Onsen in Sapporo: tattoos, day visits and private baths

Sapporo's onsen at a glance

Sapporo's onsen fall into two broad groups.

• The city: day-use onsen and hotel baths in Chuo-ku, Kita-ku and the other wards outside the hot spring areas of Minami-ku
• The hot spring areas in the mountains of Minami-ku: Jozankei Onsen, Koganeyu Onsen, Hoheikyo Onsen and others. Jozankei Onsen lies about 26 km south of central Sapporo, along the Toyohira River inside Shikotsu-Toya National Park. Its history goes back to 1866, when an ascetic monk, Miizumi Jozan, opened it. The water is a sodium chloride spring, and the salt left on your skin after bathing keeps sweat from evaporating, which keeps you warm. Koganeyu Onsen has a simple sulfur spring.

Many onsen in Sapporo are said to be sodium chloride springs.

In Japan, hot springs that meet a legal standard (therapeutic springs) have official lists of conditions they may help with, by spring type. Chloride springs, for example, are listed for poor circulation and dry skin, and sulfur springs for chronic skin conditions. None of this is a promise that bathing will cure anything. If you have a medical condition or aren't feeling well, you may be better off not bathing.

How the city and Minami-ku's hot spring areas differ

Of the onsen in Sapporo listed on onsen pass, 31 are in the city. Of those, 25 let you bathe without staying the night, and 24 are known to turn away tattoos.

Of the onsen in Sapporo listed on onsen pass, 24 are in the hot spring areas of Minami-ku. Of those, 12 let you bathe without staying the night, and 18 let you in with tattoos (counting those with conditions).

Bathing without staying the night

Some Japanese ryokan and hotels let you use their onsen for a fee even if you're not staying (day-use bathing). In Sapporo, you'll find both these ryokan and hotel baths and onsen built just for day visitors. Of the 55 onsen in Sapporo listed on onsen pass, 37 let you bathe without staying the night. The rest are for overnight guests only.

In the city, hotel baths may be for overnight guests only. Some ryokan in Jozankei offer day-use bathing as a package with a meal.

Private baths can be for overnight guests only, too. Of the onsen in Sapporo listed on onsen pass, 3 let you rent a private bath without staying the night.

Worth checking with the onsen before you go

• Hours: Day-use hours vary, and at ryokan, day visitors may only be allowed at certain times
• Towels: Some onsen charge for towels or expect you to bring your own
• Payment: Some onsen take cash only
• Language: Whether staff speak English depends on the onsen

For onsen etiquette and how to book a private bath, see these pages.

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Getting there from the airport and Sapporo Station

New Chitose Airport to Sapporo Station: From New Chitose Airport, the JR Rapid Airport train takes about 40 minutes to Sapporo Station. By bus, it takes about 70 minutes.

Sapporo Station to Jozankei: From Sapporo Station, the Jotetsu Bus Kappa Liner takes about an hour to Jozankei. You can also board at Odori and Susukino. Every trip requires a reservation, but if there are seats left on the day, you can ride without one. Reservations close at 5 p.m. the day before, and you can book and pay on your smartphone. The Kappa Liner also stops at Koganeyu and Hoheikyo Onsen (some trips don't go as far as Hoheikyo Onsen). There's also a regular route bus that needs no reservation; it takes about 80 minutes.

Straight from the airport to Jozankei: In winter, a direct bus that requires a reservation may run between New Chitose Airport and Jozankei Onsen. Check the operating dates before you travel.

If you have a Japan Rail Pass or Hokkaido Rail Pass: The Japan Rail Pass and Hokkaido Rail Pass cover JR lines (including some JR buses). You can ride the Rapid Airport from the airport to Sapporo Station, but the Jotetsu buses to Jozankei and the subway aren't JR, so you pay a separate fare.

Walking around Jozankei and what to see

Jozankei's hot spring town has free foot baths and hand baths, so you can get a feel for the hot springs without staying the night or bathing at a ryokan. It's a good idea to bring a towel to dry your feet. Some foot baths have towel vending machines.

Jozan Gensen Park

A foot bath park that recreates the scenery where Miizumi Jozan, who opened Jozankei Onsen, came upon the hot spring. It has a basin where you can boil eggs in the spring water, and a statue of Miizumi Jozan.

Futami Tsuribashi suspension bridge and Kappabuchi Pool

The red suspension bridge (23 m long) is a symbol of Jozankei. From Futami Park, the Futami Jozan Road nature trail follows the Toyohira River. From the bridge you can see Kappabuchi Pool, a pool with a legend of the kappa, a mythical water creature in Japanese folklore. In 1965, a manga artist from Sapporo named it "Kappabuchi," and the kappa has been a symbol of Jozankei ever since. Futami Park has a statue of the "Kappa Daio." The path to Kappabuchi Pool is closed by snow in winter.

Iwato Kannondo and Jozankei Shrine

Iwato Kannondo is a hall where 33 statues of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, line a cave about 120 m long. Jozankei Shrine was founded in 1905.

Hoheikyo Dam

A dam beyond Hoheikyo Onsen, known for its autumn leaves. From the parking area to the dam, you can take an electric bus (about 10 minutes) or walk (about 30 minutes). If you come by bus from Sapporo Station, get off at the last stop, Hoheikyo Onsen, and walk about 3 km (about 30 minutes) to the electric bus stop. The electric bus runs only from spring to autumn.

Sapporo through the seasons

Treat these dates as a guide; they shift from year to year.

• April to May: carp streamers. About 400 carp streamers (koinobori) fly over Jozankei's hot spring town and the Toyohira River (Jozankei Onsen Keiryu Koinobori).
• October: autumn leaves. The leaves change color across the Jozankei valley. Hoheikyo Dam is also known for its autumn leaves.
• December to March: winter cautions. Expect lots of snow and icy, slippery roads and sidewalks. In winter, the path to Kappabuchi Pool is closed by snow, and the electric bus to Hoheikyo Dam doesn't run.
• February: Sapporo Snow Festival. A festival of snow and ice held every February for about a week at Odori Park in central Sapporo, Susukino and other sites.

Expect crowds on weekends and during Japan's holiday periods: Golden Week (late April to early May), Obon (mid-August) and New Year (late December to early January).

What overseas visitors say about Jozankei

Here are points that more than one overseas visitor raised in their reviews.

• "An easy half-day trip from Sapporo." It's about an hour by bus from Sapporo, so some visitors go for the day or just half a day.
• "The foot baths are free. Bring a small towel." Some enjoyed the foot baths around town, and some advise bringing a towel to dry your feet.
• "Beautiful in the autumn leaf season." Some visited when the leaves were turning.
• "Check the times of the bus back." Some missed the direct bus and rode back on the slower route bus, and some found a line at the bus stop for the bus back at night.

If you have tattoos

Of the 55 onsen in Sapporo listed on onsen pass, 25 let you in with tattoos. Of those, 4 let you in with no restrictions and 21 with conditions. The most common condition is "Cover with a patch" (17 onsen), followed by "Private bath only" (13 onsen). We also list the 30 onsen we know turn away people with tattoos.

Our guide explains why Japanese onsen turn away tattoos and how you can still bathe.

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If you want a private bath

A private bath is one you rent for just your group, so you don't share it with other bathers the way you would in the communal bath. It's an easy option if you'd rather not bathe in front of strangers or you're traveling with kids, and if you have tattoos, it can sometimes stand in for the communal bath (whether tattoos are allowed still depends on the onsen).

Some onsen keep their private bath for overnight guests only. Of the 55 onsen in Sapporo listed on onsen pass, 8 have a private bath. Of those, 3 let you rent it without staying the night. Booking methods and prices also vary from onsen to onsen.

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