Did you know that there is a hot spring stand, not a gas station, in Iwamizawa City? Anyone can pump hot spring water there and take it home. The name of the hot spring is "Ponneyu," which sounds cute, but it seems to be quite popular because of its good quality and precious spring water!

The onsen stand is located on the side of the road (Route 38) in Manji, Kurisawa-cho, Iwamizawa City. The hut with a large sign reading "Ponneyu" is the place for our visit. The smell of sulfur, which is as thick as that of regular hot spring facilities, naturally heightened our expectations.

I wondered where the hot spring water was being pumped from, and lifted up a hose that looked like it! The hot spring water flowed out at an incredible rate. This is the rumored ponne hot spring.

The color is clear and colorless. The temperature is about 10°C. It is a cold spring. The spring is a weakly alkaline sulfur spring, which is rare in Hokkaido, and is said to be effective for atopic dermatitis, chronic eczema, and sensitivity to cold.

To enjoy hot spring water at home, if you have a 200-liter bathtub, fill it about 70% with slightly hot water and add one or two bottles of hot spring water brought home in a 20-liter polyethylene tank. Please note that using onsen water as it is may cause malfunctions in the bathtub, pipes, etc.

Anyone can pump ponne hot spring water and take it home, but there is an accepting port for donations at the stand, and the amount is left to the discretion of the user. Please help us maintain this high-quality hot spring.

But why is there a hot spring stand along this road? According to some people, there were originally several places where hot spring water gushed out from cracks in the rocks in this area. Volunteers then came up with a plan to lay a pipe from the source of the hot spring in the mountains to the residential area, so that the hot spring water could be taken from the area.

Photo courtesy of Iwamizawa Tourist Association

Photo courtesy of Iwamizawa Tourist Association

The distance of laying the pipes was 4 km. Despite various incidents, such as the hose coming loose due to melting snow and being gnawed on by a bear, they managed to run the hot spring to a residential area. We are now able to enjoy the benefits of the hot spring.

Many people come from other cities to take a bath because they have heard rumors of the excellent quality of the hot spring water. If you are ever in Iwamizawa City, why not stop by the onsen stand with a polyethylene tank? Of course, don't forget to prepare a donation to put in the receiving entrance!

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Iwamizawa Tourism Association
Location: Iwamizawa Compound Station Building 1F, 1-1 Ariake-cho Minami, Iwamizawa-shi, Hokkaido
Contact: 0126-22-3470
Official website: https://iwamizawa-kankou.jp/

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laufen Katsu