Hokkaido, blessed with beautiful nature, is home to many attractive hot springs that will soothe your travel fatigue. This time, we introduce onsen resorts within an hour's drive from the central areas of Sapporo, Hakodate, and Asahikawa! Use this as a reference for a driving and onsen trip to heal both mind and body, along with Hokkaido's food and scenery.

About a 1-hour drive from central Sapporo

Located about 26 km from Sapporo's city center within Shikotsu-Toya National Park, this is one of Hokkaido's leading onsen resorts, also known as "Sapporo's inner parlor." The water quality is a sodium chloride spring (neutral, hypotonic, high-temperature). It contains salt, which adheres to the skin, preventing sweat from evaporating and warming the body from the core.

Jozan Gensen Park

Surrounded 360 degrees by nature, the onsen town spread through the valley shows different expressions each season. It's known as one of Hokkaido's premier spots for autumn leaves, and the sight of the entire town dyed in brocade colors is breathtaking. The onsen town also features long-established onsen manju (hot spring steamed bun) shops, ramen restaurants, and recently, gelato shops and bakeries have opened, making it fun to stroll and snack.

Jozankei Onsen town colored by autumn leaves

Jozankei Onsen Manju

Easily accessible from Sapporo, this onsen resort is also a convenient base for sightseeing in Otaru. It offers a variety of accommodations, including onsen inns, cottages, and campsites, making it suitable for various occasions. Located at the foot of the Asari Dam and surrounded by mountains, you can feel nature with your whole body. The water is a chloride spring containing sodium and calcium. It has a soft feel on the skin and is effective for rheumatism and muscle pain.

Lake Otarunai, the reservoir of Asari Dam

The town center has many historical buildings from the Meiji and Taisho periods, allowing you to enjoy a nostalgic atmosphere. If you want to enjoy a meal, head to the "Otaru Yataimura" (food stall village), where various shops like sushi, yakitori, ramen, and Italian are packed together. The local specialty, ankake yakisoba (fried noodles with thick sauce), served throughout the city, is also recommended.

Otaru Canal

Otaru Ankake Yakisoba

This onsen resort spreads around Lake Shikotsu, known as Japan's northernmost ice-free lake, and its great access, about 40 minutes from New Chitose Airport, is one of its charms. The first onsen inn, "Marukoma Onsen," was founded in 1915. Full-scale drilling began in 1974, leading to its current state. Every year from late January, the "Chitose-Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival" is held. Enjoying the various large and small ice sculptures made from lake water and then warming your chilled body in the onsen is a wonderfully refined experience.

Marukoma Onsen

For meals, the specialty is "Shikotsuko Chip," a local name for kokanee salmon raised in the clear waters of Lake Shikotsu. You can enjoy it in various styles, such as tempura rice bowls, salt-grilled, or as sashimi.

The "Chitose-Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival" bustles with many tourists even in winter

The specialty kokanee salmon, salt-grilled

About a 15-minute drive from central Hakodate

Known as one of Hokkaido's three major onsen resorts, "Yunokawa Onsen" is a historic hot spring area that was even used by Enomoto Takeaki of the former shogunate army during the Battle of Hakodate after the Meiji Restoration. The water is a chloride spring, effective for cuts, sensitivity to cold, and dry skin. Being close to the city center, it's a recommended base for sightseeing. Its excellent accessibility, just a 5-minute drive from Hakodate Airport, is another charm.

"Kappo Ryokan Wakamatsu," an inn with a historic appearance

Nearby are tourist spots like the famous power spot "Yukura Shrine" and the "Hakodate Tropical Botanical Garden," where you can see monkeys enjoying the onsen in winter. For a break during your stroll, it's recommended to enjoy sweets at a cozy retro-style cafe or a dango (sweet dumpling) shop.

The "Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse," a tourist attraction in the Bay Area

At the "Hakodate Tropical Botanical Garden," even monkeys take a dip in the onsen in winter

About a 1-hour drive from central Asahikawa

This onsen town is located in a grand valley stretching about 24 km northeast of the Daisetsuzan mountain range. The unique townscape, designed with a Canadian mountain resort motif, offers an extraordinary experience. There are multiple spring sources, including "simple thermal springs" known as "beauty-enhancing baths," "hydrogen carbonate springs" with a refreshing feel, and "sulfur springs" effective for skin troubles. You can enjoy different water qualities depending on the inn.

Scenic open-air baths where you can enjoy the snow view

There is a wealth of activities to enjoy nature, such as mountain climbing, cycling, and SUP on the dam lake. It's also popular as a ski resort in winter. There are various local specialties like confections, local sake, and shochu, making it fun to browse the souvenir shops. The "Sounkyo Onsen Icefall Festival" is also held from the end of January each year.

The Daisetsuzan mountains, known as the "roof of Hokkaido"

The "Sounkyo Onsen Icefall Festival," with its beautifully lit ice sculptures

Asahidake Onsen is located on the opposite side of Sounkyo Onsen, across the Daisetsuzan mountain range, at the foot of the main peak, Mt. Asahidake. From spring to autumn, it bustles with visitors viewing alpine plants and autumn leaves, and in winter, it attracts many skiers. The buildings, designed with consideration for the landscape, create a relaxed atmosphere. The water is a sulfate spring, effective for cuts, burns, and arteriosclerosis.

Also, a 30-minute drive south is "Tenninkyo Onsen," which boasts a history dating back to the Meiji era. The cliffs of columnar joints formed by volcanic activity about 30,000 years ago are a favorite photo spot for many photographers.

Tenninkyo Onsen

Furthermore, a spa complex resort facility, "Kitoushi no Mori Kitoron," opened nearby in August 2023, supervised by architect Kengo Kuma, known for designing the new National Stadium. The design, which makes abundant use of wood and exudes a warmth characteristic of Higashikawa Town, is worth seeing.

Kitoushi no Mori Kitoron

About a 40-minute drive from central Shari Town

"Utoro Onsen," a tourist base for the World Heritage Shiretoko Peninsula, is also known as "Shiretoko Onsen" and has many accommodation facilities, from large hotels to small guesthouses and inns. The water quality is a "bicarbonated saline spring" containing a lot of salt, which makes it hard to get chilled after bathing. In the surrounding area, you can enjoy unique nature experiences such as tours of Shiretoko's great nature with a guide and winter drift ice viewing.

The Utoro Onsen town, a base for Shiretoko tourism

The seafood from the Okhotsk Sea is famous for its exceptional quality due to the environment. You can fully enjoy fresh seafood landed locally. The name Shiretoko originates from the Ainu word "Sir-etok," meaning "the end of the earth." Soaking in an onsen in such a town could be a special experience.

You can also see the strange "Godzilla Rock" up close

The nature-rich Shiretoko Peninsula

This onsen town overlooks Lake Mashu, which has the second-highest transparency in the world, and Lake Kussharo, Japan's largest caldera lake. The water quality is an alum/vitriol spring, a highly acidic hot spring said to be strong enough to dissolve a five-inch nail in a week. It is a "beauty-enhancing bath" that dissolves old keratin to make your skin smooth. Known as a therapeutic spring since ancient times, it is said to regulate the functions of the autonomic nervous system and hormonal secretion systems.

Characterized by its highly acidic water, stronger than lemon

Teshikaga is famous for its ramen. Also, the "Mashu no Butadon" (pork bowl) made famous by the media, and fresh seafood from the Okhotsk Sea and off the coast of Kushiro make for a lineup of excellent gourmet food.

The water of Lake Mashu is so beautiful it's called "Mashu Blue"

About a 20-minute drive from central Obihiro City

Tokachigawa Onsen is famous for its "Moor Onsen." Brown-colored hot spring water flows here, containing organic-derived components extracted from ancient plant deposits. Due to its globally rare water quality, it has been designated as a Hokkaido Heritage site. This spring is expected to have various effects, including relief for neuralgia, muscle pain, skin diseases, and fatigue recovery, and has been known as a representative onsen resort of Eastern Hokkaido since the Showa era.

Hokkaido Heritage "Moor Onsen"

Tokachigawa Onsen is located almost in the center of the Tokachi Plain, and in the surrounding area, you can enjoy unique Tokachi tourism such as Ban'ei Keiba (draft horse racing) and hot air balloon experiences.

Obihiro's specialty, "Butadon" (pork bowl)

The world's only draft horse race, "Ban'ei Keiba"

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