Daily life

Housing

There is no real estate agency in Kimobetsu, and few homes appear on property websites. Many houses pass to the next owner or tenant by word of mouth, so people who moved here often found their home after getting to know people in town. Telling people that you are looking is one of the best ways to find a place.

• Private rentals. The town website has a list of private rental housing (in Japanese). Property sites such as SUUMO also cover the area.
• The town's vacant-house bank (akiya bank). Owners register vacant houses and land with the town, and the town publishes them. You register as a user, and when you find a property, the town passes on the owner's details. You then negotiate and sign the contract directly with the owner; the town does not act as an agent.
• Town housing. For vacancies, ask the town hall's Construction Section.

If you tell us what you are looking for, the relocation coordinator can visit vacant houses in town with you on the days you are here. While you search, some people stay at a guesthouse in town or rent in a nearby town.

Getting around

A car is part of daily life for shopping, commuting and taking children to school. Couples and families often have one car each. Winter tyres are needed from around November to April (see Winter).

• Town bus (Usapara-go). Runs on fixed routes and on demand within the town. ¥200 a ride; free for high school students and younger, and for people aged 65 and over. You need to register first and book by phone two days ahead (in Japanese).
• Donan Bus local route. Kutchan – Kimobetsu – Date. About 45–50 minutes to Kutchan Station, several times a day.
• Intercity bus to Sapporo. The Sapporo – Lake Toya express bus (via Nakayama Pass) stops in Kimobetsu. Reservations only.
• Train. There is no railway station in town. The nearest is JR Kutchan Station on the Hakodate Line.

Shops

The town has one supermarket (A-Mart), three convenience stores (Seicomart, 7-Eleven and Lawson) and several farm stands selling local produce. For most other things, people drive about 30 minutes to Kutchan, which has a larger supermarket, a home centre, electronics shops, drugstores and a 100-yen shop.

Health care

• In town: the town clinic (internal medicine, surgery and paediatrics) and two dental clinics.
• Kutchan, about 30 minutes by car: Kutchan Kosei General Hospital, a paediatric clinic and other specialist clinics.
• Serious illness or injury: people go to hospitals in Sapporo or other nearby areas. It is worth knowing where you would go before you move.

Internet and phone

• Fibre. NTT East's FLETS Hikari network, and the services that use it, are available in many places. Results change from address to address, so check with the exact address before you move in.
• Mobile. docomo, au and SoftBank 4G/5G generally work in the town centre. Signal can be weak on farmland, forest roads and mountain passes.
• Town broadcasts. Homes in town receive the town's IP broadcasts, which carry notices, snow-removal schedules and emergency information. They are in Japanese.

People who work remotely from home here use fibre where it is available, and a home router on the mobile network where it is not.

Children and schools

There is a town nursery, an elementary school and a junior high school. There is no high school in town; most students go on to high schools in Kutchan or other nearby towns, often by bus.

Language

Daily life, town hall procedures and school are in Japanese. We can answer your questions in English by email. For more detail, our Japanese pages on daily life list shops, clinics and links. A browser's translation feature works on them.

Kimobetsu Town official website (in Japanese)