
- January 14th, 2014
- Onsen
- TouristSpots
- NorthernArea
[Oshamambe Onsen] Day Trip Onsen and Sturgeon Can Be Enjoyed at Forestry Recreation Center Bifuka Onsen
CONTENTS
Bifuka Onsen
Bifuka Onsen (美深温泉) is a hot spring place in Bifuka town located between Asahikawa city and Wakkanai city. The distance is around 10km away from the center of the Bifuka, and Forestry Recreation Center Bifuka Onsen (林業保養センター びふか温泉) is built between Nayoro National Route (National Route 40) and Teshio River, and has been famous for seeing sturgeon since a long time ago. Bifuka Island (びふかアイランド) surrounded by oxbow lake is a park complex with a camping ground, an auto camping ground, a park golf course, an athletic ground, an accommodation and Sturgeon's House, and it is adjacent to roadside station "Bifuka (びふか)". Unfortunately, a convenience store is not built around here.



Famous tourist attactions in the Bifuka are Matsuyama Wetland (松山湿原), Niupu Nature Forest (仁宇布自然の森), Bifuka Truck Kingdom (美深トロッコ王国) and Mt. Hakodake (函岳). The Niupu district is said to be set in a stage of "A Wild Sheep Chase (羊を巡る冒険)" written by Mr. Haruki Murakami (村上春樹), a famous novelist, and this place is deeply connected with sheep. Sheep Merry's Milk Ice Cream (メリーさんの羊アイス) made from sheep milk is sold, too. By the way, Founders of Sanpachi Ramen (さんぱちラーメン) and Aji-no-Tokeidai (時計台) are from the Bifuka, and it is well-known for a town excited at ramen, too. I ate the ramen at Suzuya Shokudo (すずや食堂) and Inoue Shokudo (井上食堂), and those were tasty. At the Inoue Shokudo, a famous huge soft serve ice cream is sold, too.


Matsuyama Wetland
Matsuyama Wetland (松山湿原) in Bifuka town is the northernmost high moor at 797 m above sea level in Japan, and is located in the northern direction of Asahikawa city. Tourists must go up a mountain trail of 900 m in length to look around. It takes about 30 minutes from a trailhead to the mountaintop. However, it is quite hard to go up the mountain trail. Because a muddy ground is not good condition, Tourists should wear their non-slip shoes. I slipped and fell down once. Read More

Tenryu Marsh
Tenryu Marsh (天竜沼) is located at the foot of Matsuyama Wetland (松山湿原) in Bifuka town. The perimeter of the marsh is about 400 m, and it is the small marsh. Wooden paths are built around the marsh, and tourists can approach the bank of the marsh. When I visited here, the water of the marsh became muddy, but the blue marsh seems to be famous. It takes about 1 minutes from a parking lot to the Tenryu Marsh. The parking lot is free of charge. There are a restroom at the parking lot. By the way, except the parking lot and the restroom, there is not facility at all. Beware of bears, too. Read More

Mt. Hakodake
Mt. Hakodake (函岳) in Bifuka town is located in the northern direction of Asahikawa city. Altitude of the mountain is 1,129 m. A signboard written as "Superb View, Mt. hakodake (絶景函岳)" was built along Japan national route 40, and I reach to the mountaintop when I followed a road. Tourists did not climb the mountain on foot. But I had to drive on the gravel road of one car width for a little less than 30 km. Speed did not rise, and it took about 1 hour from Bifuka to the mountaintop by a car. It was a place that many people did not visit here very much, and nature was very rich. I saw North Fox and Yezo Squirrel on the road several times. Read More

Inoue Shokudo
Inoue Shokudo (井上食堂) is a long-established restraunt in the Bifuka town between Asahikawa city and Wakkanai city. There is a building along National Highway 40 near supermarket, Arcs Bifuka branch (アークス美深店), and the appearance of building has an atmosphere of Showa era. When I entered the restraunt, I was surprised more. The interior decoration was old style and there was small but cozy raised seating place and tatami-room. Read More
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Sheep Merry's Milk Ice Cream of Matsuyama Farm
Sheep Merry's Milk Ice Cream (メリーさんの羊アイス) is an ice cream made from sheep milk that Matsuyama Farm (松山農場) in Bifuka located between Asahikawa city and Wakkanai city sells. Niupu (仁宇布) district that there is the Matsuyama Farm is said to be set in a stage of "A Wild Sheep Chase (羊を巡る冒険)" that famous novelist Haruki Murakami (村上春樹) wrote, and this place is deeply connected with sheep. 3 kinds of sheeps, East Friesian Sheep for milking, Poll Dorset Sheep for meat and Romanov Sheep for leather are bred, and the Sheep Merry's Milk Ice Cream is made from sheep milk of the Friesland Sheep. Speaking of the ice cream, milk is commonly used, and it is the rare ice cream. Those are sold at roadside station "Bifuka (美深)", Farm Inn Tonttu (ファームイントント) and Koibu (コイブ) run by the Matsuyama Farm. Read More

List of Day Trip Onsen
Visitors can take a day trip bath at the Forestry Recreation Center Bifuka Onsen.

Forestry Recreation Center Bifuka Onsen
Forestry Recreation Center Bifuka Onsen is a small-sized onsen ryokan founded in 1980, and is popular with local people and campers. A lot of visitors came to take a bath when I visited here on weekdays. An entrance fee to a bath facility is JPY 450. A restraunt and a shop are at the building, too, and visitors for day trip bath can use the restraunt. Meals using sturgeon are served, too. A staying is possible, too.


There are 1 indoor bath, 1 whirlpool bath, 1 cold bath and 1 sauna at a public bathhouse. The sunny tiled bathhouse with ceiling windows is feeling good. The quarter-round indoor bath is the size that about 10 people can take a bath, and the whirlpool bath is the size that about 4 people can take a bath, and both baths use heated cold springs.



The hot springs are cold spring, and are clear and light yellow and have neither taste nor smell, and are not drinkable because of circulation type baths. The sum total of the hot spring ingredients are 0.659 g/kg. Shampoos and body soaps are provided at the bathhouse. In addition, a restroom and a free hair dryer are installed at a dressing room, too.


Types of Hot Springs | Cold spring (Type: Weak alkaline, Osmotic Pressure: Low, Spring Temperature Type: Cold spring) |
---|---|
Water temperature of Hot Spring Source | 19.4 C |
ph | 7.8 |
Indications | - |
Contraindications | Acute disease(when there is the heat in particular), Active tuberculosis, Malignant tumor, Severe heart disease, Respiratory failure, Renal insufficiency, Hemorrhagic disease, High anemia, Other diseases during condition of a patient progress generally |
Indications of drinking | Not drinking |
Facilities | Indoor bath(3), Sauna(1). * Sex-Segregated Bathhouse. |
Entrance fee to the bath facility | Adult: JPY 450. Child: JPY 220. |
Business hours | 11:00-21:00 |
Regular closing day | Irregular closing day |
Parking lot | A free parking is provided (100 cars) |
Telephone number | +81-1656-2-2900 |
Home page | Home page is here |
Reservation | ![]() |
Mapcode | 651 489 701*75 |
List of Accommodations
Refer to following websites for the accommodations in the Bifuka Onsen. You can get information regarding online reviews and photos.
By the way, Club Tourism (クラブツーリズム), a Japanese tour travel agency, provides various types of tours such as day trip tours or ordinary tours. In the case of bus tours, tourists do not drive their cars themselves, so they can savor alcohol. Choosen tourist attractions are national parks such as Rishiri and Rebun, Shiretoko, and popular tourist places such as Furano and Biei, and some activities such as hiking and fruit picking are also enjoyed depending on seasons. If you are interested in tour trips, you should visit the club tourism's website for details.
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