Day Trips from SapporoBanya no Yu: A Brown Hot Spring and a Bathing Capybara in Ishikari
By Chaporo, a Sapporo local Published 
Quick answers
- Brown, 100% source-flowing water that keeps you warm
- A capybara soaks in a hot spring bath (11:00–18:30 in summer, not in bad weather)
- A sauna and a second-floor lounge looking over Ishikari Bay
- 900 yen, cash only; no tattoos; 10:00–24:00; under an hour from Sapporo
Banya no Yu is a hot spring on the Ishikari coast, less than an hour north of central Sapporo. The water comes straight from the source, unmixed: dark brown "fossil seawater" that keeps you warm long after you get out. Its mascot is a capybara that soaks in its own hot spring bath.
The capybara
You can see the capybara from 11:00 to 18:30 in summer (12:00 to 18:00 in winter), looking very comfortable in the water; in bad weather it may be kept in for its safety.
The baths
The bathhouse is big: the indoor baths include hot and cooler pools and a bath you lie in, and outside there is one wide open-air bath where you feel the sea breeze. The sauna holds about 10 people and is around 90°C and fairly humid.
There are rest areas on both floors, with massage chairs on the first, and the second-floor lounge looks out over Ishikari Bay.
Across the road, Soup to Bread is a stylish bakery to stop at on the way home.
Price, hours and parking
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Price | 900 yen |
| Towel rental | 300 yen; loungewear 300 yen |
| Hours | 10:00–24:00 |
| Closed | Open every day except two or three maintenance days a year (announced on the official site) |
| Payment | Cash only |
| Tattoos | Guests with tattoos are not admitted |
| Parking | Free, 150 cars |
See the official site (in Japanese) for details.
How to get there
From Sapporo: under an hour. Take Route 231 (Ishikari-kaido) north toward Ishikari.
From New Chitose Airport: about an hour and a half, via Route 337 through Naganuma and Tobetsu.
Near Banya no Yu
Banya no Yu is a good last stop on an Ororon Line drive back to Sapporo.
Ororon Line Day Trip from Sapporo by Car: Rumoi, Mashike and a Sea of Japan SunsetSapporo to Rumoi and back down the coast: a local's day trip on the southern Ororon Line, with Cape Ogon, Mashike's old herring town, sweet shrimp and sake, a sea-view hot spring, Shirogane Falls and a Sea of Japan sunset.
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.
FAQ about Banya no Yu
Q1. When can I see the capybara?
From 11:00 to 18:30 in summer and 12:00 to 18:00 in winter, except in bad weather.
Q2. How much is Banya no Yu?
900 yen, cash only; towels are 300 yen. Guests with tattoos are not admitted.
Q3. How far is it from Sapporo?
Under an hour by car.