# Jozankei Onsen

> Jozankei is inside Sapporo's city limits, in the mountains of Minami-ku, about an hour from Sapporo Station on a Jotetsu bus. Kappa statues stand all over town, the footbath in Jozan Gensen Park is free, and the red Futami suspension bridge is where to stand when the gorge turns red and yellow in early to mid October.

- Prefecture: Hokkaido
- Type: Onsen
- Address: Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
- Official site: https://jozankei.jp/

Jozankei is a strip of large hotels along the Toyohira River, close enough to Sapporo that people come out for an afternoon bath and go home for dinner. The name comes from Misumi Jozan, a Buddhist monk who was led to the springs by Ainu guides in 1866 and spent years trying to build a bathing place here. Jozan Gensen Park, opened in 2005 for the 200th anniversary of his birth, has his statue, a free footbath open from 7:00 to 21:00 and a spring hot enough to boil eggs in. The kappa are the other local character. The story goes that a young man fishing at a deep pool in the river disappeared, and a year later told his father in a dream that he had married a kappa and was happy. The pool is now called Kappa-buchi, and kappa statues made by sculptors from Hokkaido and elsewhere stand around town. The walk to the red Futami suspension bridge, past Kappa-buchi and the Futami rocks, is the best short walk in Jozankei, and in early to mid October the slopes around it are full of maple and katsura colour. The streets themselves are not much to look at; the gorge is the point. For a bath, several hotels take day visitors, and the free footbaths cost nothing.

## FAQ

### How do I get to Jozankei from Sapporo?

By Jotetsu bus. The Kappa Liner takes about 60 minutes from central Sapporo, costs 1,700 yen (1,460 yen paid online in advance) and must be booked by the day before. Ordinary Jotetsu route buses from Sapporo Station take a little over an hour and need no booking.

### Where can I bathe on a day visit?

Several hotels take day bathers. Hotel Shikanoyu, for example, has a morning slot from 6:00 to 9:30 (last entry 8:30) for 1,000 yen and a day slot from 13:00 to 21:00 (last entry 20:00) for 1,500 yen, with towels included; on Mondays and Thursdays the day slot starts at 14:00. Hotels sometimes stop day bathing for repairs or groups, so phone first. The footbath in Jozan Gensen Park is free from 7:00 to 21:00.

### When are the autumn leaves at their best?

Usually early to mid October, though it shifts with the weather. Good places to see it are the Futami suspension bridge, Kappa-buchi and the Nishiki bridge. Weekends at the peak are busy, so come on a weekday if you can.

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Source: Jozankei Onsen — Japan Voyage