kutchan Town said, “Since the beginning of the year, there has been an increase in the number of inquiries and purchases of land in the downtown area for housing and stores by customers from Hong Kong and other countries.”
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March 25, 2023. Hokkaido Newspaper.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism announced the official government land prices as of January 1 this year on March 22. The average land price for all commercial, residential, and industrial use land in Hokkaido rose for the seventh consecutive year, up 6.8% from the previous year, the highest rate of increase among all prefectures in Japan. Land prices continued to rise in the Sapporo area, which includes the cities of Sapporo and Kitahiroshima, due to redevelopment following the extension of the Hokkaido Shinkansen to Sapporo and the construction of a new baseball stadium for the professional baseball team Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. The residential land price increases in the Sapporo area dominated the top 100 in Japan, while the commercial land price increases ranked all in the top 10. This is the first time that the rate of property price increases in Hokkaido dominated the national top 100 for residential areas and the top 10 for commercial areas. The six cities of Sapporo, Kitahiroshima, Ebetsu, Eniwa, Chitose, and Ishikari led the national residential property price increase areas, and the four cities of Kitahiroshima, Ebetsu, Eniwa, and Chitose dominated the commercial property land price increase areas. Residential land prices in Hokkaido increased by 7.6% for the fifth consecutive year. Due to the increased time spent at home due to the Covid19 pandemic, demand for owner-occupied homes has risen, and land prices in Sapporo rose 15.0%. Demand expanded to the suburbs, which are more affordable than central Sapporo, with Teine Ward rising by 22.1%, and Ebetsu, Eniwa, Kitahiroshima, Chitose, and Ishikari each rising by more than 20%. Property prices at 1-10-3, Kyoei-cho, Kitahiroshima City, which has the highest rate of increase nationwide, increased by 30.0%. Surrounding cities and suburbs around Sapporo, have relatively low property price levels, so even a small price increase tends to increase the rate of increase exponentially. Commercial land prices in Hokkaido also increased by 4.9% for the eighth consecutive year. The highest rate of increase nationwide was 1-1-3 in Sakae-cho, Kitahiroshima City, which is located in an area where the new Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters Baseball Stadium is being built. This development is spurring demand and prices. Property prices in this neighborhood rose 28.4% from last year. In Sapporo, where the redevelopment of the central downtown area continues, rent increased by 9.7% for the 10th consecutive year. Demand for office buildings is strong, and demand for stores, restaurants and bars in Susukino is on a recovery trend. On the other hand, land prices continued to fall in former coal-producing areas and other areas with declining and aging populations. A total of five sites in the Sorachi region (Nae Town, Akabira City, Ashibetsu City, Fukagawa City, and Muroran City) were among the top 10 residential property price areas in Japan in terms of the rate of decline. The top 10 cities in Japan in terms of the rate of decline for commercial land included Mukawa Town, Yubari City, and Akabira City in the Iburi region, as well as eight other cities. An official of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said, “With the continued concentration of the population in the Sapporo area, Hokkaido has become one of the top places in Japan for both the highest rates of increase and the highest rates of decline.” The highest price per square meter for residential land in Hokkaido was 700,000 Yen for a plot of land located in the upscale residential area of South 1 West 26, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, for the fifth consecutive year. This represents a 7.7% increase compared to the previous year. The highest price per square meter for commercial land was 6,050,000 Yen for a plot of land located at North 4 West 4, which is close to Sapporo Station, for the third consecutive year. This represents an increase of 8.6% compared to the previous year. March 6, 2023. Hokkaido Newspaper.
323 people killed or injured by snow in Hokkaido from November 2022 to February 2023. 80% of the fatalities were caused by accidents during snow removal. On March 6, the Hokkaido Prefectural Government announced that the number of casualties due to snow from November last year to February this year was 323. This figure represent a 6.9% increase or 21 more people than in the same period the previous year. The number of fatalities was 20, a decrease of 6 from the previous year, but 16 people, or 80%, had died while removing snow from roofs. According to the Hokkaido Prefectural Government, 14 of the deceased, or 70%, were aged 65 or older. The number of seriously injured was 80, down 8 from the same period last year, while the number of slightly injured was 223, up 35 from the same period last year. Falls from roofs accounted for the largest number of injuries (99), followed by falls from ladders (68) and snow and ice falling from roofs and hitting people (52). The Hokkaido Crisis Countermeasures Division said, “In March, the temperature will rise and the snow will melt. Please be especially careful of avalanches and falling snow from roofs.” March 6, 2023. Hokkaido Newspaper.
A series of backcountry skiing accidents in Hokkaido: A man died on Mt. Yotei, and a man went missing (later confirmed dead) on Mt. Pekerebetsu in Shimizu Town. On March 5, there were a series of accidents involving backcountry skiers in Hokkaido. On Mt. Yotei (1,898 meters) in Makkari Village, Shiribeshi District, Mr. Fujishima (35), a resident of Toyohira Ward, Sapporo City, was found with a part of his body sticking out of the snow. He was transported to hospital but later confirmed dead at the hospital. A man in his 60s from Niikappu Town, Hidaka, was caught in an avalanche on Mt. Pekerebetsu (1,532 meters) in Shimizu-Town, Tokachi, and was reported missing, later confirmed dead. Around 11:25 am on March 5 in Makkari Village, the local Fire Department was notified by his family that Mr. Fujishima had gone missing while backcountry skiing on Mt. Yotei. According to the Kutchan Police Station, a Hokkaido Police Mountain Rescue Helicopter that received the call found Mr. Fujishima near the 5th Station on the Makkari Village side of Mt. Yotei and airlifted him to hospital, where he was confirmed dead. There was evidence of an avalanche at the scene. Investigators believe he was caught in an avalanche. Mr. Fujishima and his father, who is in his 60s, entered Mt. Yotei around 5 a.m. on March 5. His father reported that they had taken separate routes down the mountain. Also at around 12:20 pm on March 5 on Mt. Pekerebetsu in Shimizu Town, an emergency 110 call was made to report that a skier was caught in an avalanche. According to the Shintoku Police Station, a Hokkaido Police Mountain Rescue Helicopter confirmed that an avalanche trail measuring 250 meters long and 10 meters wide was spotted on the northeastern slope towards the summit of the mountain, and that two skis were seen in the snow but there wasn’t any sign of the missing man. A 12-man Hokkaido Police Mountain Rescue Team will start the search for him from March 6 at 5:30am. According to the people who accompanied him on the descent, the avalanche caught up a man in his 60s from Niikappu Town in the Hidaka Jurisdiction. According to the Shintoku Police Station and other sources, the man was with a total of four people, including a man and a woman from Sapporo and Obihiro, respectively. The other three descended the mountain safely. Everyone entered the mountain for backcountry skiing. The man in his 60s was equipped with a radio wave transmitter/receiver (beacon) but apparently he did not check if it was operating before entering the mountain. According to the Sapporo District Meteorological Observatory, the maximum temperature in Hokkaido on March 5 was as warm as mid-March to mid-April, and an avalanche warning was issued throughout Hokkaido. |
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