Post by oldindigosilverback on Feb 5, 2023 2:48:37 GMT -5
Sweden Hills – An idyllic Swedish town in Japan
Did you know that there’s a town called Sweden Hills in Japan? It’s a mini-version of Sweden with traditional houses on the island of Hokkaido. The residents even celebrate midsummer, have crayfish parties and follow Swedish traditions.
The town is located in Tōbetsu, about 30 kilometers from Sapporo, which is the largest city on Hokkaido. If you didn’t know that you were actually in Japan, you could mistake yourself and think that you’ve ended up in Sweden.
The wooden houses are painted in Falu red, which is the most typical color on traditional houses in Sweden. Details such as steps, doors, window carves, etc are almost always pained in white.
It’s truly remarkably similar to idyllic village towns in Sweden in the province of Dalarna. But it’s not only the houses that are similar in Sweden Hills but also nature itself. The trees and landscapes are very similar as well.
The history of Sweden Hills
The idea to build a Swedish-styled town came to be after a Swedish ambassador visited the area. He noted that the climate and surroundings were very much like Sweden.
Shortly after his visit, the work of creating Sweden Hills (スウェーデンヒルズ Suēden Hiruzu) was started and since then over 1000 inhabitants have moved here. The planning of the town started in 1979 and the construction started in 1984.
About 1/3 of the homes are vacation homes, and 2/3 are residential homes with permanent residents. The holiday homes in Sweden Hills can be rented for a period of 2 weeks and up to 2 months.
The price for a 2-week rental is 128,750 Yen during the summer and 143,750 Yen in the winter. Renting a longer period gives a better rate per night and the monthly rental is currently set to 170,000 Yen in the summer and 190,000 Yen in the winter.
(More to come….)
Did you know that there’s a town called Sweden Hills in Japan? It’s a mini-version of Sweden with traditional houses on the island of Hokkaido. The residents even celebrate midsummer, have crayfish parties and follow Swedish traditions.
The town is located in Tōbetsu, about 30 kilometers from Sapporo, which is the largest city on Hokkaido. If you didn’t know that you were actually in Japan, you could mistake yourself and think that you’ve ended up in Sweden.
The wooden houses are painted in Falu red, which is the most typical color on traditional houses in Sweden. Details such as steps, doors, window carves, etc are almost always pained in white.
It’s truly remarkably similar to idyllic village towns in Sweden in the province of Dalarna. But it’s not only the houses that are similar in Sweden Hills but also nature itself. The trees and landscapes are very similar as well.
The history of Sweden Hills
The idea to build a Swedish-styled town came to be after a Swedish ambassador visited the area. He noted that the climate and surroundings were very much like Sweden.
Shortly after his visit, the work of creating Sweden Hills (スウェーデンヒルズ Suēden Hiruzu) was started and since then over 1000 inhabitants have moved here. The planning of the town started in 1979 and the construction started in 1984.
About 1/3 of the homes are vacation homes, and 2/3 are residential homes with permanent residents. The holiday homes in Sweden Hills can be rented for a period of 2 weeks and up to 2 months.
The price for a 2-week rental is 128,750 Yen during the summer and 143,750 Yen in the winter. Renting a longer period gives a better rate per night and the monthly rental is currently set to 170,000 Yen in the summer and 190,000 Yen in the winter.
(More to come….)