Hoheikyo Onsen: Source-Flowing Baths and Indian Curry Near Jozankei

By Chaporo, a Sapporo local Published
Hoheikyo Onsen: Source-Flowing Baths and Indian Curry Near Jozankei

Quick answers

  • 100% source-flowing water, slightly milky, in an open-air bath of about 39°C; no sauna
  • 1,300 yen for adults; open every day 10:00–22:30; free parking
  • Bring 100-yen coins for the shoe and changing-room lockers
  • The Indian curry restaurant is popular: expect a wait at lunchtime in the leaf season

Hoheikyo Onsen is a day-trip hot spring in the forest just past Jozankei, a little over an hour from central Sapporo. The water flows straight from the source with nothing added, the open-air bath looks out on the mountains, and the restaurant is famous for Indian curry with naan baked to order. It is open every day from 10:00 to 22:30, and a bath costs 1,300 yen.

The baths at Hoheikyo Onsen

The water is 100% from the source, with no water added and no reheating. In summer, when it comes out too hot, they cool it by splashing it with a water wheel. It is slightly milky and leaves your skin smooth, which is why locals call it a "beauty bath". The open-air bath is about 39°C, cool enough to stay in for a long time, yet it warms you to the core more than you would expect, so you keep sweating afterward; even in autumn, bring a T-shirt to change into.

The wooden buildings of Hoheikyo Onsen with autumn-colored hills behind

The buildings are old and there is no sauna, but that is part of the charm: it feels like a hidden hot spring in the mountains. Two things to know before you go:

  • The shoe lockers and the changing-room lockers both take 100-yen coins, so bring a few.
  • There is only one hair dryer in the changing room, so if you have long hair, tie it up and keep it dry.
Autumn leaves on the hills around Hoheikyo Onsen, with a car park below

First time at an onsen?

  • Men and women bathe separately, with no swimsuits.
  • Wash and rinse yourself at the washing stations before you get in.
  • Keep your towel out of the water.
  • Tattoos: Hoheikyo Onsen is widely reported by travelers to accept guests with tattoos, but rules can change, so ask at reception before you pay.

The Indian curry restaurant

The other reason people come is the curry. I had the lamb curry and a haskap lassi: the lamb was falling-apart tender, the naan came hot and crisp, and the gentle sourness of haskap, a Hokkaido berry, went well with the lassi.

Indian curry with naan and a haskap lassi at Hoheikyo Onsen

You choose the curry and how hot you want it, from a mild children's level to very hot. Most curries with naan were 1,200 to 1,400 yen on the menu when I went.

The curry menu at Hoheikyo Onsen, with five levels of spiciness

The restaurant is very popular, and at lunchtime you may have to wait. At the busiest time, lunch in the autumn leaf season, I waited about 30 minutes.

The order counter and souvenir corner at the Hoheikyo Onsen restaurant
The view of the garden from a window seat in the Hoheikyo Onsen restaurant

You can also have soba made entirely from buckwheat grown in Etanbetsu, Hokkaido. The half-and-half set of curry and soba is 1,700 yen (the lassi in the photo is extra), and the fresh, light soba is a good break from the curry.

The half-and-half set of chicken curry and Etanbetsu soba at Hoheikyo Onsen

Prices and opening hours

WhatDetails
Bath1,300 yen for adults (junior high school students and older), 600 yen for children (age 3 to elementary school), free under 3
TowelsFace towel 220 yen, bath towel 500 yen (to buy)
Hours10:00–22:30, last entry 21:45
ClosedOpen every day
ParkingFree

Check the official site for the latest.

How to get to Hoheikyo Onsen

From central Sapporo: a little over an hour by car, through the city and on to Jozankei. The city roads get busy in the morning, so allow extra time; on a weekday morning it took me about an hour and a half, including a 10-minute stop at a convenience store. In the middle of the Jozankei hot spring town there is a Seicomart with a large car park, a good place for a break, with Jozankei Shrine next door.

From New Chitose Airport: a little over an hour and a half. It is slightly further than from Sapporo, but the road runs through the mountains rather than the city, so there is little traffic.

Near Hoheikyo Onsen

Hoheikyo Dam is just up the road, known for the view from the top of the dam and its water release, especially in the autumn leaf season. You cannot drive to the dam itself: park at the Hoheikyo car park and take the electric bus (early May to November 3). Jozankei's hot spring town is about 10 minutes away, so you can try a second bath, such as Yunohana Jozankeiden with its sauna. My Jozankei guide puts the dam, the viewpoints over Lake Sapporo and the hot springs into one day.

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 more hot springs within reach of Sapporo, see my onsen guide.

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 Hoheikyo Onsen

Q1. How much is Hoheikyo Onsen?

1,300 yen for adults and 600 yen for children. Towels are extra.

Q2. What time is Hoheikyo Onsen open?

Every day from 10:00 to 22:30, with last entry at 21:45.

Q3. Does Hoheikyo Onsen allow tattoos?

It is widely reported to accept guests with tattoos, but ask at reception, as rules can change.

Q4. Do I need to queue for the curry?

At lunchtime on busy days, yes. In the autumn leaf season I waited about 30 minutes.