Livability Report
FuranoLivability Score
Hokkaido·Pop. 19,274
Furano is a city at the centre of the Furano Basin in central Hokkaido, ringed by the Daisetsuzan and Yubari mountain ranges. Settlement lots were laid out on the Furano plain in 1896 and settlers arrived the following year. The name is thought to come from the Ainu word furanui, linked to the sulphur smell of the Furano River flowing down from Mount Tokachi. The television drama Kita no Kuni kara brought visitors, and with its lavender fields the city became known as a tourist town. It is designated a special heavy-snow area.
Published 2026-04-30 · Article updated 2026-10-09 · Data updated 2026-10-20
Where in Japan
Overall Score
69.9
59.5
53.4
38.5
39.4- ※ Retail and restaurant figures are per resident and include shops serving tourists
* These scores are based on statistical analysis of public data and do not represent a definitive assessment of any area. Actual livability varies depending on individual values and lifestyle.
5-axis scores
Safety69.9Cost59.5Convenience53.4Welfare38.5Economy39.4Basic Information
Population
19,274
Prefecture
Hokkaido
Q&A with Kai
Alex, Yuki, and Kai discuss what it's really like to live here.
From frontier settlement to tourist town
Yuki
I only know Furano as a tourist spot. How did the town actually begin?
Alex
Does the name Furano mean anything?
Yuki
How did a settlement town come to be known for tourism?
Kai
It was born in Meiji-era settlement. Lots were laid out on the Furano plain in 1896 and settlers arrived the next year. Sitting at the centre of the Furano Basin in the middle of Hokkaido, it became a town in 1919 and merged with Yamabe to become a city in 1966.
Safety
Alex
With so many visitors, is it a calm place for residents?
Yuki
How exactly is that rate counted?
Kai
The crime rate is the guide. Hokkaido Prefectural Police figures by municipality put recorded penal code offenses in 2025 at 2.08 per 1,000 residents, lower than the median for Japan's larger municipalities. It counts offenses recorded by police and excludes traffic accidents and offenses not recorded by police.
Cost of living
Alex
If I move and rent, what rent should I expect?
Yuki
Speaking of winter, how much snow does the area get?
Alex
If I buy land to build, how should I read the land price?
Kai
Average rent for rented homes is the guide. In the 2023 Housing and Land Survey it was 41,500 yen a month, lower than the median for larger municipalities. Rents vary by layout and age, and the average does not include winter costs for snow clearing or heating.
Convenience
Alex
How do you travel between here and Sapporo or Asahikawa?
Yuki
How much of daily commuting does the share using trains and buses actually describe?
Alex
How many shops are there for everyday shopping?
Kai
By rail and bus. The city guide describes access from Sapporo to Furano by limited express to Takikawa and a change to the Nemuro Line, plus the Kosoku Furano highway bus. From Asahikawa there is the JR Furano Line and the Lavender bus, and Route 237 links Asahikawa Airport to the city by car. Check times with each operator.
Welfare
Alex
If I needed a doctor, how should I read the healthcare here?
Yuki
Which schools does the school-count statistic cover?
Kai
The main hospitals are Furano Kyokai Hospital and Furano Nishi Hospital. JaScore divides the 2023 Survey of Medical Institutions count of hospitals and clinics by the 2025 Census population, giving 7.26 per 10,000 residents, an average level among larger municipalities. Facility counts alone cannot show whether care is sufficient. Check departments and emergency care on each hospital's site.
Economy
Alex
What is the income level of people working in this tourist town?
Yuki
Are people moving in or out?
Alex
How large is that movement for a town this size?
Kai
Under the FY2025 taxation survey, taxable income per taxpayer was 3,330,974 yen, an average level among larger municipalities. It is the average for residents registered and paying tax in the city, separate from wages in any one industry such as tourism.
Share of people living here
Yuki
What is this residency rate at the end?
Alex
Do all the tourists affect this figure?
Kai
It is the ratio of two populations: the 2025 Census population divided by the Basic Resident Register population as of 1 January 2026. Furano is at 99.4%, an average level among larger municipalities. The Census counts people living there and the register counts registrations, so timing and method differ.
Who this city suits
Families with children
Schools run from elementary to high school within the city, and Rokugo has the municipal Rokugo elementary and junior high school. Average rent is lower than the median for larger municipalities in Japan. The city is a designated special heavy-snow area, so check school runs and snow clearing on the city site.
Young singles
The share commuting by rail or bus is lower than the median for larger municipalities in Japan. Check the routes and times linking your workplace and home. The relocation site lists a grant for new employment; check eligibility.
Seniors
The main hospitals are Furano Kyokai Hospital and Furano Nishi Hospital, and medical facilities per capita are at an average level among larger municipalities in Japan. The city is a designated special heavy-snow area, so check how you would travel in winter. Distance to a hospital depends on the district, so check that as well.
Remote workers
There are lavender fields, and Rokugo is a district chosen for the Beautiful Villages of Japan landscape selection. The distance to places where you can enjoy the scenery depends on the district you live in. Retail shops per capita in the 2021 Economic Census are higher than the median for larger municipalities in Japan, though they include tourist-oriented shops. For business trips, check rail and bus routes and times.
Disaster risk and hazard maps
The city's 2023 Disaster Prevention Guide Map covers preparation for storms and floods, earthquakes, snow and eruptions, with evacuation sites. Inundation areas assume maximum-scale rainfall, and a map is published for the nationally managed Sorachi River. Some designated emergency evacuation sites lie within inundation areas, with a note to move to the second floor or above during floods. The shaking map predicts up to intensity 7 for an earthquake on the Furano active fault. The special sediment disaster warning area at Kitanomine Kitanisen River was lifted on 7 March 2025, but the warning areas remain as before. Check Mount Tokachi's alert level on the JMA volcano information, and confirm address-level assumptions on the official maps.
- Furano City: Disaster plans and hazard maps
- Furano City Disaster Prevention Guide Map (2023 edition)
- Furano City: Seismic shaking map
- Furano City: Sorachi River maximum-scale flood inundation map
- Furano City: Sediment disaster warning areas
- Japan Meteorological Agency: Volcano information (alert levels)
- GSI: Overlay hazard map (Kasaneru Hazard Map)
📊 Cities with Similar Scores
Detailed Data
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Crime Rate (per 1,000) | 2.08 | 2025 |
| Avg. Land Price (¥/m²) | 36,375 | 2026 |
| Avg. Rent (¥) | 41,500 | 2023 |
| Public Transit Usage (%) | 2.2 | 2020 |
| Retail Establishments | 233 | 2021 |
| Retail Establishments (per 1,000) | 12.09 | 2021 |
| Restaurant Establishments | 159 | 2021 |
| Restaurant Establishments (per 1,000) | 8.25 | 2021 |
| Residency Rate (%, census ÷ resident register) | 99.4 | 2025 |
| Medical Facilities (per 10,000, hospitals + clinics) | 7.26 | 2023 |
| Hospitals | 3 | 2023 |
| Hospitals (per 10,000) | 1.56 | 2023 |
| Clinics | 11 | 2023 |
| Clinics (per 10,000) | 5.71 | 2023 |
| Schools (elementary + junior high + high) | 11 | 2024 |
| Schools (per 1,000) | 0.571 | 2024 |
| Schools (per habitable km²) | 0.056 | 2024 |
| Taxable Income per Capita (¥) | 3,330,974 | 2025 |
| Net Migration | -240 | 2025 |
| Net Migration Rate (%) | -1.25 | 2025 |
| Total Population | 19,274 | 2025 |
| crime_count | 40 | 2025 |
| crime_count_pref | 24,150 | 2025 |
| crime_rate_pref_per_1000 | 5 | 2025 |
| habitable_area_km2 | 198 | 2024 |
| resident_registry_population | 19,394 | 2026 |
- ※ Retail and restaurant figures are per resident and include shops serving tourists
Data sources
| Indicator | Source | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Population | 2025 Population CensusStatistics Bureau of Japan | 2025 | |
| Crime Rate (per 1,000) | Reported penal code offenses by municipalityHokkaido Prefectural Police | 2025 | Counted where offenses occur; per 1,000 uses the 2025 census population |
| Avg. Land Price (¥/m²) | Official land prices (National Land Numerical Information L01)Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism | 2026 | Residential sites only; simple average of sites |
| Avg. Rent (¥) | 2023 Housing and Land SurveyStatistics Bureau of Japan | 2023 | Monthly rent of rented housing; next survey in 2028 |
| Public Transit Usage (%) | 2020 Population Census (means of commuting)Statistics Bureau of Japan | 2020 | To be updated when the 2025 census commuting tables are published |
| Retail Establishments (per 1,000) | 2021 Economic Census for Business ActivityMIC and METI | 2021 | Next survey in 2026 |
| Restaurant Establishments (per 1,000) | 2021 Economic Census for Business ActivityMIC and METI | 2021 | Next survey in 2026 |
| Medical Facilities (per 10,000, hospitals + clinics) | Survey of Medical Institutions (System of Social and Demographic Statistics)Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare | 2023 | Hospitals and clinics combined |
| Schools (per habitable km²) | School Basic Survey and habitable area (System of Social and Demographic Statistics)MEXT and Statistics Bureau of Japan | 2024 | Elementary, junior high and high schools per habitable km² |
| Taxable Income per Capita (¥) | Survey on municipal tax assessmentMinistry of Internal Affairs and Communications | 2025 | Taxable income per taxpayer |
| Net Migration Rate (%) | Report on Internal MigrationStatistics Bureau of Japan | 2025 | |
| Residency Rate (%, census ÷ resident register) | Census population ÷ resident register populationMinistry of Internal Affairs and Communications | 2025 | Resident register population as of January 1, 2026 |
Sources (25)
- 富良野市 富良野市へのアクセスについて
- 富良野市移住促進情報 リビング・フラノ
- リビング・フラノ 雪・気温 環境について
- リビング・フラノ 学校紹介
- 富良野市 防災計画・ハザードマップ等
- 富良野市防災ガイドマップ（ハザードマップ）
- 富良野市 揺れやすさマップ
- 富良野市 空知川の最大規模降雨による洪水浸水想定区域図について
- 富良野市 土砂災害警戒区域・特別警戒区域の指定
- 富良野市 土砂災害特別警戒区域の指定が解除になりました
- 富良野市 避難地・避難所一覧
- 気象庁 火山情報
- Wikipedia 富良野市
- 北海道警察 市町村別犯罪発生概況（令和3年〜令和7年、確定値）PDF
- e-Stat 令和7年国勢調査 人口等基本集計（統計表ID 0004065881）
- e-Stat 令和5年住宅・土地統計調査 借家の1か月当たり家賃（統計表ID 0004021452）
- e-Stat 令和2年国勢調査 通勤・通学利用交通手段（統計表ID 0003454513）
- e-Stat 令和3年経済センサス‐活動調査 産業別民営事業所数（統計表ID 0004005684）
- e-Stat 社会・人口統計体系 学校数（学校基本調査、統計表ID 0000020205）
- e-Stat 社会・人口統計体系 医療施設数（医療施設調査、統計表ID 0000020209）
- e-Stat 住民基本台帳人口移動報告 転入超過数（統計表ID 0003419945）
- 国土交通省 国土数値情報 地価公示データ（L01、令和8年）
- 総務省 市町村税課税状況等の調（令和7年度）
- 総務省 住民基本台帳に基づく人口、人口動態及び世帯数調査（令和8年）
- 国土地理院 重ねるハザードマップ
Data years: mainly 2025 (2020–2026 by indicator)
Published 2026-04-30 · Article updated 2026-10-09 · Data updated 2026-10-20