Japan’s Test-Takers in Sapporo Offered Special Accommodation Arrangements Due to Surge in Demand from Arashi Concertgoers

By Shoko Hirai / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

21:00 JST, March 1, 2026

As the popular J-pop idol group Arashi are scheduled to visit Sapporo in March as part of their last tour, measures to provide students with accommodation when taking university entrance examinations are being implemented amid soaring prices and a surge in demand for places to stay.

The concert is being held around during the time when students are due to sit the exams, so test-takers are being offered special accommodation plans and public transportation services are being increased.

As of Feb. 19, a search on major booking site found almost no vacancies for places to stay between March 13 and 15, when Arashi are scheduled to perform, with many plans being offered at nearly 10 times the normal rate. One room was available for ¥77,000 per person per night without meals, while another offered a stay at a capsule hotel for ¥47,800 per person per night without meals.

According to a council which represents 26 major hotels in Sapporo, reservations began pouring in from late November after the concert dates were announced. Around this time, the hotel occupancy rate is usually 80% to 90%, but this year they are almost fully booked,.

Test-takers will also be impacted. Hokkaido University and Hokkaido University of Education, both located in the city, are scheduled to hold their second examination on March 12, the same day as the concert. The council have said that while some rooms are still available on March 11 and 12, many students stay for more than one night before the exam dates, or are accompanied by their parents, increasing their financial burden and making it more difficult to find suitable accommodation.

Securing rooms for students

Some accommodation facilities in Sapporo and surrounding areas are making efforts to support test-takers by offering affordable plans and creating a suitable environment for them.

Portom International Hokkaido, a hotel located in the international terminal building at New Chitose Airport, has secured 50 twin rooms for March 11, and 15 for the day of the exam. Guests can use the rooms after presenting evidence of taking the exam. Light meals will also be provided for students which they can take to the exam venue.

“We hope we can be a place for test-takers who find it difficult to find accommodation within Sapporo.” said a hotel official.

Koshido, a real estate company in Sapporo, has brought forward the opening of a private lodging facility in Higashi Ward in the city, which was originally scheduled to offer rooms from April. Three rooms are available to applicants who present evidence of taking an exam. The company will also provide 10 rooms at a hotel it manages in Teine Ward. Bookings began for the rooms in early January at a price of ¥5,900 per night and were quickly snapped up.

“Supporting test-takers with a safe accommodation environment so they can demonstrate their true potential is also a contribution to the region,” said company head Motoharu Sato.

Extra transportation services

Transportation companies are also working on offering services to help disperse accommodation demand so that concert viewers can return home on the same day or travel to other areas within Hokkaido without having to stay overnight in Sapporo.

Low-cost carrier Peach Aviation will operate three additional late-night round-trip flights between Kansai Airport and New Chitose Airport between March 13 and 16. The flights are scheduled to leave at 2 a.m. from New Chitose Airport, making it convenient for passengers to travel after a concert has finished.

Hokkaido Railway Co. (JR Hokkaido) will operate the “Kamui” limited express train departing from Sapporo Station at 10:05 p.m. from March 13 to 15 to ensure that people staying outside of Sapporo and residents living along the line have a way to get home. The company will also offer the “Lilac” limited express, which will depart from the same station at 11:16 p.m. on March 13 and 14.

The tourist association representing Toyako Onsen, a hot spring resort outside Sapporo, will operate three late-night buses from Sapporo to four major hotels at the resort to help concertgoers who have difficulty finding accommodation within the city. The bus, which usually costs ¥3,700, will be available to use for ¥1,000 per person. Each bus will be able to transport 40 people.