---
title: Free Summer Shuttle Buses Return To Kutchan And Niseko
date: 2026-07-01T12:07:00+09:00
author: Chris Pickering
canonical_url: "https://uchijapan.com/news/free-summer-shuttle-buses-return-to-kutchan-and-niseko"
section: News
---
[Resort News](https://uchijapan.com/news/resorts)# Free Summer Shuttle Buses Return To Kutchan And Niseko

Jul 01, 2026

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   ![Sky Express Coaster Low Res 1 1536x1024](https://d1g90p0r985xbs.cloudfront.net/general/_480x270_crop_center-center_60_line/420955/Sky-Express-Coaster-Low-Res-1-1536x1024.jpg)Free summer shuttle buses will operate again in Kutchan and Niseko this year, improving access between JR stations, resort areas and local attractions during the green season.

The services were launched last year as part of efforts to encourage more summer visitors to move around the Niseko area more easily, at a time when tourism remains much more concentrated in winter. Both shuttle services will make use of local accommodation tax revenue, giving visitors a visible example of the tax being reinvested into resort transport and tourism infrastructure.

In Kutchan, the [Sky Resort Shuttle](https://resort-shuttle.skybus-niseko.com/en) will begin operating from 11 July, running from Kutchan Station through the town’s resort areas and on to Takahashi Farm Milk Kobo in Niseko Town. Daytime services will run every day until 12 October, with four-and-a-half round trips per day. A night service will also operate daily from 25 July to 31 August, with four round trips each evening. Compared with last year, the night service period has been extended by around two weeks.

The Kutchan shuttle carried a total of 4,516 passengers last year, including 669 passengers on night services. Use of the service requires a dedicated smartphone app, which also introduces shops and facilities along the route. The app will be used to improve visitor convenience while also helping analyse summer tourism movements in the area.

Niseko Town will also run its Niseko Area Summer Loop Bus, departing from Niseko Station and travelling through resort areas, roadside stations and other local stops. The service will operate daily from 18 July to 23 August, and then on weekends and public holidays from 29 August to 23 September. There will be two morning and two afternoon services each day. Last summer, the Niseko service operated for only 11 weekend days and carried 256 passengers, but positive feedback has led to the operating schedule being expanded more than fourfold this year.

Both bus routes will stop at Takahashi Farm Milk Kobo, with three daytime connections allowing visitors to transfer between the Kutchan and Niseko services. That should make it easier for guests to explore both towns without needing a car, particularly during the peak summer holiday period.

The two tourism associations said the aim is to improve visitor movement across the wider area and expand the local tourism economy. For Niseko, where winter remains the dominant season, better summer transport is also part of the longer-term push towards a more balanced, year-round resort destination.

 [ Search for your Niseko home on Uchi now  ](https://uchijapan.com/properties?search%5BrefinementList%5D%5Barea.title%5D%5B0%5D=Niseko%20Area&search%5BsortBy%5D=date_desc)