Hokkaido, in Northern Japan: What Kind of Trip Would You Like to Take?
Hokkaido is a large island in northern Japan.
Wide-open landscapes, mountains, and views of the surrounding sea. Winter brings snow, with opportunities to enjoy skiing and hot springs.
You might explore a city or spend some quiet time in nature. The journey that comes to mind when you think of Hokkaido may be different for everyone.
If you have visited before, think back to the hotel or other accommodation where you stayed. If you are planning a visit, imagine the kind of place where you would like to spend your time.
How have Hokkaido’s hotels and ryokan—traditional Japanese inns—changed through the pandemic?
We will compare guest nights in 2019, before the pandemic; 2021, during it; and 2025, after it, through a map and a data card.
As a way to get to know Hokkaido, shall we explore together how its hotels and ryokan have changed?
Explore Hotels and Ryokan in Hokkaido on the Map
Select Hokkaido on the map to see total guest nights, the share accounted for by foreign nationals, establishments, guest rooms, room occupancy, and other figures. Switch between 2019, 2021, and 2025 to compare changes through the pandemic.
You can also search by prefecture name, use voice search, or move to other regions using the buttons at the bottom of the screen.
Think of a past visit to Hokkaido or a future trip, and look for figures that catch your interest.
How Have Guest Nights Changed in Hokkaido?
Total guest nights in Hokkaido fell from approximately 36.98 million in 2019 to approximately 19.06 million in 2021. They then rose to approximately 46.50 million in 2025.
The recovery rate for 2025 compared with 2019 was 125.7%. Across Hokkaido as a whole, guest nights exceeded the pre-pandemic level.
Guest nights for foreign nationals also exceeded the 2019 level, and their share of total guest nights increased.
The number of hotels and ryokan fell slightly between fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2024, but both the number of establishments and the number of guest rooms in fiscal 2024 remained above their fiscal 2019 levels. Meanwhile, the map shows that room occupancy in 2025 had not returned to its 2019 level.
Switch between the data card’s tabs to see the breakdown of guest nights, establishments and guest rooms, and licenses issued and closures across the lodging industry as a whole.
What I Noticed While Making the Map
In Hokkaido, guest nights rebounded substantially after the pandemic downturn. Both guest nights for foreign nationals and their share of the total exceeded pre-pandemic levels. The numbers of hotels and ryokan and their guest rooms were also higher than before the pandemic.
Room occupancy, however, remained below its pre-pandemic level. Guest nights and room occupancy reveal different patterns of change.
As you compare the figures, you can also consider changes in establishments and guest rooms, the seasons, length of stay, and the locations and types of accommodation.
From places you remember to places you would like to visit next.
Shall we explore how hotels and ryokan in Hokkaido have changed, moving between the map and the data card?
Sources: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Report on Public Health Administration and Services; Japan Tourism Agency, Accommodation Survey.
- Accommodation figures cover the calendar years 2019, 2021, and 2025 (January–December).
- Figures for establishments, guest rooms, licenses issued, and closures cover fiscal years 2019, 2021, and 2024.
- Guest nights count each guest for each night of their stay. One person staying for three nights counts as three guest nights.
- The maps and data cards use the Japanese labels “日本人” (“Japanese”) and “外国人” (“foreign nationals”) to reflect the statistical categories. Guest nights for Japanese nationals are calculated by subtracting guest nights for foreign nationals from total guest nights.
- The recovery rate is calculated as total guest nights in 2025 ÷ total guest nights in 2019 × 100.