Jozankei Onsen Day-Use Baths Compared: Prices, Hours, Tattoos and Parking

Jozankei Onsen is Sapporo's own hot spring town, an hour south of the city center in a river valley, and you do not need to stay the night to use its baths. Five places in and around the town take day visitors, for 1,180 to 1,500 yen. I have bathed at all five; here is how they compare on price, hours, saunas, tattoos and parking, and which one I would pick for what.

1The five day-use baths at a glance

Prices and hours are from the official sites as of October 2026; they can change, so check before you go.

2Which one should you choose?

If you are coming for a sauna, go to Hotel Shikanoyu. If you want the cheapest bath with the longest daytime hours, Yunohana Jozankeiden. If you want quiet, Jozankei Shoten in the afternoon. If you want to bathe late in the evening, Koganeyu. And if what you want is a proper hot spring in the mountains, with no sauna and a curry lunch, Hoheikyo Onsen is the one I send friends to.

Tattoos change the answer. The official sites of Koganeyu, Jozankei Shoten and Hotel Shikanoyu all say that guests with tattoos cannot bathe. Hoheikyo Onsen is widely reported by travelers to accept tattoos. Yunohana does not publish a policy, so ask at the front desk before you pay.

3Hotel Shikanoyu: the sauna

Hotel Shikanoyu is a long-established inn named for the wild deer said to have healed their wounds in its spring. The reason to come as a day visitor is Shika no Mushi, a sauna opened in December 2022: a Finnish sauna with auto-löyly using natural water, smelling of cypress, with two cold plunges fed by stream water from the source of the Toyohira River, one at 14 to 16°C and a numbing one at 7 to 9°C. Afterward there are lounge chairs indoors and by the outdoor bath, which sits beside the river and is lit up at night. The water itself is Jozankei's sodium chloride spring, clear and gentle, in a hot bath (40 to 43°C) and a lukewarm one (36 to 39°C).

Day bathing is 1,500 yen, 13:00 to 21:00 with last entry at 20:00; on Mondays and Thursdays reception opens at 14:00 for cleaning. A morning bath from 6:00 to 9:30 (last entry 8:30) is 1,000 yen, and bath and face towels are free. The 1,800 yen plan adds an Oropo, the classic Japanese after-sauna drink, served upstairs in the Shika no SALON lounge.

Two things to know: the official site says guests with tattoos cannot bathe, and the car park in front of the entrance is for overnight guests. Day visitors use the free second car park, which is large but about 450 meters from the entrance.

Hotel Shikanoyu Day Bath in Jozankei: Sauna, Cold Plunges and Where to ParkA local's guide to the day bath at Hotel Shikanoyu in Jozankei: the Shika no Mushi sauna with auto-löyly, two stream-fed cold plunges, river-side outdoor bath, the Oropo plan, price, hours and the separate day-visitor car park.

4Yunohana Jozankeiden: the easy day spa

Yunohana Jozankeiden is a day-use spa rather than a hotel, so it is built for exactly this: 1,180 yen, open 10:00 to 21:00 every day, a car park to the left of the building, a restaurant upstairs and a bedrock sauna (ganbanyoku, 500 yen an hour). The sauna was renovated in October 2023 into a Finnish sauna with auto-löyly at about 80 to 90°C, and the cooling-off area has about ten mesh chairs facing the mountain. The baths run from a shallow sit-down bath indoors to a lying-down bath in a dome-shaped building outside. The official site does not state a tattoo policy, so ask at the front desk.

Yunohana Jozankeiden: A Day Spa with a Finnish Sauna in JozankeiA local's guide to Yunohana Jozankeiden, a day-use hot spring in Jozankei: the Finnish sauna renovated in 2023, mesh chairs facing the mountain, many baths, price (1,180 yen), hours and parking for 400 cars.

5Hatagoya Jozankei Shoten: the quiet one

Jozankei Shoten is an inn that feels like a stylish café inside, with a drink counter pouring Hokkaido sake at the back. The sauna, called Atsu-atsu Atsukan, sits at about 80°C until the auto-löyly every 15 minutes wraps you in steam; the cold plunge is properly cold, and you cool off outside among the trees (indoors in winter). Perhaps because it is tucked away, it was not crowded even at a weekend when I went, and the afternoon before overnight guests arrive is quiet.

Day bathing is 1,200 yen (towels 220 yen), 13:30 to 18:00 last entry, with no closing day, and only for ages 13 and over. The official site says guests with tattoos cannot bathe. There is parking for about 20 cars in front of the building, and the Yamanokaze Machi car park nearby can be used when it is full. The entrance is on the back-street side and easy to miss.

Hatagoya Jozankei Shoten: A Hot Auto-Löyly Sauna in JozankeiA local's guide to the day bath at Hatagoya Jozankei Shoten in Jozankei: a stylish inn with a hot auto-löyly sauna every 15 minutes, clear hot spring water, quiet afternoons, price (1,200 yen), hours and parking.

6Koganeyu Onsen: late hours and soba

Koganeyu is about 10 minutes from Jozankei on the road back toward Sapporo, which makes it the natural last stop of a day in the valley. It has been a healing spring since the Meiji era, but it reopened after a renovation in June 2025, so the building, the rest area and the restaurant are new. The water is mild sulfur water, faintly cloudy and silky; there is a dry sauna with automatic löyly and a mist sauna, a properly cold plunge, an outdoor bath among the trees and private baths. The restaurant's soba is made every day from 100% Hokkaido buckwheat.

Day bathing is 1,270 yen, 10:00 to 23:00 with last entry at 22:00, every day. Koganeyu does not admit guests with tattoos of any size.

Koganeyu Onsen: A Renovated Hot Spring and Sauna Near JozankeiA local's guide to Koganeyu Onsen near Jozankei: the silky sulfur water, the sauna with automatic löyly, Hokkaido soba at the restaurant, private baths, price, hours and parking.

7Hoheikyo Onsen: the mountain hot spring with curry

Hoheikyo Onsen is a little past the town, in the forest on the way to Hoheikyo Dam. The water flows straight from the source with nothing added and no reheating; in summer they cool it with a water wheel. It is slightly milky, leaves your skin smooth, and the open-air bath is about 39°C, cool enough to stay in for a long time while looking at the mountains, yet it warms you so deeply that you keep sweating afterward. The buildings are old and there is no sauna, which is part of the charm. The restaurant is famous for Indian curry with naan baked to order; most curries with naan were 1,200 to 1,400 yen when I went, and at lunchtime in the autumn-leaf season I waited about 30 minutes.

Day bathing is 1,300 yen, 10:00 to 22:30 every day, with free parking. Bring a few 100-yen coins for the shoe and changing-room lockers, and tie up long hair, as there is only one hair dryer. Hoheikyo is widely reported by travelers to accept guests with tattoos, but rules can change, so ask at reception.

Hoheikyo Onsen: Source-Flowing Baths and Indian Curry Near JozankeiA local's guide to Hoheikyo Onsen near Jozankei: the source-flowing open-air bath, tattoos, the famous Indian curry and the wait, prices, hours, and how to get there by car from Sapporo.

8Getting to Jozankei: car, the Kappa Liner or the subway and bus

By car, Jozankei is about an hour from central Sapporo on Route 230 through Makomanai, with no expressway; in the morning and evening rush allow an hour and a half. Every bath above has its own free parking.

Bus fares are from Jotetsu Bus (October 2026). Hoheikyo Onsen is past the end of the hot spring town, but it runs a free shuttle bus from near Makomanai subway station, once a day (out at 10:00, back at 15:00), and Koganeyu and Yunohana also have free shuttles; the details are in my onsen guide below. By car it is only a few minutes further than the town, and the dam beyond it needs a car anyway.

9Onsen etiquette for first-timers

• Men and women bathe separately, with no swimsuits.
• Wash and rinse at the washing stations before you get into the bath.
• Keep your towel out of the water, and do not take photos in the bathing area.
• Tattoos are the rule that varies most: see the table above, and ask when the policy is not published.

10Make a day of it

If you want two baths in one day, the hours line up like this: Hoheikyo Onsen or Yunohana from 10:00, then Hotel Shikanoyu (from 13:00) or Jozankei Shoten (13:30 to 18:00) in the afternoon, with Koganeyu (until 23:00) on the way home.

A bath is only part of a day in Jozankei. In October the valley is at its best: Hoheikyo Dam wrapped in autumn colors, the four viewpoints over Lake Sapporo and a winery café below a jagged mountain, with Koganeyu on the way home. My one-day route links them in the order that worked.

Jozankei Onsen Day Trip from Sapporo by Car: A Local's RouteA local's day trip from Sapporo to Jozankei by car: Hoheikyo Dam in autumn colors, two day-use onsen, Lake Sapporo's viewpoints and a winery café, with bus, parking and seasonal tips.

For hot springs further from Sapporo, including Lake Shikotsu, Noboribetsu and Lake Toya, see my guide to onsen near Sapporo.

Onsen Near Sapporo: A Local's Guide to Day-Trip Hot SpringsThe best onsen near Sapporo for a day trip, chosen by a local who has bathed at all of them: Jozankei, Lake Shikotsu, Noboribetsu, Shakotan and Lake Toya, with prices, tattoo-friendly and private baths, and shuttle buses.

11FAQ about day-use baths in Jozankei Onsen

Q1. Can you visit Jozankei Onsen without staying overnight?

Yes. Hotel Shikanoyu, Yunohana Jozankeiden, Hatagoya Jozankei Shoten, Koganeyu Onsen and Hoheikyo Onsen all take day visitors, for 1,180 to 1,500 yen.

Q2. Which is the best day-use onsen in Jozankei?

For a sauna, Hotel Shikanoyu. For price and hours, Yunohana Jozankeiden. For a mountain hot spring with no sauna and a curry lunch, Hoheikyo Onsen.

Q3. Are there tattoo-friendly onsen in Jozankei?

Hoheikyo Onsen is widely reported to accept tattoos; ask at reception. Koganeyu, Jozankei Shoten and Hotel Shikanoyu say on their official sites that tattoos are not admitted. Yunohana does not publish a policy, so ask before you pay.

Q4. How do you get from Sapporo to Jozankei Onsen?

By car it is about an hour on Route 230 with no toll. The reservation-only Kappa Liner bus takes about 60 minutes from Sapporo Station for 1,700 yen, and Jotetsu bus 12 runs from Makomanai subway station for 750 to 850 yen.

Q5. How much does a day bath in Jozankei cost?

Between 1,180 yen (Yunohana Jozankeiden) and 1,500 yen (Hotel Shikanoyu). Towels are free at Shikanoyu, rent for 220 yen at Jozankei Shoten and 450 yen (a set) at Yunohana, and Hoheikyo sells bath towels for 500 yen.

Q6. Can I use a private bath in Jozankei as a day visitor?

Koganeyu Onsen has private baths for day visitors: 3,800 yen for 90 minutes on weekdays and 4,300 yen at weekends and on holidays, for up to three people, booked at the front desk on the day.