the town, about 2 hours away by car. Railways Hokkaido Passenger Railroad Company (JR Hokkaido) Hakodate Main Line: Hirafu Station – Kutchan Station Formerly, the Iburi Line served Kutchan from Date's Monbetsu Station of the Muroran Line, but it was discontinued in 1986. JR Hokkaido plans to include Kutchan in its planned Hokkaido Shinkansen (bullet train) service, which would connect the town to Honshū and, consequently, Tokyo. Roadways Japan National Route Route 5 Route 276 Route 393 Prefectural highways Hokkaido Route 58 (Kutchan – Niseko) Hokkaido Route 271 (Kutchan stop) Hokkaido Route 343 (Rankoshi – Niseko – Kutchan) Hokkaido Route 478 (Kyogoku – Kutchan) Hokkaido Route 631 (Niseko – Takahara – Hirafu) Culture As the main regional center of population, Kutchan hosts a variety of cultural institutions and events. The town is home to two museums, the Kutchan Natural History Museum and the Shu Ogawara Art Museum. It also hosts the annual Mt. Niseko Kutchan Jazz Festival every July in the center of town, drawing thousands to enjoy the music of Japanese and Australian musicians. Jagata-kun and are Kutchan's mascot cartoon character. Due to the heavy snowfalls in the region, Kutchan hosts several alpine resorts frequented by domestic and international skiers and snowboarders. In the summer, Kutchan is best known for its primary agricultural product: potatoes. The town's two main industries (ski resorts and potato farming) are both reflected in Jagata-kun, a skiing potato. Places of interest Mount Yōtei Niseko Annupuri Niseko Mt. Resort Grand Hirafu Famous persons Kokona Hiraki, Olympic skateboarder Masami Yuki, a manga artist born and raised in Kutchan Sister cities St. Moritz, Switzerland, since March 19, 1964 Vail, Colorado, United States Zikhron Ya'akov, Israel Westerland, Germany See also Niseko, Hokkaido Hokkaido Railway Company References External links Official Website The Kutchannel Towns in Hokkaido Populated places established in 1893 1893 establishments in Japan