[Weiss Onsen in Kyowa] Day Trip Bath Can Be Enjoyed at Entrance of Niseko

Tunnel-mochi Rice Cake

Suetsugu Shokai (末次商会) is a Japanese confectionery store near Kozawa station (小沢駅) in Kozawa, Kyowa town, and is famous for selling Kozawa’s local specialty sweets “Tunnel-mochi Rice Cake (トンネル餅)”. The Tunnel-mochi Rice Cake was made in commemoration of the completion of Inaho Tunnel for Hakodate Main Line with great difficulty construction by the founder, Mr. Kyutaro Nishimura (西村久太郎), in 1904. This is the longtime seller Japanese sweet more than 110 years. By the way, the son of Mr. Kyutaro Nishimura is Mr. Keiyu Nishimura (西村計雄), Japanese painter, and Keiyu Nishimura Memory Museum (西村計雄記念美術館) is built in the Kyowa town. Read More

Kyowa Ramen Gentlemen

Gentlemen (じぇんとるめん) is a popular ramen restraunt in Kyowa town (Niseko), and was founded in 2007. It is famous for getting the Bib Gourmand in MICHELIN GUIDE Hokkaido 2012 Special Edition. A building is black and red outstanding appearance. Many buildings in Niseko have this decoration. Probably those will be in vogue. Read More

Shinsen-numa Swamp

Shinsen-numa Swamp (神仙沼) is the largest swamp at about 770 m above sea level in the Shinsen-numa Wetland in Kyowa town located in the western direction of Sapporo city, and is well-known for a good place to see beautiful fall foliage, so a lot of visitors come. Mr. Toyomatsu Shimoda (下田豊松), the Japan’s first chief scout, that was moved by a phrase “Everything is God, here is a place that a hermit lives in (皆が神、仙人の住みたまう所)” named it the Shinsen-numa Swamp. Shinsennuma Rest Station (神仙沼自然休養林休憩所) is at Shinsen-numa Parking Lot along Hokkaido Road 66, and light meals are served. It opens a business from late May to early November. The parking has Shinsen-numa Nature Forest Lookout (神仙沼自然休養林展望台) and a public restroom. Admission free. The parking lot is free of charge. Read More

Oyunuma Pond

Oyunuma Pond (大湯沼) is a hot spring bog at about 560 m above sea level in Niseko Yumoto Onsen (ニセコ湯本温泉), Rankoshi town located in the western direction of Sapporo city, and is a hot spring source of the Niseko Yumoto Onsen, and adjoins Yukichichibu (雪秩父). It is smaller than a pond with the same name in Noboribetsu Onsen. The circumference of the pond is about 200 m, and the 1,000 liters per minute of hot springs are gushing out. The pond used to be a geyser in old days, but Anglo-Saxon Mining Company Howl Company drew sulfur too much in the Meiji period, and it was destroyed. Admission free. A parking lot is free of charge. There are Koyunuma pond (小湯沼), Chisenupuri Ski resort (チセヌプリスキー場), Oyunuma Nature Pavilion (大湯沼自然展示館) and Yumoto Onsen Campsite (湯本温泉野営場) around here. Read More

NISEKO

Niseko (ニセコ) is the general term for towns and villages around Mt. Yotei (羊蹄山) in the southwestern direction of Sapporo city, and contains Niseko town (ニセコ町), Kutchan town (倶知安町), Kyogoku town (京極町), Makkari village (真狩村), Kimobetsu town (喜茂別町), Kyowa town (共和町), Rankoshi town (蘭越町) and Iwanai town (岩内町). The Niseko means “A river in a gorge” in Ainu language, and the origin of the word is Niseko Anbetsu River (ニセコアンベツ川). In a winter, skiing and snowboarding can be enjoyed, and rafting along Shiribetsu River (尻別川) can be enjoyed in a summer. It is one of the features that the Niseko has various nature such as the Mt. Yotei, Shinsen-numa Swamp (神仙沼) and Oyunuma Pond (大湯沼). In addition, tasty water from the Mt. Yotei and tasty ingredients are abundant. In a spring, cherry blossoms can be enjoyed, summer activities and nature can be enjoyed in a summer, fall foliage can be enjoyed in an autumn, and winter activities can be enjoyed in a winter, so tourists can enjoy the nature of Hokkaido including various onsen and tasty foods in Niseko throughout the year. Read More

Weiss Onsen

Weiss Onsen is a middle-sized onsen ryokan founded in 1970, and its predecessor is Nation Insurance Center “Weiss-so”. A building has an old atomosphere of Showa period like ryokan. Day trip bath is unexpectedly crowded with local people on weekday. An entrance fee to a bath facility is JPY 500. A staying is possible, too. Construction workers often stay here, and reasonable price has a good reputation.

There are 2 indoor baths at a tiled public bathhouse. The indoor baths that are placed at the center of the bathhouse are partitioned at the center. Each baths are the size that about 6 people can take a bath, and hot springs flows freely from the baths. Water temperature are different, hot spring and lukewarm spring. Showers are usesd the hot springs, too.

The hot springs are sodium chloride sulfate spring, and are clear and light yellow and have a little salty taste and a little sulfur smell, and have a thickness touch. The sum total of the hot spring ingredients are 2.529 g/kg. Shampoos and body soaps are provided at the bathhouse. A restroom and a free hair dryer are installed at a dressing room.