Tokachigawa Onsen, located in Otofuke Town in eastern Hokkaido, is a hot spring resort famous for its amber-colored moor hot springs. The waters are known as "beauty springs" because they blend into the skin like lotion. Easily accessible from Obihiro in about 20 minutes by car or bus, it's also an ideal base for sightseeing in eastern Hokkaido. Tokachigawa Onsen has many accommodations where you can enjoy moor hot springs, but here we've carefully selected four of our most recommended ones.

We will introduce basic information about Tokachigawa Onsen, such as the quality and characteristics of its spring waters, as well as access. After that, we will introduce recommended hot spring hotels and inns.

Enjoy the moor hot springs at Tokachigawa Onsen

Tokachigawa Onsen is best known for its amber-colored alkaline spring water, known as moor hot spring. Because it contains salt and plant-based components called humic substances, it is said to be gentle on the skin and has beneficial effects such as improving sensitivity to cold.

Plant-based spring water is actually quite valuable. Generally, most hot springs are caused by volcanic activity, so the majority of spring water contains a lot of minerals such as iron and sulfur. However, unlike ordinary hot springs, the main component of the water at Tokachigawa Onsen is not minerals caused by volcanic activity, but organic plant matter.

The area around Tokachigawa Onsen is rich in nature and is famous as a place where swans come to visit.

In ancient times, the Tokachi River basin was a marshland where plants such as straw and reeds grew naturally. Over thousands of years, these plants accumulated, creating layers of peat and lignite containing organic plant matter. Furthermore, when geothermally heated groundwater from deep underground flows through the peat and lignite layers, the organic plant matter seeps out and mixes with the water, creating the moor hot springs.

Similar moor hot springs are found in Tokachigawa Onsen and the nearby city of Obihiro, but the hot spring layer in the Tokachigawa Onsen area is located at a relatively shallow depth, so the source temperature is higher than in the surrounding areas.

It is easily accessible, so in addition to guests staying overnight, there are many people who come to enjoy the baths on a day trip or to enjoy the foot baths.

Tokachigawa Onsen is generally accessed by bus or car. If using public transportation, take the Tokachi Bus bound for Tokachigawa Onsen, which departs from Obihiro Station. The journey takes approximately 30 minutes to Tokachigawa Onsen and 40 minutes to Obihiro Station. In addition, some of the Tokachi Milky Liner, an intercity express bus that connects New Chitose Airport and Obihiro Station, departs and arrives at Tokachigawa Onsen via Obihiro Station. Being able to get to New Chitose Airport without having to transfer is convenient for travelers from outside Hokkaido.

If you are traveling by car, take the Otofuke Obihiro Interchange on the Hokkaido Expressway (Odan Expressway). It takes about 20 minutes from Otofuke Obihiro Interchange to Tokachigawa Onsen.

There are several hot spring hotels and inns in Tokachigawa Onsen. All of them are wonderful, but we have carefully selected four that have unique features such as baths, rooms, and cuisine.

Sasai Hotel

Tokachigawa Onsen Sasai Hotel is a long-established hot spring hotel that has been with Tokachigawa Onsen for a long time. It is said that Tokachigawa Onsen began its history as a therapeutic hot spring resort and hot spring area in 1900 (Meiji 33), when the naturally gushing hot spring water was heated and used by local residents. Later, in 1913 (Taisho 2), the hot spring inn Sasai Onsen was opened after the source was dug deeper. Sasai Onsen was the predecessor to Sasai Hotel, which opened in 1926 (Taisho 15).

Indoor bath

open-air bath

The large public bath, where you can enjoy the moor hot spring water from the hotel's own source, has a cypress bath, a tub bath, an open-air bath, as well as a waterfall bath and a sauna.You can enjoy a variety of bathing methods, such as being enveloped in the scent of cypress, feeling like you have the hot spring all to yourself in the tub bath, or bathing in the open air with a sense of freedom.

pot bath

The guest rooms include several types of Western-style twin rooms with a Japanese touch, as well as Japanese-style rooms with tatami flooring and Western-style rooms with carpeting. Several rooms were renovated in 2022, giving them a new feel.

Executive Japanese Twin Room

Superior Japanese Twin Room

Meals are served buffet-style, featuring dishes made with seasonal ingredients, primarily local produce. Dinner features a wide variety of Japanese, Western, and Chinese dishes, so you'll have a hard time deciding what to order. Must-try dishes include freshly fried tempura and beef steak, which are prepared right in front of you by the chef in the restaurant's open kitchen. If you make a reservation in advance, you can also order a special course meal instead of a buffet-style dinner.

Image of a dinner with a variety of dishes

The taste of food freshly made right in front of you is exceptional!

Breakfast is served buffet-style, with a wide variety of dishes to choose from, but the French toast is especially recommended. It's fluffy yet moist, with a melt-in-your-mouth flavor that's sure to become addictive.

French toast for breakfast

*Photo provided by Tokachigawa Onsen Sasai Hotel

Tokachigawa Moor Hot Springs Seijakubo

Tokachigawa Mall Onsen Seijakubo is a lodging facility with a private, luxurious, and special atmosphere, with all rooms featuring an open-air hot spring bath and a garden. The facility opened at the end of August 2022, and you can feel the brand newness everywhere. It is especially recommended for those who want to escape from everyday life and spend a luxurious time in a hideaway.

The large open-air bath (foreground) and indoor bath (back)

There is also a loyly sauna.

The brown moor hot spring can be enjoyed in all guest rooms, and can also be bathed in the large public bath. If you want to soak in the hot spring in a spacious bathtub with a feeling of openness, you can do so in the large public bath, but if you want to bathe freely without worrying about other people's eyes, you can enjoy it in your guest room. The hot spring in the guest rooms is a free-flowing spring, so you can feel the blessings of the earth gushing from the earth on your bare skin.

The hot spring in the guest room is a very luxurious space.

There are 24 guest rooms in total, all of which are over 50m² in size and have a spacious layout.

All of the buildings at Tokachigawa Moor Onsen Seijakubo are single-story. The lobby, large bath, restaurant, and other facilities surround a courtyard, all of which are connected by a long, U-shaped corridor. Public spaces are located inside the corridor, and guest rooms are located on the outside. Each guest room is independent and protrudes outwards, allowing you to enjoy your time alone in peace and quiet without being too conscious of the surroundings.

The guest rooms are designed with a "detached" feel, and all have an open-air hot spring bath and a garden.

Meals are made with an abundance of Hokkaido ingredients and seasonal ingredients from all over Japan. For dinner, you can choose from a creative Japanese kaiseki course meal that combines the flavors of various cuisines based on Japanese cuisine, or a teppanyaki course. Enjoy it with local alcohol, such as Hokkaido wine. In the morning, you can enjoy a very elaborate Japanese breakfast.

Image of creative Japanese kaiseki dinner

Teppanyaki image

Breakfast image

This hot spring accommodation has the feel of a hideaway for adults, and is perfect for those who want to spend some quiet time relaxing by themselves.

*Photo provided by Tokachigawa Moor Hot Springs Seijakubo

Tokachigawa Onsen Kangetsuen

Tokachigawa Onsen Kangetsuen is a long-established hot spring hotel located on the banks of the Tokachi River, boasting a magnificent view. It has been welcoming hot spring guests for many years since Tokachigawa Onsen was first established. In addition to enjoying the moor hot springs, the hotel also has a high reputation for its cuisine, which incorporates plenty of local seasonal ingredients.

You can enjoy the moor hot springs that flow directly from the source.

The large public bath, where you can enjoy the moor hot spring water, which is as gentle on the skin as lotion, also has a large bath as well as baths for lying down and walking.You can also enjoy the magnificent Tokachi scenery from the open-air bath surrounded by rocks.

An open-air bath with a sense of openness

If you value privacy when bathing in a hot spring, you can enjoy the moor hot spring in a special room with an open-air observation bath or a room with an open-air bath, where the hot spring water is drawn into the guest room. From the open-air observation bath, you can look out over the majestic flow of the Tokachi River and the Tokachi Plain, and also enjoy the view of the wide sky.

The view from the open-air observation bath is refreshing!

In addition to these rooms with open-air baths, there are also standard guest rooms such as Japanese-style rooms and Japanese-Western style rooms, as well as Japanese-Western suites with private saunas. Choose a room based on the number of people staying, the occasion, and your preferences, such as the style of your stay and whether you want to use the hot springs or sauna privately.

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

Along with the hot springs, Tokachigawa Onsen Kangetsuen also offers delicious food. Guests can enjoy dishes made with a generous amount of Tokachi produce, including wheat, red beans, potatoes, cheese, pork, beef, chicken, and other meats, as well as the bounty of the land and sea.

A restaurant overlooking the Tokachi River

For dinner, you can choose between a buffet-style meal in the restaurant or a Japanese kaiseki meal in the dining area. The buffet offers a variety of Japanese, Western, and Chinese dishes, and you can enjoy freshly prepared food in the live kitchen. There is also a wide selection of items on display in the sweets tower and salad corner.

The special pizza for dinner is packed with toppings and melted cheese.

Breakfast is also served buffet-style, and in addition to Japanese dishes such as a seafood bowl that you can make yourself, there are many Western dishes on the menu and a wide variety of breads. The hotel's policy is to convey the local food culture, including the faces and history of producers, in all of its dishes, both dinner and breakfast. Enjoy the hospitality of seasonal delicacies from each season.

Image of breakfast bread

*Photo provided by Tokachigawa Onsen Kangetsuen

Tokachigawa Onsen Fuji Hotel

Tokachigawa Onsen Fuji Hotel is an accommodation facility where you can enjoy 100% free-flowing moor hot spring water that gushes forth from its own source. It is the only hotel in the Tokachigawa Onsen area that also offers private hot spring baths. This hotel is especially recommended for those who are not looking for luxury or luxury, but would rather enjoy the high-quality spring water at their leisure, as if they were visiting a close friend's home.

Large public bath

Although the large public bath does not have an open-air bath, it is renowned for the quality of its hot spring water. The hot spring water flows from the hotel's own hot spring source and is poured directly into the bathtub without adding water or heating. The amber-colored water gently overflows from the bathtub, proving that fresh water is constantly being poured in. The large public bath is open except during late-night hours, so you can enjoy the high-quality water at your leisure, whether at night or in the morning.

A continuous bath of moor hot spring water

The private baths can be reserved in one-hour increments and are also 100% natural hot spring water. Recommended for those who want to bathe without worrying about the eyes of others.

Image of a Japanese-Western room

Family Room

The guest rooms are mainly Japanese-style rooms and Japanese-Western style rooms, but there are also family rooms and Western-style rooms. There are no rooms with hot springs, but all rooms except for those that can accommodate one person are equipped with a unit bath or shower room.

Dinner image

The dish name "The plate is ridiculously large! Choose three appetizers and pickles" is a bit amusing.

Dinner is a creative Japanese-Western meal, and guests can enjoy a delicious and fun-filled menu of original dishes, regardless of whether they are Japanese or Western. Breakfast is a buffet that combines Japanese, Western, and Chinese cuisine (a set menu may be available on some days). Each dish is made with the joy and homemade touch of the chef and staff, and guests can enjoy dishes filled with the spirit of hospitality.

There is also a children's menu available

This hot spring hotel is where you can feel the staff's consideration and enthusiasm everywhere, and is recommended for those who want to enjoy a high-quality moor hot spring without any stress.

*Photo provided by Tokachigawa Onsen Fuji Hotel

Image of the hot spring water at Moor Onsen

Tokachigawa Onsen is a hot spring area with an abundance of plant-based spring water that is rare even on a global scale. There are many different types of hot spring accommodations, so choose the facility that best suits your style and atmosphere. All of the hot spring hotels and inns recommended here offer moor hot springs, and all have highly acclaimed meals. Stay at Tokachigawa Onsen, take a bath, and get beautiful skin.

*All information listed is current as of March 2025. *Each event may be subject to change or cancellation, so please check the official website before participating.

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