Hōheikyō Hot Spring

It was a bit far from the city center, so we hopped on a free shuttle bus (departs at 10am everyday) from Mokamanai station directly to the onsen. 1300Yen for adult, and renting a full set of towel cost us an extra of 720Yen/pp. Please be advised that pnly cash is accepted. The onsen was in an old wooden house which we really loved. There was a small indoor pool and a bigger outdoor. The latter one was much beautiful. We went on weekday, so no crowded at all.

One of the most charming and wonderful Onsen experiences. It is not the fanciest Onsen but it oozes character and charm. The waters are really wonderful with 3 different temp pools and a gorgeous outdoor space. If you are lucky they will have their milk / beer / ice cream bar open while you are there. Best to bring towels if you want to save the purchase fees but it is only a couple dollars to buy them and they are nice souvenirs as well with the logo of the Onsen. Kind staff and although the facilities are a bit older they tend to them well. The water is really special and nice. Some people were bothered by the bugs outside but honestly they seem to ignore people and although they flew around me a bit they didn’t land on me or seem interested in me. Dragonflies, butterflies, and interesting bugs were everywhere. A waterwheel outside creates a wonderful sound scape. We went on a very hot day but don’t worry it does not matter as once you are in the water it feels a lot cooler. Evens out the temps on a hot day or warms you up on a cold one. Once you are finished don’t skip the Indian food restaurant, a real unique offering in Japan Onsen in my experience and delicious. To top it off you get to eat your dinner looking at beautiful garden, special spot You can get there really easily from Sapporo station just got to stop “26” which is just east of the main train station and one block south (ask information and they will direct you). No need for reservations as it is a city bus. The drive once you leave the city is beautiful lush valleys. One thing to note is make sure you have change ($1000 yen bills) and/or your Suica card is working and loaded up. You pay at the end of the trip but remember to grab a paper ticket when you board (keeps track of how many people on the bus for the driver). There is a bus leaving Sapporo and the Onsen every hour most of the time so really easy.

Around 1:30h to go from Sapporo to this outdoor onsen (by local bus 860 yen each way. The bus stop is right in front of the facility). It costs 1300 yen to use the onsen, and you can rent towels for around 800 or so (I brought mine). You purchase your ticket at the machine, on the first floor. You have to go all the way up to the 3rd floor... Keep walking until you see a curtain saying "women" and "men" on your left. Enter there. Once you enter the appropriate room based on your gender, you will need a 100 yen to put it in the locker and get a key. You will collect the money back, after you return the key. Take everything off, place it in the locker , and then you can enter the onsen area. You will need to shower first (Japanese takes showers seating down, so take a seat. They offer only shampoo and soap for you to wash yourself), and then you might enter the onsen either inside or outside. I had the impression the place was not very clean and it was also a bit scary to walk on the indoor area, where the floor is uneven and slippery. In my opinion, it was not worth the trip and I would not go back since it had only one very small onsen outside and one inside. My visit was on a Friday early afternoon, so not too busy, which was good for the size of the facility.

We spent a long time getting here on the bus to take a look We didn’t want to swim but just see the atmosphere. We were not allowed to even take a Quick Look without paying 1300 yen each. Not happy. We weren’t keen on spending 2600 yen to do a quick walk through, so watched the outside of the building as we waited a half hour for the next bus back. Hoheikyo, do better and learn flexibility. It was not a busy day at all.

Day trip onsen by taking a bus from Sapporo. The onsen is wonderful and clean. It's nice to soak in outdoor onsen when it's snowing. There is a resto attached to the onsen selling Japanese and Indian food. I ordered Japanese soba which was not bad. Most people ordered Indian food. I want to visit again in other seasons.

Very nice onsen, 1300 yen for entrance, recommend bringing your own towel, otherwise you have to pay for one. Pretty busy, when I was there. There are two bathing areas, one indoors with hotter water and one outdoors, a bit colder, 39-40 degrees Celcius with beautiful view over the area, I had a great time

Very nice onsen. Tattoo friendly (at least it was not a problem for our group and no signage saying otherwise). Outdoor pool options alternative male / female depending on the day. Curry was really delicious also. No need to buy tickets before. Cash only.

A tattoo-friendly onsen in Sapporo! For women there are only 2 baths, indoor and outdoor. The outdoor has a lovely winter mountainside view. A quaint, traditional atmosphere all throughout. The restaurant serves delicious curry and lassi. The naan is chewy and tears apart beautifully. Would love to go back! Perfect for a Sapporo daytrip. Tips: - I booked a Day Spa Package directly from the Jotetsu bus website, and only had to print the voucher out at 7/11 and present to the operator. Better to reserve on the Kappa liner. - Bring your own towel. They sell—not rent—towels there too.

Can be confusing to navigate the place...but the staff were all super helpful, patient, happy, and did their best to speak with us. 2 options when you arrive...place your shoes in an unlocked spot or pay for a locker for your shoes. I believe you get the money back, but not sure. 100 yen for the locker. Then there's 2 paths to take...one for the restaurant and the other for the spa. The spa entrance is paid for through their vending machine style. Top rows are for adults and bottom section are for kids. Both left to right are for quantity. Then you go to the reception where they'll brief you on the rules. Here's where the path gets tricky. Basically walk all the way till you get to the locker rooms. Blue for men and Red for women. The lockers take 100 yen that you get back when you unlock it to change. Get nekkid and shower before you get in! No clothing is allowed. Keep your towels out of the water. And WATCH YOUR STEPS! The ground is uneven and covered in water. There are certain days when the outside section is either men or women. Enjoy it as we did!

Hoheikyo is one of the most "unique" onsen that is offered on the "Day Trip Package" (https://jozankei.jp/en/pac for reference) because it is the only one who offers an OUTDOOR onsen and is not part of a hotel. The package is available to purchase at Sapporo Station Bus Terminal for 2000 yen per person (includes bus ride to/from and admission into the onsen). Hoheikyo Onsen is the last stop on this bus ride and is also the first to get picked up. For those with TATTOOS, this onsen IS TATTOO FRIENDLY ! Most unfortunately do not. Upon entry to the onsen, there are lockers for shoes at a small fee. There is also an option to put them on trays on TOP of the lockers too (at your own risk). After walking past a small waiting area, you see the INDIAN restaurant and where you pay (normally). Since we were part of the package, we still had to pay a different "mandatory" item, a small towel (200 yen?). You have the option to "rent" a large towel too but not needed. I asked the guy there and said most Japanese just wring out the small towel and keep wiping. LOL After you get your towel, you want upstairs. There are large rooms for people to "chill" at afterwards and a massage area (for an additional fee). Lots of vending machines along the way. Near the "end", you'll arrive at the male and female baths (separated of course). With a small turning divider, you'll first get to a locker room. Each locker costs 100 yen but money is returned when key is re-inserted. Baths are FULLY NUDE so you only are allowed the small towel. There is a single person toilet in the locker room, or you can walk out and go back down for some more toilets. As proper bath house etiquette, you are recommended to shower and clean first before using the hot springs. Shampoo and body wash is provided. Each gender has 2 hot springs. One inside, by the showers, one outside, through 2 doors. Most people who come to this onsen will primarily use the outdoor one. Good luck finding a good spot to chill at outside. The water temperature is not bad. Not too hot. I was sitting near but not in front of where the water was coming down. After a while, there was an attendant who came to check the temperature and adjust the spout thing. By the "covered" area, there seemed to be a "table", good for people who has a large group to hang around. Too bad phones are not allowed but pictures on the site (link above) gives you a pretty good idea on how it looks like. It had snowed recently in Sapporo so there are some hints of snow here and there but it was not snowing during my visit. There are vending machines everywhere, Indian sit down restaurant, and some drinks available at the front desk. There's like an ice cream shop too but it wasn't open when I was there. Overall, pretty good experience. No WiFi at the onsen, which made it a mild issue when we were trying to get back together with my friends due to a miscommunication. There are bus schedules online and at the station but they are mildly confusing to look at. There is one at the bus stop as well if you want to check again before going into the onsen. I'd recommend this place. There aren't many outdoor onsens. Breathing in fresh cold mountain air while sitting in a hot bath, its fairly easy to just close your eyes, top your head with a semi wet warm towel, and just relax on the side. Only thing is you'd have to be ok with being fully naked while having people of the same gender who are also fully naked around you, but that's an issue for all onsen, unless you had one in your own room or something. Takes about 50-60 minutes each way, and you should give yourself at least a good 2 hours at the place. So plan accordingly.

If you've ever seen one of those winter photos with a hot springs and thought "I want to do that" this is where you'll want to be. Take the hour bus from Sapporo station and wind your way through the mountains until you reach the end of the line. (There's a combo bus and onsen ticket you can buy for ¥2200 as of this writing) Basic rules apply: no photos in the onsen, no large towels except for drying off (you'll probably want to bring one of your own since there's no body dryer like some other onsens I've been to) and, of course, no clothing allowed in the shower and outdoor hot a springs. I also suggest bringing a hand towel to bring with you inside the onsen, otherwise towels at are available to "rent" Your ¥100 deposit for the lockers (both for your boots/shoes at the front door, and in the changing room) are refundable when you leave. Don't forget to collect it and take it with you. You'll need it to spend at the cafeteria (I suggest the keema or masala) if you want lunch or a light snack before returning to your busy life away from this zen oasis!

It was worth the bus travel to this wonderful outdoor onsen. Caught the Kappa Liner Bus from Sapporo Station. The bus stops directly in front of Hoheikyo. As you enter, you are asked to immediately remove your shoes. You can bring your own towels or rent big and small towels. It's nice to know that this onsen is tattoo friendly. Most onsens don't welcome individuals with visible tattoos. Men and women have separated bath areas so don't expect to share a bath with the opposite sex. If you're shy about your body, you may want to reconsider because you go in fully nude. For you first timers, please understand Japanese onsen etiquette to avoid getting kicked out. After the onsen, we enjoyed a nice Indian curry lunch...a definite must before you leave.

OMG This hotspring place has the most LEGIT indian food. Wasn't expecting that were you haha It was SO GOOD I could have eaten two sets by myself. We actually shared 1 set, but actually we should have each ordered our own. And then like I said, maybe ordered two for myself. We decided to share because I was trying to save room for dinner. But the indian food here was SOOO GOOD. We shared one set: something like a chicken masala dish came with naan. And added a piece of chicken drumstick. EVERYTHING we ordered was AMAZING. The hotspring itself is nice. It felt very old school, and like mom and pop operated. Facilities were clean. We came during the spring and the view of the garden was just so beautiful! There's also a good view of the garden from the restaurant or the resting area. You can buy a ticket to get here from the bus stop. You can only buy them for the day you use them. It cost about $20 for the bus trip and admissions. Be careful to make sure you get on the right bus. because that stop has 2 buses. And one of them has the hotspring as the last stop. the other has last stop that is 20 minute walk from the hotspring stop.

An extraordinary experience. Snow falling on our heads, hot water, peace and serenity. Rather unexpected experience at the restaurant: they serve Indian cuisine and the chef brags about being the king of naan bread. Given the size and the beauty of those, it's entirely believable. We experienced a wonderful lamb barbecue for two. Highly recommended.

We were caught in traffic returning to Jozankei during autumn leaf season (we did Hoheikyo dam in the morning when there was no traffic, but ventured out further during the day). We had planned to go anyway, and with bad traffic, might as well stop in. It is a bit rustic, when is okay, and very touristy. Since traffic was bad and it was leaf season, it was CROWDED. With some many tourists, if you do not speak 日本語 it is okay, the guy at the desk spoke English. There were also no signs that said no tattoo, so if you have one, this may be okay to go to; my husband says he saw a guy with a huge tattoo in the men onsen, but I did not see any in the women onsen. Since it is not exactly a fancy onsen, you need to bring your own towels, or you can buy one at the front desk. Also make sure to have 100yen coins for the lockers (they are returned though). The bathing area was crowded, and you had to wait for a spot to open up to rinse off and clean your body before entering the onsen. There is one large indoor onsen, and one large outdoor onsen... almost everyone was outdoors. The scenery outside was pretty, even if it was a bit crowded. Not the most relaxing onsen bath, but it was okay. It would probably be a nice place to go during the quiet season (winter maybe?). After the bath, the relaxation areas are all a bit spread out, and there is beer, as well as an indian curry restaurant which was also jam-packed. Overall, the building is a bit "tired" and the facilities less than average, it was a nice stop for bath to stretch your legs and ignore traffic for a bit. I have been to many traditional and rustic onsen before, so perhaps I just was not particularly impressed with this one overall. Although there is only 1 outdoor bath, it was very large (whereas someplace will have multiple baths that are not as big) so that was impressive, and with autumn, the scenery was nice.

This is the place you must try!!! Not new building,not very clean,no accommodation,BUT yes Indian curry!!!! Lol This hotspring effects your body smoooooth and beautiful and relax of course. One more thing... Some special persons who have tattoo on their skin can soak in!!! Surprising!!!

I accidentally walked from Jozekei to here. There is a shuttle but I decided to walk the 2 km in snow. The other onsens at the hotels are very nice and clean, but it didn't have the really traditional vibe that I was looking for. The long walk was so worth it. You can take the shuttle btw. It's not as big or clean but it felt like I was back in time. If you are looking for a more traditional onsen experience where real locals go, then this is the place.