[Closed Business: Shirara Onsen in Shakotan] Day Trip Onsen and Rare Carbonated Spring in Hokkaido Can Be Enjoyed at Onsen Ryokan Hokuto

Cape Kamui

Cape Kamui (神威岬) is a cape with steep cliff jutting out into the Sea of Japan from Shakotan Peninsula (積丹半島) in Niseko-Shakotan-Otaru Kaigan Quasi-national Park, and is one of 3 major tourist attractions together with Cape Ogorn (黄金岬) and Shimamui Coast (島武意海岸) in the Shakotan Peninsula. The kamui means a god in Ainu language. The distance is around 1.5 km away from a traffic gate along National Route to the end of a road, and there are a public parking lot, a public restroom and a rest house named Kamui-Banya (カムイ番屋). A restraunt and a souvenir shop are at the building, and seafood rice bowls or a soft serve ice cream can be eaten. Admission free. A parking lot is free of charge. Read More

Shimamui Coast

Shimamui Coast (島武意海岸) is a superb coast chosen as "100 Best Beaches in Japan (日本の渚・百選)" in Niseko-Shakotan-Otaru Kaigan Quasi-national Park, and is one of 3 major tourist attractions together with Cape Kamui (神威岬) and Cape Ogorn (黄金岬) in the Shakotan Peninsula. Shimamui means "Rocky inlet" in Ainu language. A public restroom, a public drinking fountain and a restraunt named Rinko (鱗晃) are built around a public parking lot. A restraunt and a souvenir shop are at the building, and seafood rice bowls or a soft serve ice cream can be eaten. Admission free. A parking lot is free of charge. Read More

Shakotan Peninsula

Shakotan Peninsula (積丹半島) is a peninsula located in the northwestern direction 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 Business] Onsen Ryokan Hokuto

Onsen Ryokan Hokuto is a small-size ryokan facing the sea of Japan. A restaurant is at the building, too, and visitors for day trip onsen can use it, too. An entrance fee to the bath facility is JPY 550. A ticket vendor is in front of a receprion desk, and the visitors must buy a bath ticket. A staying is possible, too.

There is 1 indoor bath at a small but cozy tiled public bathroom on the 2nd floor. The sea can be seen through one-way mirror window. The tiled bath is the size that about 4 people can take a bath, and uses free flowing hot springs. A small fresh hot spring storage is beside the bath, and the hot springs flow into the bath. Water temperature of a hot spring source is about 40 C, and the bath uses the 40 C hot springs without adding water and heating the hot springs directly. When I took a bath, carbonic acid gas bubbles stick to my body hair, and the bubbles rised to the surface of the hot springs when I gently stroked my body hair. I tryed it many times because it was interesting.

The hot springs are sodium bicarbonate spring, and are clear and colorless and have carbonated spring taste and a little sulfur smell. A touch of the hot springs is not slippery, but the touch of the bubbles sticking to body hair is surprisingly slippery. The sum total of the hot spring ingredients are 3.234 g/kg. Drinking hot springs seemed to be possible, but I could not find a place for drinking the hot springs, so I scooped up the hot springs in the hot spring storage with my hands and drinked those, and it tasted carbonated water without sweet. Shampoos and body soaps are provided at the bathroom. A hair dryer is set at a dressing room. Because there is not a restroom at the dressing room, You should get a wash beforehand at the restroom along a corridor. A balcony is beside a resting room, and the sea can be viewed.

Atmosphere of Shirara Onsen Can Be Watched on Youtube

Movie of Shirara Onsen