Sounkaku Mountain Resort 1923 is a stunning mountain retreat offering breathtaking views of the surrounding gorge. Renovated and reopened in 2022, it is designed around the concept of providing “a comfortable and homey stay.”

The resort is accessible by car, taking about three hours and 20 minutes from New Chitose Airport, 90 minutes from Asahikawa Airport, or roughly 35 minutes by bus from JR Kamikawa Station.

The hotel’s buffet serves “dynamically grilled snow crab”! The aromatic, large crab legs are sure to whet your appetite. Enjoy the umami-packed flavors of a generous serving of crab meat!

Chefs prepare dishes right in front of you in the open kitchen! Here you can enjoy Japanese, Western, and Chinese dishes, as well as delicacies from the mountains and the sea. Depending on the season, you may also enjoy teppo-jiru soup, a luxurious miso soup packed with crab.

Foreign guests who have stayed at the hotel have also commented, “The buffet-style meals are wonderful and offer excellent value for the cost.”

Renovated in May 2022, the 162 guest rooms come in a range of designs. Many of the rooms are of a traditional Japanese style, but you’ll also find natural and luxuriant Western-style rooms. Room information is available in English. The hotel values comfortable services and private experiences.

At the “Keikoku Open-Air Bath,” you can soak in warm waters while enjoying panoramic views of the sweeping Sounkyo Gorge and feeling the refreshing northern breeze. It’s the perfect place to unwind and leave the hustle and bustle of daily life behind.

For a more spacious option, the indoor “Marumo Large Public Bath” is highly recommended. The clear, odorless spring water is gentle on the body, making it an ideal choice for families with children to relax and enjoy comfortably.

The common area, entrance, and store on the first floor have a sophisticated atmosphere and offer a superb, comfortable stay. In the future, the hotel plans to grow by enhancing its website and putting more effort into the famous buffet.

Sounkyo Gorge is surrounded by spectacular scenery! Ginga Falls (Milky Way Falls) and Ryusei Falls (Shooting Stars Falls), which have each been selected as one of the “100 Best Waterfalls in Japan,” are only a three-minute drive from the hotel!

Ginga Falls is otherwise called “Onna (female) falls” because of its silvery thread-like streams of water. On the other hand, Ryusei Falls is known as “Otoko (male) falls” because of its aggressive torrents of gushing water. What’s more, Ginsendai, famous for its fall foliage, is a 45-minute drive away. Ginsendai derives its name from its role as the source of Ginga Falls.

Health & Safety Measures
Indoor disinfection measures taken – No contact check-ins- Cashless payments supported - Individual packaging of amenities - Plastic partitions installed - Staff wear masks, wash hands regularly, and monitor body temperature - Installation of alcohol sanitizers in main areas- - Humidifiers and air purifiers installed - Guests requested to wear masks

Oyadoya Shimizuya is a long-established traditional Japanese inn tucked away deep in the Noboribetsu Onsen hot spring resort in southwestern Hokkaido. The inn boasts hot springs in which water flows freely from the source! What’s more, you can enjoy special kappo-ryori (Japanese-style cooking), served to your room.

Noboribetsu Onsen is one of Japan’s most famous hot spring resorts, with several different spring sources and a history of over 200 years. It’s said to have been used as a medicinal hot spring by the Ainu, the indigenous people of Hokkaido.

It takes about an hour and 20 minutes from Sapporo City to Noboribetsu by train on the JR Line. From Noboribetsu Station, a bus or inn pick-up service is available. By car, it takes about two hours and 30 minutes from Sapporo City, which enables you to enjoy the magnificent scenery of Hokkaido along the way!

Make sure to savor the inn’s signature “couple’s meal with raw hairy crab”! In addition to a 13-course kaiseki, a multicourse Japanese meal that includes a variety of seasonal and local ingredients, you can enjoy raw Hokkaido hairy crab leg and boiled crab meat!

Upon request, the inn will prepare the "couple’s meal with raw hairy crab," boiling it down to the legs for maximum flavor. Choose your preferred preparation and savor the rich umami of hairy crab!

Additionally, the "Quality Time Plan" for dinner includes a choice of three luxurious main dishes: Tokachi Wagyu beef grilled on a ceramic plate, simmered Kinki (channel rockfish), or king crab with creamy Sauce Americaine. The king crab in this rich sauce offers an indulgent and luxurious flavor experience!

Oyado Shimizuya serves meals in guest rooms for both breakfast and dinner - a rarity in Hokkaido. Room attendants will consider your eating time while bringing seasonal kaiseki dishes one by one.

Skilled staff gently welcome you to the softly-lit inn with a relaxed, traditional Japanese atmosphere. Guest rooms are generally comfortable Japanese-style rooms with options such as Japanese-style rooms attached with a drawing room or Japanese-Western mixed rooms. All rooms come with their own bathroom and bath area. Upon entering the room, the faint sound of the nearby murmuring river will help you relax and unwind.

The bath is filled with free-flowing spring water from Noboribetsu Onsen! Soaking in the milky white sulfur spring water will melt away your daily fatigue. In addition to the outdoor hot springs, we also recommend the fresh-smelling hinoki cypress baths. The large indoor baths are also filled with free-flowing hot-spring water.

The inn has English-speaking staff who provide a highly-rated service. Foreign guests have commented, “The staff are amicable, and the hot springs are wonderful.” and “The service staff’s attitude is excellent, very friendly, and attentive.”

Free Wi-fi is available throughout the entire inn, and beverage menus and bath information are available in multiple languages. Oyado Shimizuya is planning to actively hire foreign staff to provide more multilingual services in the future.

Jigokudani (Hell Valley), a iconic landmark of Noboribetsu Onsen, is just a ten-minute walk from the inn. This awe-inspiring natural attraction offers stunning scenery that showcases the power of geothermal activity. Don’t forget to pick up a "Noboribetsu Onsen Stroll Map" and explore the area while searching for the legendary demons said to inhabit it!

Dai-ichi Takimotokan is a 160-year-old, long-established inn within the Noboribetsu Onsen hot spring resort! The hot spring water, which has been passed down since the Edo period (1603-1868), continues to heal the tired bodies of today.

Many staff members, including Yumori (experts responsible for maintaining the daily supply of fresh hot spring water), provide courteous hospitality.

The inn is located a mere two-hour drive from downtown Sapporo City and an hour drive from New Chitose Airport. It can also be accessed by taking a 15-minute bus ride from JR Noboribetsu Station.

The main building accommodation package allows you to choose dishes served during the kaiseki. This includes a luxurious, crab-filled meal! The menu changes depending on the season, but crab dishes are available year-round.

Some foreign guests commented, “The winter kaiseki we had for dinner was wonderful, and the snow crab was one of the best dishes!” and “It was hearty, rich in local flavors, delicious, and professionally plated by the inn’s staff.”

The crab meal enables you to enjoy a delicious crab dinner from the comfort of your room! It’s the perfect choice for crab lovers, serving three types: hairy crab, king crab, and snow crab.

Moreover, the inn offers a wide variety of guest rooms! Options center around Japanese-style rooms and twin rooms and also include Japanese-Western-style rooms and wheelchair-friendly rooms. There’s even a pet-friendly “doggy room”! All guest rooms have a modern Japanese atmosphere, providing a stylish yet relaxing experience.

We especially recommend rooms with a unique open-air bath space! Here you can enjoy free-flowing hot spring waters while taking in a spectacular view of Jigokudani (Hell Valley) all to yourself!

The large public bath spans a whopping 1,500 tsubo (4,950 square meters). The 35 bathtubs, both men's and women's combined, offer five different springs available 24 hours a day! From the windows, a steamy Jigokudani (Hell Valley) looms over you, letting you enjoy its seasonal scenery. A soak in these waters invites you to feel the true power of nature.

In the spacious open-air baths, guests can enjoy alcoholic beverages and soft drinks! It’s very rare in Japan to find an inn that serves alcohol in an open-air bath.

Enjoy a blissful drink while basking in the autumn sunlight filtering through the trees or while watching the snow gently fall onto a white landscape. (Guests are advised to be responsible in their drinking, alcohol is served from 3:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.)

The inn has signs and explanatory notes about the hot springs in multiple languages. Foreign guests commented, “Staff were friendly and helpful, and the receptionist at the front desk spoke English fluently!” and “The staff was very friendly and spoke both Japanese and English.”

Also, don’t miss out on the nearby attractions! Jigokudani Onsen is only a five-minute walk away and offers a spectacular view from its observatory. Here you can feel the earth breathe in a steam-shrouded landscape. Lake Kuttara, a caldera lake that is part of the active Kuttara volcanic group, is a 12-minute drive away.

Hakodate Yunokawa Onsen, a historic hot spring resort with over 350 years of history, is home to the Hanabishi Hotel, which has been welcoming guests for more than 70 years. The hotel offers a true sense of Hakodate’s local culture and atmosphere, with many of its staff being proud locals who deeply love their hometown.

The Hanabishi Hotel is conveniently located just an eight-minute drive from Hakodate Airport and a 15-minute drive from JR Hakodate Station. For a more nostalgic journey, take a tram ride from JR Hakodate Station. This 30-minute ride doubles as a mini tour of Hakodate City, and the hotel is just a two-minute walk from the "Yunokawa Onsen" tram stop.

One of the best dishes to enjoy is the magnificent “whole hairy crab sashimi”! This dish is available year-round, either as part of an overnight stay package that includes crab dishes or as an add-on dish to other packages.

The “delicious whole hairy crab sashimi (one-night, two-meal package)” offers a whole 400 to 450-gram hairy crab! This is an ideal option for those who want to enjoy an entire crab to themselves! The rich crab butter and delicate meat of Hokkaido’s hairy crabs, carefully selected by the chef, is exceptional!

Other plans, such as the “seafood boat with hairy crab, salmon roe, and more (one-night, two-meal package),” enable you to enjoy the best of Hakodate City’s seafood through special kaiseki! A fresh seafood boat with hairy crab served in its shell is genuinely a port town delicacy! You can also enjoy bounties from the land, such as grilled Hokkaido Wagyu Beef.

The hotel, named after the Hanabishiso (California poppy), soothes the soul with its enchanting garden! You’ll also find traditional Japanese decors such as Japanese ikebana flower arrangements and a wooden bear carved from a single tree. The hotel is highly regarded for its hospitality and service and is beloved by both local and international visitors.

Guest rooms are generally a spacious 16.2 square meters and Japanese-style with tatami mat flooring. Other rooms in the main building include Japanese-Western-style rooms, non-smoking rooms, and rooms with two adjoining rooms-enabling you to find a perfect fit depending on the nature of your stay!

Additionally, the "Gagyutei" and "Suehiro-tei" annexes offer a higher-grade stay! There is a range of rooms to choose from, including rooms with large windows, ones with a Japanese-style garden, and ones with an open-air bath (wheelchair-friendly rooms are also available).

The men's bath, "Hishino-yu," features two types of open-air baths and two spacious indoor baths. Guests can enjoy the rugged charm of the rock baths and the soothing woody aroma of hinoki cypress. The women's bath, "Hana-no-yu," offers a spacious indoor bath and three garden open-air baths, perfect for relaxing while gazing at the seasonal beauty of the surrounding garden.

The Hanabishi Hotel caters to international visitors with staff fluent in English and Chinese, along with multilingual services such as English-language guides and restaurant menus.

Guests have praised their experiences, saying, "I stayed in a beautiful Japanese-style room. The Japanese bath and dinner were delightful," and "The service from the hotel's Chinese staff was excellent, the facilities and hot springs exceeded my expectations, and everything was spotless."

The area around the hotel is full of attractions! A ten-minute walk brings you to Yukura Shrine, the birthplace of Yunokawa Onsen. Goryokaku Tower, a landmark observation deck, is just a ten-minute drive away. Take the opportunity to unwind and soak in the charm of this historic port city!

Crabs packed with flavor are truly the pride of Hokkaido and a treasure of its seas. Experience a relaxing stay at a hotel or traditional Japanese inn where you can enjoy delicious crab dishes!