Located in Otofuke Town in Eastern Hokkaido, Tokachigawa Onsen is a hot spring resort famous for its amber-colored Moor Onsen. With a water quality that feels like a skin toner, it's also known as the "Beauty Bath." Easily accessible in about 20 minutes by car or bus from Obihiro, it's an ideal base for sightseeing in Eastern Hokkaido. While there are many inns where you can enjoy the Moor Onsen, we've carefully selected and will introduce four particularly recommended establishments.

First, let's introduce the basic information about Tokachigawa Onsen's water quality, features, and access. After that, we will guide you to our recommended onsen hotels and inns.

The Moor Onsen you can enjoy at Tokachigawa Onsen

The most distinctive feature of Tokachigawa Onsen is its alkaline, amber-colored water, known as Moor Onsen. Containing salt and plant-derived components called humic substances, it is gentle on the skin and is said to have beautifying effects and be effective in improving sensitivity to cold.

This plant-based water quality is actually quite rare. Most hot springs in Japan are formed due to volcanic activity, meaning they are rich in minerals like iron and sulfur. The main components of Tokachigawa Onsen's water are different; they are plant-based organic substances, not minerals from volcanic activity.

The area around Tokachigawa Onsen is rich in nature and famous as a stopover for swans

In ancient times, the Tokachi River basin was a marshland where plants like reeds and rushes grew wild. Over thousands of years, these plants accumulated, forming peat and lignite layers mixed with plant-based organic matter underground. Geothermally heated groundwater then passed through these layers, absorbing the plant-based organic matter to become Moor Onsen.

Similar Moor Onsen can be found in nearby areas like downtown Obihiro, but the hot spring layer under the Tokachigawa Onsen area is relatively shallow, resulting in a higher source temperature compared to surrounding regions.

Its easy access attracts not only overnight guests but also day-trippers and those who come to enjoy the footbaths

Access to Tokachigawa Onsen is generally by bus or car. If using public transportation, take the Tokachi Bus bound for Tokachigawa Onsen from the front of Obihiro Station. The journey takes about 30 minutes to Tokachigawa Onsen and about 40 minutes back to Obihiro Station. Additionally, some services of the "Tokachi Milky Liner" intercity express bus, which connects New Chitose Airport and Obihiro Station, continue on to Tokachigawa Onsen after stopping at Obihiro Station. The direct connection to New Chitose Airport is convenient for travelers from outside Hokkaido.

If you are driving, use the Otofuke-Obihiro Interchange on the Doto Expressway (Hokkaido Odan Expressway). It takes about 20 minutes from the interchange to Tokachigawa Onsen.

There are several onsen hotels and inns in Tokachigawa Onsen. While all of them are wonderful, we have selected and will introduce four establishments with distinctive features in their baths, guest rooms, and cuisine.

Sasai Hotel

Tokachigawa Onsen Sasai Hotel is a long-established onsen hotel that has grown alongside the history of Tokachigawa Onsen. The history of Tokachigawa Onsen as a spa and hot spring resort is said to have begun in 1900 (Meiji 33) when local residents started heating and using the naturally flowing hot water. Later, in 1913 (Taisho 2), the source was drilled deeper, and the onsen ryokan "Sasai Onsen" opened. Sasai Onsen became the predecessor to Sasai Hotel, which opened in 1926 (Taisho 15).

Indoor bath

Open-air bath

The large public bath, where you can fully enjoy the Moor Onsen from their private source, features a cypress bath, pot baths, and an open-air bath, as well as a cascading water massage and a sauna. You can enjoy various bathing experiences, from being enveloped in the scent of cypress, to feeling like you have the onsen all to yourself in a pot bath, to bathing in the open air with a sense of freedom.

Pot bath

Guest rooms include several types of Western-style twin rooms with a Japanese touch, as well as tatami-matted Japanese-style rooms and carpeted Western-style rooms. Several rooms were renovated in 2022, giving them a fresh, new feel.

Executive Japanese-style Twin

Superior Japanese-style Twin

For meals, you can enjoy a buffet-style dining experience featuring dishes made with local and seasonal ingredients. The dinner buffet offers a wide variety of Japanese, Western, and Chinese dishes, so much so that you'll have a hard time deciding what to eat. Among them, the freshly fried tempura and beef steak prepared by chefs right in front of you at the open kitchen are a must-try. For dinner, it is also possible to order a special course meal instead of the buffet by making a reservation in advance.

Image of the dinner buffet with its wide array of dishes

The taste of freshly made food is exceptional!

The breakfast is also buffet-style with a variety of dishes, but the French toast is particularly recommended. Its fluffy yet moist texture and melt-in-your-mouth flavor are addictive.

French toast for breakfast

*Photos provided by: Tokachigawa Onsen Sasai Hotel

Tokachigawa Moor Onsen Seijakubou

Tokachigawa Moor Onsen Seijakubou is a luxurious and exclusive accommodation where every guest room has its own open-air onsen bath and garden. Opened at the end of August 2022, the facility feels new and fresh throughout. It is especially recommended for those who want to escape from daily life and spend a lavish time in a private hideaway.

The open-air bath (front) and indoor bath (back) of the large public bath

There is also a Löyly-style sauna

The brownish Moor Onsen can be enjoyed in every guest room as well as in the large public bath. If you want to soak in a spacious tub with a sense of openness, head to the public bath. If you prefer to bathe as you please without worrying about others, you can indulge in your room. The onsen in the guest rooms is free-flowing directly from the source, allowing you to feel the blessings of the earth on your skin.

The onsen in the guest room, a truly luxurious space

There are 24 rooms in total, all over 50㎡, offering a spacious layout

All buildings at Tokachigawa Moor Onsen Seijakubou are single-story. The lobby, public bath, and restaurant are arranged around a central courtyard, connected by a long corridor in a rectangular shape. Public spaces are on the inner side of the corridor, while guest rooms line the outer side. Each room is designed as a separate, protruding unit, allowing guests to enjoy their own quiet time without being too aware of their surroundings.

Guest rooms are designed like detached villas, each with an open-air onsen bath and a garden

For meals, you can savor dishes made with an abundance of ingredients from Hokkaido and seasonal delicacies from all over Japan. For dinner, you can choose between a creative Japanese kaiseki course that fuses various culinary styles with a Japanese base, or a teppanyaki course. Enjoy it with local sake, such as wine produced in Hokkaido. In the morning, you can relish a very elaborate Japanese breakfast.

Image of the creative Japanese kaiseki dinner

Image of the teppanyaki

Image of the breakfast

This onsen accommodation is the epitome of an adult hideaway. It's perfect for those who want to spend a quiet, relaxing time by themselves.

*Photos provided by: Tokachigawa Moor Onsen Seijakubou

Tokachigawa Onsen Kangetsuen

Tokachigawa Onsen Kangetsuen is a long-established onsen hotel on the banks of the Tokachi River, boasting excellent views. It has been welcoming onsen guests for many years, since shortly after Tokachigawa Onsen was established. Not only can you enjoy the Moor Onsen, but its cuisine, which makes ample use of local seasonal ingredients, is also highly acclaimed.

Enjoy the free-flowing Moor Onsen direct from the source

In the large public bath, where you can indulge in the skin-friendly Moor Onsen that feels like a lotion, there are various tubs including a large main bath, a reclining bath, and a walking bath. From the open-air bath, adorned with rocks, you can also enjoy the magnificent scenery of Tokachi.

A spacious open-air bath

For those who value privacy while bathing, you can thoroughly enjoy the Moor Onsen in the special rooms with scenic open-air baths or rooms with open-air baths, where the onsen water is piped directly to the room. From the scenic open-air bath, you can overlook the majestic flow of the Tokachi River and the Tokachi Plain, and also enjoy the expansive view of the sky.

The view from the scenic open-air bath is exhilarating!

In addition to these rooms with open-air baths, there are also standard rooms such as Japanese-style and Japanese-Western style rooms, as well as a Japanese-Western suite with a private sauna. Choose your room based on how you want to spend your time, whether you want to use the onsen or sauna privately, and according to the number of guests and occasion.

Image of the interior of a special room with a scenic open-air bath

At Tokachigawa Onsen Kangetsuen, the food is as much of a draw as the onsen. You can enjoy dishes made with an abundance of local bounty from the land and sea of Tokachi, including wheat, adzuki beans, potatoes, cheese, and various meats like pork, beef, and chicken.

A restaurant overlooking the Tokachi River

For dinner, you can choose a plan with either a buffet at the restaurant or a Japanese kaiseki meal at a dining area. The buffet features a variety of Japanese, Western, and Chinese dishes, with freshly prepared food available at the live kitchen, as well as an extensive selection at the dessert tower and salad corner.

The special pizza for dinner is loaded with toppings and gooey cheese

Breakfast is also buffet-style, featuring Japanese options like a make-your-own seafood bowl (kaisendon), as well as numerous Western dishes and a wide variety of breads. For both dinner and breakfast, the hotel adheres to a policy of conveying the local food culture, including the faces and stories of the producers. Look forward to the hospitality of seasonal delicacies.

Image of the breakfast breads

*Photos provided by: Tokachigawa Onsen Kangetsuen

Tokachigawa Onsen Fuji Hotel

Tokachigawa Onsen Fuji Hotel is an accommodation where you can enjoy 100% free-flowing Moor Onsen directly from its private source. It is the only place in the Tokachigawa Onsen area that offers private, reservable onsen baths. It's especially recommended for those who prefer to thoroughly enjoy high-quality hot spring water in a relaxed atmosphere, like visiting a good friend's house, rather than seeking opulence or luxury.

Large public bath

Although the large public bath doesn't have an open-air section, the quality of its water is highly regarded. The onsen water, gushing from the hotel's own source, is poured into the tubs without any added water or heating. The amber-colored water quietly overflows from the tub, a sign that fresh water is constantly being supplied. The public bath is available except for late at night, so you can thoroughly enjoy the high-quality water both in the evening and in the morning.

A constant flow of Moor Onsen into the tub

The private bath can be reserved and used in one-hour slots, and it also features 100% free-flowing water from the source. It's recommended for those who want to bathe without being concerned about others.

Image of a Japanese-Western style room

Family room

The guest rooms are mainly Japanese-style and Japanese-Western style, with family rooms and Western-style rooms also available. While there are no rooms with private onsen, all rooms except for single occupancy rooms are equipped with a unit bath or a shower room.

Image of dinner

The dish name is a bit playful: "The plates are ridiculously big! A choice of 3 appetizers and pickles"

Dinner is a creative Japanese-Western course, featuring original dishes based on the theme of delicious and fun, without being confined to Japanese or Western cuisine. Breakfast is a buffet with a mix of Japanese, Western, and Chinese dishes (may be a set menu on some days). In every dish, you can taste the heartfelt hospitality, reflecting the handmade touch and playful spirit of the chef and staff.

A kids' menu is also available

This onsen hotel, where the staff's consideration and spirit are felt everywhere, is recommended for those who want to enjoy high-quality Moor Onsen in a relaxed, unpretentious setting.

*Photos provided by: Tokachigawa Onsen Fuji Hotel

Image of Moor Onsen water

Tokachigawa Onsen is a hot spring resort where an abundance of plant-based hot spring water, a rarity even globally, gushes forth. There are various types of onsen accommodations, so you can choose a facility that suits your preferred style and atmosphere. All the onsen hotels and inns recommended this time allow you to enjoy the Moor Onsen, and they are all highly rated for their food. Stay at Tokachigawa Onsen, take a bath, and get beautiful skin.

*All information is current as of March 2025.
*Events may be changed or canceled. Please check official websites for the latest information before attending.

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