[Wakoto Onsen in Teshikaga] Day Trip Onsen and Sense of Openness Can Be Enjoyed Secret Onsen and Natural Onsen around Lake Kussharo

Lake Kussharo

The Lake Kussharo is the largest caldera lake in Japan in Teshikaga town located in the northeastern direction of Lake Akan (阿寒湖), and its shape tuend into the current shape by large-scale eruptions 40,000 years ago. Before then, the lake was larger round lake than the current lake. It is the 2nd largest caldera lake in the world after Lake Toba in Indonesia, too. In Akan Mashu National Park, The perimeter of the lake is about 57 km, and the maximum depth is 117 m, and Nakashima (中島), the largest island on the fresh water lake in the Japan, flotas on the surface of the lake, but landing is prohibited. There are Mt. Mokoto (藻琴山), the Wakoto Peninsula, Bihoro Pass Lookout (美幌峠展望台), Tubetsu Pass Observation Deck (津別峠展望台), Mokotoyama Lookout Parking Park (藻琴山展望駐車公園), Highland Koshimizu 725 (ハイランド小清水725), Wakoto Onsen (和琴温泉), Sanko Onsen (三香温泉), Kotan Onsen (コタン温泉), Ike-no-Yu Onsen (池ノ湯温泉), Suna-Yu (砂湯), Nibushi Onsen (仁伏温泉), Wakoto-kohan Campsite (和琴湖畔キャンプ場), Wakoto Campsite (和琴キャンプ場), Suna-Yu Campsite (砂湯キャンプ場) and Highland Koshimizu Campsite (ハイランド小清水キャンプ場) around the Lake Kussharo. Read More

Wakoto Peninsula

Wakoto Peninsula (和琴半島) is the only peninsula extending out Lake Kussharo (屈斜路湖) in the southern side of the Lake Kussharo. In Akan Mashu National Park, Wakoto Field House (和琴フィールドハウス), Wakoto-Kohan Campsite (和琴半島湖畔キャンプ場), Wakoto Campsite (和琴キャンプ場), a nature trail (自然探勝路), Wakoto Onsen (和琴温泉), a souvenir shop, a restraunt, a boat for hire, Koshin-so (湖心荘), a public restroom and a parking lot are built on the site. Fresh green, a canoe and fishing can be enjoyed in a summer, Fall foliage can be enjoyed in an autumn and a snow scenery can be enjoyed in a winter, and it is said to be a sightseeing base of the Lake Kussharo. By the way, Min-min-zemi cicada (ミンミンゼミ) inhabits here, and they do not inhabit further north than the Lake Kussharo, so they have been designated as a special natural treasure since 1951. Admission free. A parking lot is free of charge. Read More

Bihoro Pass Lookout

Bihoro Pass (美幌峠) is a pass at about 493 m in height in the northwestern side of the Lake Kussharo, and is a popular viewing point with a view of the Lake Kussharo on the hilltop of Bihoro National Route (National Route 243) connecting Bihoro town and Teshikaga town, and is a shooting place for Japanese movie “What is your name? (君の名は)”, too. In Akan Mashu National Park, Bihoro Pass Lookout (美幌峠展望台), Roadside Station “Gurutto-Panorama Bihoro-Toge (ぐるっとパノラマ美幌峠)”, a monument inscribed with a song “Bihoro-Toge (美幌峠)” sang by Ms. Hibari Misora, a public restroom and a parking lot are built on the site. A restaurant, a souvenir shop and a restroom are provided at the roadside station, and visitors can take a rest, too. A soft serve ice cream with striped bamboo flavor is popular in particular. Admission free. The parking lot is free of charge. Read More

Tsubetsu Pass Observation Deck

Tsubetsu Pass (津別峠) is a pass at 745 m in height in the western part of Lake Kussharo. Tsubetsu Pass Observation Tower (津別峠展望台) near the mountaintop of Hokkaido Road 588 connecting Tubetsu town and Teshikaga town is a popular viewing point with a view of the Lake Kussharo, and is the highest viewing point at 951 m above sea level in some viewing points around the lake. In Akan Mashu National Park, the Tsubetsu Pass Observation Tower and a parking lot are built on the site. A food truck “Yamasuke (山輔)” sometimes opens on the parking. The Tsubetsu Pass Observation Tower is well-known for seeing a sea of clouds, and the sea of the clouds tour is held with the growing popularity of it recently. Admission free. The parking lot is free of charge. By the way, Drive safety because the Hokkaido Road 588 is narrow, and has a lot of sharp curves, too. Read More

Sanko Onsen

Sanko Onsen (三香温泉) is a hot spring place in Teshikaga town located in the northern direction of Kushiro city. Only Inn “Sanko Onsen” is built on the shore of Lake Kussharo (屈斜路湖) in Akan Mashu National Park, and the distance from the center of the Teshikaga is around 20 km. Unfortunately, a convenience store is not built around here. There are Wakoto Peninsula (和琴半島), Wakoto Onsen (和琴温泉), Kotan Onsen (コタン温泉) and Ike-no-Yu Onsen (池の湯) around the Sanko Onsen, and various natural open-air baths can be enjoyed throughout the year. Cherry blossoms can be enjoyed in a spring, Fresh green and the canoe can be enjoyed in a summer, fall foliage can be enjoyed in an autumn, and whooper swans can be watched in a winter. Read More

Akan Mashu National Park

Akan Mashu National Park (阿寒摩周国立公園) has Lake Kussharo (屈斜路湖), the largest caldera lake in Japan, Lake Mashu (摩周湖), the 6th largest caldera lake in the Japan, and Lake Akan (阿寒湖), the 7th largest caldera lake in the Japan, in the eastern part of Hokkaido, and the oldest national park in Hokkaido along with Daisestuzan National Park (大雪山国立公園) in the north part of Kushiro-Sitsugen National Park (釧路湿原国立公園), too. In the national park, there are unique mountains such as Mt. Oakandake (雄阿寒岳), Mt. Meakandake (雌阿寒岳), Mt. Akanfuji (阿寒富士), Mt. Mokoto (藻琴山), Mt. Iou (硫黄山), Mt. Mashudake (摩周岳) and Mt. Nishibetsudake (西別岳), and here is a tourist attraction on behalf of Hokkaido containing some hot spring places such as Akanko Onsen (阿寒湖温泉), Meakan Onsen (雌阿寒温泉) and Kawayu Onsen (川湯温泉). The Akan Mashu National Park is roughly divided into 4 areas, Akanko Area, Onneto Area, Mashuko Area, and Kussharoko Area. The area is 91,413 ha in total, it is very vast. It is a highlight that a scenery was borned by growing forests and lakes created by water collecting in the craters of volcanoes after the volcanoes erupting in the primitive period, and it is said that an original scenery of Hokkaido has been creadted by “Volcanos”, “Forests” and “Lakes”. By the way, 900 Sogen Grassland (900草原) and Tawadaira Observaton Deck (多和平展望台) that a typical secenry of Hokkaido can be enjoyed are relatively near the national park, too. Read More

Wakoto Open-air Bath

Wakoto Open-air Bath (和琴露天風呂) is a natural open-air bath maneged by local poeple at the root of Wakoto Peninsula. Speaking of the Wakoto Onsen, a lot of people often mean this onsen, and it is the most famous onsen in the Wakoto Onsen. An entrance fee to the bath facility is free of charge. There is 1 mixed bathing open-air bath on the lakeshore. The crescent-shaped bath surrounded by rocks is the size that about 10 people can take a bath, and uses 100% natural free flowing hot springs.

An old man took a bath when I visited here in the early morning. After asking him, He replied “Because my back was televised on a lot of television programmings, I do not care that you photograph my back”. He is 89 years old at the time. He seems to take a bath every morning. He said a secret of his health, and took out his glass, and begun to drink the hot springs. It seems to be effective for constipation, and he seems to drink the hot springs every morning. I went home not to disturb his relax time without taking a bath. I hope he will live long.

I visited here, and took a bath another day. Water depth is about 40 cm, and algae grow and easy to slip, so watch your step! The bottom of the bath is covered with small pebbles and sand, and the hot springs are gushing out from the bottom. The water temperature is suitable. In addition, the pebbles stimulated my soles, and my soles really hurted. By the way, a lot of visitors came, so I was embarrassed to take a naked bath. There is a dressing room beside the Wakoto Open-air Bath, and the bathers can change clothes. The bathers can take a bath in wearing their swimsuits or in wrapping body with their bath towels.

The hot springs are simple hot spring, and are clear and colorless and have neither taste nor smell. The sum total of the hot spring ingredients are 0.726 g/kg. The meta-silicic acid content is 243.7 mg/kg. It is said that the hot springs including the meta-silicic acid with over 200 mg/kg is effective for beautiful skin. Unfortunately, hot springs are not drinkable because a health center does not give permission. But local people says “Large hot springs gush out at the upper open-air bath, and the hot springs are drinkable”. Bathers will need to take full responsibility for drinking the hot springs. By the way, a use of shampoo and soap is prohibited because water of the lake is polluted.

Atmosphere of Wakoto Open-air Bath Can Be Watched on Youtube

Movie of Wakoto Open-air Bath

Public Bath

Public Bath is a communal bath that is a little away from the Wakoto Open-air Bath. A shack is built on the lake coast if visitors walk along a path, and it is easy to find the public bath. Local people manages it, too. The shack has a dressing room and a bathroom, and has an atomosphere such a Japanese school pool. Bathers can take a bath in wearing their swimsuits or in wrapping body with their bath towels, too. A use of shampoo and soap is prohibited because water of the lake is polluted. Please take a bath after pouring the hot springs on yourself to wash off the sweat and the dirt. An entrance fee to the bath facility is free of charge.

There are 1 mixed bathing indoor bath at a public bathroom. The wooden bathroom has a window, and the Lake Kussharo can be seen through the window. Sand is on the concrete floor, so a sense of cleanliness may not be felt. The hot springs are clear and colorless and have neither taste nor smell. Because there is not a hot spring analysis book, I do not know details, but I think that this hot springs are same types of the hot springs of the Wakoto Open-air Bath.

The concrete indoor bath is the size that about 8 people can take a bath. Mud is deposited on the bottom of the bath, and pretty hot springs are gushing out from the bottom. The bath uses 100% natural free flowing hot springs. 2 drainboards are put on the bottom of the bath in the mud, and the bathers must take a bath while sitting on those, and in fact only 2 people take a bath. In addition, the hot springs are very hot and a handmade rabble is provided, too. The bathers will stir the hot springs with the rabble to regulate water temperature. But the hot springs were too hot, so I took a bath only for 5 minutes.

Atmosphere of Public Bath Can Be Watched on Youtube

Movie of Public Bath

Oku-no-Yu

Oku-no-Yu (奥の湯) is a natural open-air bath on the shore of the Lake Kussharo, and is called “Gekkei-no-Yu” (桂月の湯), too, and is about 200 m away from the Public Bath, and is reached along a path like an animal trail. An entrance fee to the bath facility is free of charge. The bathers can take a bath in wearing swimsuits or with a bath towel covering body, too. A use of shampoo and soap is prohibited because water of the lake is polluted. By the way, horseflies or black flies may prevent you from relaxing in a summer.

There is 1 natural open-air bath surrounded by rocks in the Lake Kussharo. The handmade bath under the root of a tree is the size that about 2-3 people can take a bath. The bathers must go down a small precipice with about 2 m in height. Hot springs gush out from clefts in a rock, and flow to the bath. When I visited here, the water depth of the natural bath was about 5 cm, so I could not take a bath. The hot springs mixed with water can be enjoyed, if lake water is large. Human can not go against nature, it is up to luck whether a bather can take a bath comfortably. But a bather will have a valuable experience because the genuine nature hot springs can be taken a bath.

Atmosphere of Oku-no-Yu Can Be Watched on Youtube

Movie of Oku-no-Yu

Onsen Ryokan Koshin-so

Onsen Ryokan Koshin-so is a hot spring facility for day trip onsen near a public parking lot in the Wakoto Peninsula. A building is surrounded by trees. An entrance fee to the bath facility is JPY 400. They run the Wakoto Hanto Kohan Campsite, and a staying is possible at a bungalow, too. Visitors can not stay at the main building. They close a business in a winter season (from mid October to mid April). There is 1 indoor bath at a public bathroom. The tiled bathroom is not large. The tiled indoor bath is the size that about 4 people can take a bath, and uses natural free flowing hot springs. The hot springs are simple hot spring, and are clear and colorless and have neither taste nor smell. Shampoos and body soaps are provided at the bathroom. A shower is not provided at wash places.