[Yachigashira Onsen in Hakodate] Day Trip Onsen Can Be Enjoyed at Parthenon-Like Public Bath

Mt. Hakodate

Mt. Hakodate (函館山) is a range of mountains with 334m in height in the west side of Hakodate city and is general term of 13 mountains. Another name is Mt. Gagyu (臥牛山). Mt. Hakodate was an island originally. A view that can look over the Hakodate city has been famous since old days, and is one of the 3 best night views in the world. “View from Mt. Hakodate” was introduced as 3 stars in Michelin Green Guide Japon 2011. It features that world people rate “View from Mt. Hakodate” highly. Especially, the night view is most popular. Admission free. A parking lot is free of charge. Read More

Cherry Blossoms of Sumiyoshi Shrine

Sumiyoshi Shrine (住三吉神社) is located in Sumiyoshi-cho, Hakodate city near Cape Tachimachi (立待岬), and has been reported that Sumiyoshi Shrine was founded in the Kamakura period. I think that Sumiyoshi(住三吉) Shrine is odd name, and Sumiyoshi(住三吉) Shrine merged Sumiyoshi(住吉) Shrine and Miyoshi(三吉) Shrine. The name of Sumiyoshi(住三吉) Shrine is a good combination. About 30 Yoshino Cherry Trees (ソメイヨシノ) are planted along an approach to the shrine with about 100 m in length, and cherry blossoms are in full bloom in a spring. It is like walking through the cherry blossom tunnel, and tourists will be very comfortable. The cherry blossoms are best viewed from late April to early May. Admission free. A parking lot and a restroom are not provided. Read More

Night Cherry Blossom of Hakodate Park

Hakodate Park (函館公園) is located in the foot of Mt. Hakodateyama (函館山), and was established in 1879. It has an exotic atmosphere such as the Meiji period. There are a museum, an amusement park for children, a mini-zoo in the park, and it became a place for Hakodate citizen’s relaxation and refreshment. In addition, about 420 cherry trees such as Yoshino Cherry Trees (ソメイヨシノ) are planted on Hakodate park, and it is a famous place for the cherry blossoms. Food stalls stand in a row for a cherry-blossom viewing period, many tourists visit and enjoy. It had a good reputation for beautiful cherry blossoms at night in particular, and it has mysterious beauty. Read More

Cape Tachimachi

Cape Tachimachi (立待岬) is a beauty spot that tourists can look over the Pacific on cliffs in Hakodate, and is at the foot of Mt. Hakodate (函館山). Tachimachi was called “Yokoushi (ヨコウシ)” by Ainu people and means “Place that Ainu people lurks on fishes” in Ainu language. I think they imperiled themselves lay their life on the line put their life before fishing, and maybe men of other days were very tough. Because the cliffs at about 30 m above sea level are steep, it was said to be a famous place for suicide in old days. The Cape Tachimachi often seems to be used as a shooting place for suspense dramas. There are monuments inscribed with a poem of Mr. Hiroshi Yosano (与謝野寛) and Mrs. Akiko Yosano (与謝野晶子) on the same sitem, and graves of Takuboku Ishikawa family (石川啄木一族) is near. A trail to Mt. Hakodate is built around Cape Tachimachi, too. Open 06:00 to 20:00. It closes in a winter season, December to March. Admission free. A parking fee is free of charge. Read More

HAKODATE

Hakodate (函館) that about 260,000 people live is the 3rd largest port city in Hokkaido, and is a regional hub city of the Southern Hokkaido area. The Hakodate became incorporated with Toi town (戸井), Esan town (恵山), Todohokke village (椴法華) and Minami-kayabe town (南茅部) in 2004, and most of Kameda Peninsula (亀田半島) has changed to the Hakodate. It is one of most popular tourist cities in the Hokkaido, and about 5 million people visit here. The downtown of the Hakodate from Mt. Hakodate toward former Goryokaku fort is developed on a large sandbar between the seas, and a unique seashore landscape is very popular. Although a lot of tourists think the center town of the Hakodate is around Hakodate Station and the Mt. Hakodate, it is around Hakodate Streetcar Goryokaku Koen-mae Stop (函館市電五稜郭公園前駅). The Hakodate is also well-known as a city with a lot of slopes, and there are 19 slopes with its name such as Hachiman-zaka slope (八幡坂), Daisan-zaka slope (大三坂) and Motoi-zaka slope (基坂), so around the Mt. Hakodate has a lot of slope lands, and the Hakodate has a lot of narrow roads. As for a climate, the Hakodate is wamer than other cities in the Hokkaido because it is located of the Southern Hokkaido, and it does not snow hard. Read More

Yachigashira Onsen

Yachigashira Onsen (谷地頭温泉) is a hot spring facility for day trip onsen run by KKM corp, and has opened a business since 1953. They open a business at 06:00 am.. An entrance fee to the bath facility is JPY 430. A restraunt and a resting place are at the building, too. By the way, Ochinpou Shrine (御珍宝神社) is built on the site, too, and something-shaped rock is enshrined as a travelers’ guardian deity. Its name is chinpou (珍宝), and it was named after a precious treasure that was excavated during construction work here. The chinpou has 2 meanings in japanese, and one is the precious treasure, and another one is a p*n*s. Wow!

There are 1 outdoor bath, 3 indoor baths, 1 cold bath and 1 sauna at a large public bathhouse. The sunny bathhouse with a high ceiling from 5 to 6 m and a lot of windows is feeling good, and has over 50 wash places, too, and is a Parthenon-like bathhouse in the ancient Roman age.

Each indoor baths are the size that about 15 people can take a bath, and use free flowing hot springs with adding water. The difference of the indoor baths are water temperature and a whirlpool bath. The Goryokaku-shaped (五稜郭 * a castle in Hakodate) outdoor bath is the size that about 10 people can take a bath, and use free flowing hot springs with adding water. Because it is surrounded by blindfold fences, a view is not good.

The hot springs are sodium chloride spring, and are opaque and dark reddish-brown and have salty taste and no smell. The sum total of the hot spring ingredients are 17.67 g/kg, and have rich hot spring ingredients. A restroom and paid hair dryers are installed at a dressing room. When I visited here around 09:00 a.m., but a lot of visitors came. A foreigner like a father took a bath, too.

Atmosphere of Yachigashira Onsen Can Be Watched on Youtube

Movie of Yachigashira Onsen