Kutchan, Hokkaido

Kutchan 倶知安町
Town
Flag Emblem
Location of Kutchan in Hokkaido (Shiribeshi Subprefecture)
Kutchan Location in Japan
Coordinates: 42°54′N 140°46′E / 42.900°N 140.767°E / 42.900; 140.767
Country	Japan
Region	Hokkaido
Prefecture	Hokkaido (Shiribeshi Subprefecture)
District	Abuta
Area
• Total	261.24 km2 (100.87 sq mi)
Population  (April 30, 2017)
• Total	15,573
• Density	60/km2 (150/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address	3-3 Kita-ichijō-higashi, Kutchan-chō, Abuta-gun, Hokkaidō 044-0001
Climate	Dfb
Website	www.town.kutchan.hokkaido.jp
Symbols
Flower	Rhododendron
Mascot	Jagata-kun and Jagako-chan
Tree	Painted Maple

Kutchan (倶知安町, Kutchan-chō) is a town located in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. Kutchan lies slightly north of the volcano Mount Yōtei, and is approximately 50 kilometers west of Sapporo. The subprefecture government offices are located in this town, making it the capital of the subprefecture.

As of April 30, 2017, the town has an estimated population of 15,573 and a population density of 60 persons per km².^[1] The total area is 261.24 km² (100.87 sq mi).

Throughout Hokkaido, Kutchan is known for its proximity to the world famous Niseko powder snow region and for its production of quality potatoes and potato products. Among these products, Kutchan is most famous for manufacturing gosetsu-udon, a Japanese noodle made from potato flour. Jagata-kun, the skiing potato that is the cartoon mascot of Kutchan, indicates Kutchan's two most celebrated aspects. Jagata-kun roughly translates as, "little, fat potato boy".