--- title: Major Hokkaido Shinkansen Tunnel Section Near Niseko Completes Excavation date: 2026-08-21T08:34:00+09:00 author: Chris Pickering canonical_url: "https://uchijapan.com/news/major-hokkaido-shinkansen-tunnel-section-near-niseko-completes-excavation" section: News --- # Major Hokkaido Shinkansen Tunnel Section Near Niseko Completes Excavation Aug 21, 2026 - [ ](mailto:?subject=Major%20Hokkaido%20Shinkansen%20Tunnel%20Section%20Near%20Niseko%20Completes%20Excavation%20on%20Uchi&body=https%3A%2F%2Fuchijapan.com%2Fnews%2Fmajor-hokkaido-shinkansen-tunnel-section-near-niseko-completes-excavation "Share by Email") - [ ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fuchijapan.com%2Fnews%2Fmajor-hokkaido-shinkansen-tunnel-section-near-niseko-completes-excavation&title=Major%20Hokkaido%20Shinkansen%20Tunnel%20Section%20Near%20Niseko%20Completes%20Excavation&description=Excavation%20of%20the%205.6km%20Hirafu%20section%20of%20the%20Hokkaido%20Shinkansen%E2%80%99s%20Yotei%20Tunnel%20has%20been%20completed%20after%20years%20of%20delays%20caused%20by%20underground%20rock.&caption=Uchi) ![Hokkaido Shinkansen Train](https://d1g90p0r985xbs.cloudfront.net/general/_480x270_crop_center-center_60_line/HokkaidoShinkansenTrain.jpg)A major section of the Hokkaido Shinkansen extension through the Niseko area has reached an important milestone, with excavation of the 5.6-kilometre Hirafu section of the Yotei Tunnel now complete. The Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency announced on 19 August that excavation had finished on the section running through Kutchan and Niseko towns. Work on the Hirafu section originally began in December 2016 and will now move on to internal construction and track-related works. The milestone is particularly notable because the section has faced significant engineering difficulties. In July 2021, workers encountered a large concentration of underground rock masses that could not be dealt with using the original tunnelling approach. Excavation was suspended while an alternative route and method were developed, including work to bypass and break apart the unexpected rock formations. The issue stopped excavation for approximately two years and four months before work could resume. Construction on the Hirafu section itself is currently scheduled to continue until March 2028, with the completion of excavation representing one of the most significant stages of the work. ### Work Continues On The Yotei Tunnel The neighbouring 4.2-kilometre Arishima section of the Yotei Tunnel, located in Niseko Town, has encountered similar geological problems. Large underground rock formations have also been found there, and the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency reported that excavation was approximately 70% complete as of 1 August. The Yotei Tunnel forms part of the wider Hokkaido Shinkansen extension towards Sapporo, which involves an unusually high proportion of tunnelling because of Hokkaido’s mountainous terrain. Across the entire Sapporo extension, construction is divided into 40 work sections covering 17 tunnels. With excavation of the Hirafu section now complete, excavation remains under way across 12 sections within five tunnels. The difficult conditions encountered around the Yotei Tunnel have been one example of the engineering challenges affecting the wider project, with unexpected geology contributing to delays and revised construction schedules. ### An Important Milestone For The Niseko Area For Kutchan and the wider Niseko region, the Shinkansen remains one of the largest infrastructure projects currently under construction. The eventual line will include a new Shinkansen station at Kutchan, creating a direct high-speed rail connection with the existing Hokkaido Shinkansen network and, ultimately, the rest of Japan. While considerable work remains before that connection becomes reality, completion of excavation on the Hirafu section represents tangible progress after several years in which the Yotei Tunnel became associated primarily with delays and difficult underground conditions. Work will now continue inside the completed section while excavation progresses elsewhere along the route. > ### Source > > Hokkaido Shimbun, 19 August 2026, reporting on the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency announcement.