Photo: Soica2001 (talk) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Kyōgoku Spa

Hokkaido · 京極温泉

Kyōgoku Spa is a hot spring town in Hokkaido, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 40.3°C, comfortably warm. Officially the water is classed as chloride spring and sulfate spring. Its sources put out around 41 litres a minute.

Getting there

From Sapporoabout 1½ h

CarTaxi from the station

JR PassCovers the train

Train to Kutchan Station (JR)
By car or taxi, about 20 min

Fly into New Chitose. Times are rough estimates worked out from station locations, not a timetable — check the exact route on Google Maps.

Chloride springSulfate spring

The water here

Chloride spring 塩化物泉

Salty water. The salt leaves a thin film on the skin, so you stay warm well after leaving the bath.

Sulfate spring 硫酸塩泉

Clear water with a faintly bitter taste. Known for holding heat.

With tattoos

Many public baths still turn away visible tattoos, and the rule is set by each bath, not by the town. The reliable way round it is to bathe privately: a room with its own open-air bath, or an inn with a private bath you can book for yourselves.

Rooms with an open-air bath — Hokkaido Inns with a private bath — Hokkaido