Living the Hokkaido Dream: Food, Culture, and Real Estate

Why Otaru?

The sight of century-old warehouses glowing at dusk, the smell of freshly cooked scallops and snowboarding — these are the moments that convinced me Hokkaido was more than just a destination. After countless visits, I finally decided to make it home, buying an apartment in Otaru this summer.

Otaru is a year-round destination with a fine harbour, historic buildings, and a remarkable selection of restaurants. It boasts three train stations — a rarity in Hokkaido — plus a cable car and access to several ski slopes. The canal, made famous in period dramas, remains one of the city’s most photographed landmarks.

Tourism is thriving: Otaru now welcomes between 6–8 million visitors annually, many drawn more by food and scenery than skiing. 

From Osaka, access is straightforward — either by flight or via the car ferry from Maizuru in Kyoto Prefecture, which docks directly in Otaru.

If you want to travel around Hokkaido a car is a must.

Food and Provenance

I’ve spent my career in the food industry, working with many beverage and consumer clients. Osaka is home to giants like Nissin, but companies there rarely market themselves based on provenance. Hokkaido firms, by contrast, lean heavily on regional branding — and it works.

Across Asia, the Hokkaido brand conjures images of quality, purity, and natural appeal. Dairy products, usually less popular in Asian markets, are a notable exception when they carry the Hokkaido name.

Most cows here are black-and-white Holsteins, producing milk with moderate fat content, perfect for drinking milk and yogurt. Smaller populations of Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Ayrshire, Red-and-White Holstein, and British Friesian add diversity, with richer milk often used in premium products.

This emphasis on provenance makes Hokkaido food not just consumable, but aspirational — a lifestyle export in its own right.

Buying Property in Hokkaido

While I worked with a local agent, much of the research I did myself — partly as a practical Japanese language test, partly to keep the agent honest.

Using AirDNA data, I mapped rental income across Otaru, cross-referencing with property sale history, age, distance to stations (a decisive factor in Japan), space, and estimated monthly costs. The variation was striking: some properties were clearly overpriced, but there were bargains too.

I built a simple financial model to calculate each property’s theoretical value versus asking price. I told my agent I had a model, though I kept my actual offer strategy private. In the end, I secured a hefty discount on a property within walking distance of the stations and the popular Sakaimichi street — lined with restaurants, cake shops, and glassware boutiques. The apartment backs onto a shrine, reputed to have the best view in the city.

Fortunately, much of my work can be done remotely, making this investment both practical and personal.

Timing and Outlook

I believe now is a good time to buy in Japan. There are signals that the government may tighten rules on property purchases by foreigners. Personally, I see this as misguided, but it underscores the importance of acting sooner rather than later.

For me, this purchase is not just about real estate — it’s about living the Hokkaido dream. Food, culture, and property all intersect here, and I plan to share more stories about regional delicacies and the evolving lifestyle brand that Hokkaido represents.

Closing Note

Hokkaido is more than a place to visit — it’s a brand, a lifestyle, and now, for me, a home. Stay tuned for more explorations into its food culture, provenance-driven companies, and the unique opportunities that come with living in Japan’s northern frontier.