
Jozankei Onsen Village
onsen
定山渓温泉街
Compact onsen village in the Toyohira river valley one hour from central Sapporo, with about a dozen ryokan, free foot baths in the central park, and a kappa (water-spirit) folklore theme woven through the streets.
Jozankei Onsen runs along the Toyohira river beneath the cliffs of Shikotsu-Toya National Park. The town was founded in 1866 by Miizumi Jozan, a Buddhist monk who carved out the access road and named the valley after himself. Today about a dozen ryokan line the riverbank; the central Jozan Gensen Park holds the free Jozankei Genroku-no-yu and a public foot bath at one of the village's open-air spring vents. Some 23 kappa statues are scattered through the village as a nod to local folklore. Sapporo city bus runs roughly hourly from JR Sapporo Station via Makomanai.
The autumn foliage peak runs early-to-mid October, a week before central Sapporo. The Toyohira riverbank promenade gives the best views of the colored cliffs.
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