[Difficult to read place name] How to read it? Kutchan is not pronounced "Kuchiyasu"[Difficult to read place name] How to read it? Kutchan is not pronounced "Kuchiyasu"

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2026.2.7

[Difficult to read place name] How do you read it? Kutchan, now one of the world's leading ski resorts, is not pronounced "Kuchiyasu"

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Kutchan is a town in Abuta District, Hokkaido, located in a small basin with Mount Yotei (Ezo Fuji) to the south and the Niseko mountain range to the west.

 






It is said to be one of the top potato producers in Japan, and is famous for its "Goyonmaru" potato, which is aged for a long period of about one year in low-temperature storage.







As the center of the Niseko ski resort area, it attracts skiers from all over the world.








Kutchan

 

 

KutchanAnd"Kucchan"It is pronounced "kushani" and comes from the Ainu word "kushani." This is an old name for the Kutosan River, a tributary of the Shiribetsu River, and is said to be a combination of "ku (a place like a kuda), shan (flowing out), and i (place)."












Learn about difficult-to-read place names in Japan
Difficult to read place names are engraved with the local language, culture, and history of coexistence with nature. Knowing the origin of the name can make the scenery of your travel destination look a little different. That is the mysterious charm of difficult to read place names. Unraveling place names is like tracing the memories of the place. Learning the hidden meaning behind the characters leads to learning the depth of the story the place name tells.

 

 






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