Kushiro leverages cool summer climate to boost tourism

Kushiro City in Hokkaido is seeing a surge in tourism and long-term residents by leveraging its unusually cool summer climate. While much of Japan experiences extreme heat, Kushiro maintains significantly lower temperatures due to ocean currents, with average July highs often being 10 degrees Celsius lower than Tokyo.

To capitalize on this, the Kushiro Chamber of Commerce and Industry has launched the "Cool Stay Kushiro" initiative. A central part of this effort is the "Comfortable Temperature U-25°C Campaign," which offers free drinks at participating local restaurants—including traditional robatayaki establishments—to tourists from outside Hokkaido on days when the maximum temperature remains below 25°C.

The campaign is linked to a highly successful promotional video with a 1980s city-pop aesthetic, which has garnered over 240,000 views and won awards for its creativity. The city's efforts to attract long-term visitors have seen significant success, with the number of people participating in Hokkaido's experience migration program in Kushiro increasing tenfold over the last decade.