Moving to Niseko (Kutchan): The 14-Day Paperwork and How to Start Water and Rubbish

When you move to Niseko (Kutchan Town), the first two weeks come with a fixed set of errands. Your move-in notification (tennyu todoke) is due within 14 days of the day you move, and if you hold a residence card, your address change is due within the same 14 days. Water has to be switched on before you start using it, and you can only put out rubbish in the town's designated bags.

Arrive in winter and your first day disappears into shovelling the snow off your doorstep. It is tempting to deal with the rest once you have settled in, but the town office and the rental market both get busy before the season, so the paperwork slips back further than you expect. The things that trip people up across a whole move are collected in moving to Niseko without regrets, and sorting the order first will save your first weekend.

The fees, counters and collection days here were checked on the Kutchan Town website on 7 October 2026. The rules can change from year to year, so confirm with the linked pages or the town office before you act. Here is what to do in your first two weeks, with the deadlines.

1. File your move-in notification (within 14 days, counter 1 at the town office) 2. Update the address on your residence card if you are a foreign resident (also within 14 days) 3. Tell the water office before you start using water 4. Change your address for national health insurance, pension and My Number (at the same counter, together with the move-in notification) 5. Buy the designated rubbish bags (sold at convenience stores and supermarkets)

If you have not found a place to live yet, start with finding a home or room before the paperwork. Rooms fill up early before winter, and without an address you cannot file the move-in notification or turn on the water.

The move-in notification is due within 14 days

You file the move-in notification at the Resident Section (counter 1, phone 0136-56-8007) of the Kutchan Town office. The rule is within 14 days of the day you move in, and you bring the moving-out certificate (tenshutsu shomeisho) issued by your previous municipality, plus photo ID such as a driver's licence or passport. Do the moving-out step in your old town first and keep that certificate, because you cannot complete the move-in without it. The office is open on weekdays from 8:45 to 17:30. The town notes that in November and December the counter gets crowded with foreign residents filing move-in notifications, and the wait can run to 90 minutes or more (Kutchan Town). If you arrive in that window, plan to be there first thing in the morning.

If you hold a My Number card, you can use a shortcut that skips the paper moving-out certificate, so bring the card with you. Your address changes for national health insurance, national pension and My Number can usually be handled at the same counter 1 along with the move-in notification, so carry the related cards and letters together and you avoid a second trip.

Foreign residents: your residence card needs updating too

For foreign residents the flow and the deadline are the same. A move from another municipality in Japan or a move within the town is "within 14 days of moving," and if you have come from abroad it is "within 14 days of settling on an address." The counter is the same Resident Section (0136-56-8007) (Kutchan Town).

Bring the residence card or special permanent resident certificate for everyone moving in, together with the moving-out certificate. Your new address is written on the back of the residence card at the office, so bring the cards for your whole family, not just your own. If you are coming for winter work, check the pay and the dorm conditions in winter resort jobs in Niseko first, then clear this address step as soon as you arrive, and the bank account and shift conversations that follow go more smoothly. It helps to treat your residence card as something you carry at all times.

Water: call before you use it, and settle up when you leave

Switch on the water before you use it by contacting the Water and Sewerage Office (phone 0136-56-8013). You can apply online around the clock, or in person at the counter. For households the basic charge covers up to 6 cubic metres at 825 yen, and above that you pay 137 yen per cubic metre. Billing is monthly, with payment due on the 25th of each month (Kutchan Town).

When you move out you also have to tell them, and your usage is settled up. The settlement date is normally the day you stop service, but if that day lands on a weekend or holiday when the office is closed, they will ask you to settle in advance on a weekday. If your move-out date falls on a weekend, make one phone call early and you will not be caught out on the day.

Rubbish: designated bags, collection days by district, and a different rule in Hirafu

In Kutchan you can only put out rubbish in the town's designated bags. The bags for burnable and non-burnable rubbish come in large (5 bags, 400 yen), medium (10 bags, 400 yen) and small (10 bags, 200 yen), and the biodegradable bags for raw kitchen waste cost the same. You can buy them at many shops in town, including Seicomart, 7-Eleven, Tsuruha, Coop Sapporo, Lawson and DCM Kutchan. If you take rubbish to the cleaning centre yourself, the disposal fee is 40 yen per 10 kilograms (Kutchan Town).

Collection days depend on your district. The town is split into four areas, A, B, C and D, along Route 5 and the Kutchan-Niseko prefectural road. Burnable rubbish is collected twice a week, non-burnable twice a month (the 2nd and 4th weeks, Wednesday for A, B and D, Monday for C), and raw waste twice a week (Kutchan Town). For timing, non-burnable rubbish goes out by 1 p.m. and everything else by 8 a.m. When you move in, pick up the calendar for your own district and days at the town office first.

Part of the Hirafu area (Niseko Hirafu 76, 83, 132, 133, 155 to 170, 181 to 204, and Kabayama 37 to 38) runs on a different system. Private houses are collected door to door with a bin lent by the town, shared buildings use a station managed by whoever installed it, and businesses either haul their own or hire a licensed collector (Kutchan Town). All of these need registration in advance, so if you live in this zone, confirm it with your landlord or management company when you move in.

FAQ

Can someone file the move-in notification on my behalf?

Yes. If you cannot go to the counter yourself, you need a letter of proxy and the agent's photo ID. Because foreign residents also have the residence-card update, it is faster if the person comes in themselves where possible.

With a My Number card, do I still need the moving-out certificate?

With a My Number card you can use the shortcut that skips the paper moving-out certificate. You still have to file the moving-out step in your previous municipality, so do that before you move. Check the current handling with the town office directly.

Where can I buy the designated rubbish bags?

At convenience stores and supermarkets in town, including Seicomart, 7-Eleven, Tsuruha, Coop Sapporo, Lawson and DCM Kutchan. The type and size are easy to mix up, so check whether you need burnable, non-burnable or raw-waste bags before you buy.

If you still do not have a place to live, you can start here before the paperwork.

— Niseko Hub Editorial Team