[Koshikawa Onsen in Shari] Day Trip Bath Can Be Enjoyed at Unmanned Communal Bath in Shiretoko Peninsula

Road to Heaven

Road to Heaven (天に続く道) is a straight road with about 28 km in total length near Unabetsu Ski Resort (ウナベツスキー場) in Shari, and is named that the road runs straight to the sky. A view is comfortable in the daytime, and the view with the red sky is good in the sunset, too. As the total length, there are 2 views, 18 km or 28 km. When I measure the distance on the Google Map, the total length of the straight road is 28 km, and the straight road from start point to Japan National Route is 18 km. There is Nameless Observation Deck (無き展望台) from the start point down the road a little, and a view with windbreaks and fields and the Road to Heaven can be seen. There is not facilities such as a restroom and a store aroud here. Admission free. There is not a parking lot, so visitors park their cars on the road-shoulder. Read More

Ikushina Primeval Flower Garden

Ikushina Primeval Flower Garden (以久科原生花園) is in Shari town located in the root of Shiretoko Peninsula (知床半島). The Ikushina Primeval Flower Garden is not famous, few people visit here. But, a scenery of the Shiretoko peninsula is wonderful. It may be said that this is a little-known spot of tourist attractions and is a slightly strange primeval flower garden, and it is divided into 2 parts, the sea side and the green belt side along the Sea of Okhotsk (オホーツク海). Tourists admire flowers along a slim straight path with about 1 km in length. Dianthus Superbus, Rosa Rugosa and Siberian Lily bloom from late June to mid July. Admission free. A parking lot is free of charge. There are no facilities such as a restroom and a stall. Read More

Koshikawa Onsen

Koshikawa Onsen Management Association (越川温泉管理組合) manages a facility for local people mainly. But ordinary people can take a bath if only they pay an entrance fee for JPY 200, and have good manners such as taking their garbage with them and keeping a public bathroom clean. The Koshikawa Onsen is popular with motorcycle trip riders and onsen lovers.

There are a rest room, gender segregated dressing rooms and gender segregated public bathrooms at a hut, and a restroom is built on the outside. The old wooden hut reminds me of famous Japanese Television Drama “From the North Country (北の国から)”, and a lot of visitors might feel typical old Hokkaido. When I visited here around 06:00 on weekdays, 2 old local people were just going their home after cleaning the bathrooms. I asked them I wanted to take a bath, so they replied friendly “Thanks for coming all the way. Please take a bath!”. The interior decoration was very shibui, so I visited as if the building was a relative’s old house.

There is 1 indoor bath at the public bathroom. The indoor bath made of concrete is the size that about 3 people can take a bath. Because a roof is made of polycarbonat, the sunlight shines down on the bathroom, so it is very comforatable! Because a shower is not provided, bathers must take a bath after pouring the hot spring on their body with a water tub, and rinse off their surface dirt and sweat. I enjoyed overflowing hot springs while the hot springs were blended with a mountain stream before my eyes. I felt good, and forgot daily life.

The hot springs are sodium and calcium chloride carbonated spring, and are slightly opaque and colorless and have a little bitter and tasteless. The sum total of the hot spring ingredients are 7.224 g/kg. The hot springs seem to be drinkable. When I drank it in a glass, it tasted a little bitter, so I did not drank very much. It seems to be effective for Chronic digestive diseases, Chronic constipation, Chronic cholecystitis, Cholelithiasis, Diabetes, Gout, Obesity disease. By the way, cold water is the mountain stream, so it is unfit to drink.

Shampoos and body soaps are not provided at the bathroom, so the bathers must bring those. Because there is not a restroom at a dressing room, you should get a wash beforehand at the restroom on the outside.

Atmosphere of Koshikawa Onsen Can Be Watched on Youtube

Movie of Koshikawa Onsen