[Tokachigawa Onsen in Otofuke] Day Trip Bath Can Be Enjoyed at Kira-no-Yu

Niseko Ekimae Onsen

Niseko Ekimae Onsen (ニセコ駅前温泉) is a hot spring place in Niseko town located in the southwestern part of Sapporo city. Only Kira-no-Yu (綺羅乃湯) is built in front of Niseko Station. Except Niseko Tourist Information Center, Hokkaido Lion Adventure and private houses, there is nothing around the Kira-no-Yu in particular. It is a little away from the center of the Niseko, and there are cafes, restaurants, convenience stores, Izakaya, bars with a surcharge at the center of the Niseko.

Niseko Onsenkyo Group passed a rigorous screening in 1958, and the Niseko Onsenkyo Group containing the Niseko Ekimae Onsen has been appointed by Minister for the Environment, and is one of 15 nation insurance hot spring resorts in Hokkaido. There are a lot of the hot spring places such as Niseko Goshiki Onsen (ニセコ五色温泉), Niseko Yumoto Onsen (ニセコ湯本温泉), Niseko Higashiyama Onsen (ニセコ東山温泉), Niseko Konbu Onsen (ニセコ昆布温泉), Niseko Yunosato Onsen (ニセコ湯の里温泉), Niseko Yakushi Onsen (ニセコ薬師温泉), Niseko Niimi Onsen (ニセコ新見温泉), Niseko Ekimae Onsen (ニセコ駅前温泉), Konbugawa Onsen (昆布川温泉), Niseko Weiss Onsen (ニセコワイス温泉), Hanazono Onsen (花園温泉), Hirafu Onsen (ひらふ温泉) and Kutchan Onsen (倶知安温泉) around the Niseko. Types of hot springs are different, and have a wide variety. It is said that Onsen lovers will go crazy for the hot springs. Niseko Yumeguri Onsen Pass (ニセコ湯巡りパス) is issued, and the ticket users can take a bath at 3-4 hot spring facilities.

There are Cherry Trees, Arishima Memorial Hall (有島記念館), Sakamoto Park, Shinsen-numa Swamp (神仙沼), Niseko Oyunuma Pond (ニセコ大湯沼) and Mishima's Moss Pink Garden (三島さんちの芝桜) around the Niseko Ekimae Onsen, too. In addition, various things can be enjoyed all the year round in the Niseko. For example, Cherry blossoms can be enjoyed in a spring, trecking, ski gondra, rafting and hot air ballooning can be enjoyed in a summer, fall foliage can be enjoyed in an autumn, and skiing, snowboarding and snowshoes can be enjoyed in the winter. Nonstop buses do not run from Sapporo to here, But Express Bus Niseko-go runs from Sapporo to Ikoi-no-Yuyado Iroha. In addition, Nicotto Bus (にこっとBUS) runs in the Niseko.

Shinsen-numa Wetland and Shinsen-numa Swamp

Shinsen-numa Wetland (神仙沼湿原) and Shinsen-numa Swamp (神仙沼) is at 770 m above sea level are in Kyowa town located in the western part of Sapporo city. Wooden paths are built from Shinsen-numa parking lot to Shinsen-numa Swamp, and visiotrs can arrive at Shinsen-numa Wetland and Shinsen-numa Swamp for approximately 20 minutes, and the paths lead for Naganuma swamp (長沼) halfway is built. The visitors can reach to the Shinsen-numa Wetland and the Shinsen-numa Swamp from Oyachi (大谷地) parking lot, too, and it take approximately 30 minutes. The visitors can see the state that woodland horsetail, the endangered species, grows wild from Oyachi parking lot. The Oyachi parking lot has no facilities, but there is a resting station at Shinsen-numa parking lot, the visitors can take a meal and a break. There is a restroom, too. Article is here

Niseko Oyunuma Pond

Oyunuma Pond (大湯沼) is a hot spring bog at the Niseko Yumoto Onsen (ニセコ湯本温泉) in Rankoshi town located in the western part of Sapporo city and is hot spring source of Yumoto Onsen. The circumference of the pond is about 200 m and the 1000 liters of the hot springs per minute are gushing out. Oyunuma Pond was a geyser in old days, but Anglo-Saxon mining company called Howl Company drew sulfur too much in the Meiji period and it was not geyser. Walking paths are built around the pond, and visitors can see the state that the hot springs are gushing out. The visitors can go around for about 10 minutes. Article is here

Mishima's Moss Pink Garden

Mishima's Moss Pink Garden (三島さんちの芝桜) is a private garden in Niseko, Kutchan town located in the western part of Sapporo city, and is around 1 km away from Kuchan Station. After retirement from a farmer, Mr. Kazuo Mishima (三島和夫) has been planted the moss pink not to prevent tuning a agricultural land into a wasteland since the early 2000s. The moss pink is a perennial plant of the family polemoniaceae native of North America, and is a kind of the phlox. He has expanded the moss pink field every year, and now the park space is 4,000 m2. I was really surprised at the area of moss pink very much when I visited here. Admission free. A free parking lot and a restroom are provided, too. If the parking lot is full, visitors can park their cars at Kutosan Park Parking Lot (くとさんパーク駐車場) and Asahigaoka Park Parking Lot (旭ケ丘公園駐車場). Because the garden is thrown open to visitors in his good faith, the visiotrs follow a manner, and appreciate the moss pink. Article is here