This area is especially popular with Australian buyers. Despite being only 1 hour and 53 minutes from Tokyo’s Ueno Station via the Joetsu Shinkansen, Myoko offers a rare combination of features: multiple ski resorts and golf courses within a 10-minute drive, and a local population of around 30,000, which ensures access to essential amenities and services year-round. This makes it significantly more appealing than many Japanese ski resort areas that are limited to seasonal use.
As of June 2025, Niigata Prefecture requires official approval from the governor for any land development projects over 3,000 square meters. However, beginning in 2026, this threshold will be lowered to 1,500 square meters, as per a newly passed ordinance. This signals a tightening of regulations — but from an investment perspective, this also suggests increasing demand and popularity in the area.
In fact, this change may present a unique opportunity: any land under 1,500 square meters will remain exempt from these more complicated approval procedures, making it easier to develop without additional red tape.
I personally believe this is an incredibly promising region, both for lifestyle and investment. I encourage you to consider securing a property in Myoko before others do, while opportunities like this are still available.