[Closed Down: Kamoenai Onsen] Day Trip Onsen Can Be Enjoyed at Refresh Plaza 998 with One of Amount of Best Hot Spring Ingredients in Hokkaido

Shakotan Peninsula

Shakotan Peninsula (積丹半島) is a peninsula located in the northwestern part of Otaru city, and has been designated as Niseko-Shakotan-Otaru Kaigan Quasi-National Park (ニセコ積丹小樽海岸国定公園) because of a precious complicated coastline with steep cliffs. The sea of the Shakotan is very beautiful, and looks clear blue, so everybody call Shakotan Blue (シャコタンブルー). A traffic used to be inconvenient in the old days, and tourists rarely visited here. People are easy to access the Shakotan Peninsula as well as Shiretoko Peninsula (知床半島) at present, but it is called an unexplored region because it would not develop very much. Read More

[Closed Down] Refresh Plaza 998

The Refresh Plaza 998 is a day trip onsen facility opened a business since 1992. Its former name is Kamoenai Onsen 998 (神恵内温泉998). The facility is known for enjoying very rich hot spring ingredients in Hokkaido. An entrance fee to the bath facility is JPY 500. Unfortunately, They have closed a business since April, 2020. This is an article before closing.

There are 1 open-air bath, 1 indoor baths, 1 whirlpool bath, 1 lie-down bath, 1 cold bath and 1 sauna at a public bathhouse. The bathhouse is not so large, and its ceiling is not high. The open-air bath and the indoor bath use free flowing fresh hot springs, and the whirlpool bath and lie-down bath use hot water. The slightly elevated indoor bath is the size that about 6 people can take a bath, and bathtub surrounded by hot spring deposits catches visitors’ eyes. Water temperature is very hot. The hot springs make the bathers get up. The circular whirlpool bath is the size that about 4 people can take a bath. The lie-down bath for 2 people is provided.

The open-air bath is on the rooftop, so bathers have to go up steps via green corridor and resting place. The bath surrounded by rocks beside walls is the size that about 8 people can take a bath. The bathtub is coated with hot spring deposits. Because it does not has a roof, a sence of openness can be enjoyed.

The hot springs are strong sodium chloride spring, and are opaque and yellowish brown and have extremely salty taste and no smell. The hot spring ingredients are 45.93 g/kg, and are very rich. It is said that the hot springs are good for people’s skin as well because the metaboric acid content of the hot psrings are 315.3 mg/kg. * The metaboric acid content is good for bactericidal effects and treatment effects. It tasted extremely salty when I licked the hot springs. The hot spring irritated my eyes very much. Shampoos and body soaps are provided at the bathhouse. A restroom and free hair dryers are installed at a dressing room.