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

Benkei Onsen

Hokkaido · 弁景温泉

Benkei Onsen is a hot spring town in Hokkaido, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 63.1°C, hot. Officially the water is classed as simple spring, chloride spring, sulfate spring and sulfur spring. Its sources put out around 1,200 litres a minute.

Getting there

From Sapporoabout 3 h

CarNot needed

JR PassCovers the train

Train to Datemombetsu Station (JR)
Local bus, about 45 min

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

Simple springChloride springSulfate springSulfur spring

The water here

Simple spring 単純温泉

Mild and low in dissolved minerals. Usually clear and gentle on the skin, which is why these baths are often recommended for first-timers.

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.

Sulfur spring 硫黄泉

The classic rotten-egg smell and milky white water. It can tarnish silver jewellery, so take it off.

More photographs

From Wikimedia Commons. Tap a photo for the photographer and licence.

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