Hotel Rishiri on Rishiri Island: An Onsen Hotel Where You Can Walk Out to Dinner

After a day driving around Rishiri Island, I left the car at the hotel, walked into town for dinner, came back for a soak in the hotel's own hot spring, and in the morning had two bowls of miso soup with nothing in it but Rishiri tororo kombu, the island's shaved kelp. That was my two nights at Hotel Rishiri in Kutsugata, the town on the island's west side, in June 2026. Here is the onsen, the breakfast, what I paid, and the parking and shuttle.

1Why I stayed at Hotel Rishiri

Rishiri has two main towns with hotels and restaurants: Oshidomari on the north side, the port where the ferry from Wakkanai comes in, and Kutsugata on the west side. Hotel Rishiri is in Kutsugata, about 10 minutes by car from Rishiri Airport.

I chose it for two reasons. It has its own hot spring, Rishiri Fureai Onsen, with a bath fed straight from the spring source. And restaurants and a Seicomart convenience store are within walking distance.

Closed for overnight stays in winter

In 2026, the last night you can stay at Hotel Rishiri is November 29. Overnight stays reopen in late March 2027, and the hot spring stays open in between (Hotel Rishiri, as of November 12, 2026).

2Hotel Rishiri prices and rooms

I stayed two nights alone on a plan with breakfast, booked on Rakuten Travel. My room had no air conditioning, which made it 2,200 yen a night cheaper, and with a 1,000-yen coupon the total came to 48,500 yen. The bathing tax and accommodation tax were paid separately, in cash, at the hotel.

The room was like a standard Japanese business hotel room. Mine looked out on the sea, though the view probably depends on the floor and which way the room faces.

3Rishiri Fureai Onsen, the hot spring inside the hotel

The hotel's onsen, Rishiri Fureai Onsen, has a lukewarm bath of water straight from the source, plus a sauna and a cold plunge bath. Hotel guests can use it in the evening and again the next morning.

Tattoos are not mentioned on the hotel's onsen page (Hotel Rishiri, as of November 2026), so if you have one, ask at the front desk before you go in.

The lukewarm source bath

The source bath is lukewarm, and it was perfect for going back and forth with the hotter baths. Being straight from the source, it has a strong hot spring smell, a smell of iron. The water was a clear, light brown and felt smooth on the skin.

According to the hotel, the water is a carbonated sodium chloride and bicarbonate spring, 32.9°C at the source. The baths use both free-flowing spring water and filtered, recirculated water, and are heated to keep a comfortable temperature. The outdoor bath is open only from May to October. There are two saunas, one hot and one milder, and a cold bath, and shampoo, conditioner, body soap and hair dryers are provided (Hotel Rishiri, as of November 2026).

The water isn't as special as at Hokkaido's famous onsen towns like Jozankei or Noboribetsu, but I could sit in the source bath for a long time, and it was a good soak.

When you can bathe, and how busy it was

I went in after coming back from dinner, from 19:40 to 21:00 on the first night and 19:10 to 20:30 on the second, both weekdays. It wasn't crowded, and I could take my time.

Hotel guests can bathe from 13:00 to 23:00 and from 5:00 to 8:30 the next morning, and are asked to bring the bath towel from their room. You can also come just for the bath without staying: from 13:00 to 21:00 (last entry 20:30), 650 yen for adults and 250 yen for children up to elementary school age (about 12). A face towel costs 200 yen to buy and a bath towel 200 yen to rent. Day visitors use a separate entrance and parking lot, around the left side of the hotel toward the back (Hotel Rishiri, as of November 2026).

4Breakfast at Hotel Rishiri

Breakfast was a set tray plus a small buffet of daily side dishes you help yourself to. The best part was the miso soup. Its only filling is Rishiri tororo kombu, which you add yourself, as much as you like. With nothing else in the bowl, you taste the island's famous kelp on its own, and since refills were free, I had two bowls both mornings.

5Dinner at the hotel, or walking into Kutsugata

Dinner at the hotel is a Japanese set meal, and from June to September you can add raw sea urchin (Hotel Rishiri, as of November 2026). I booked breakfast only and walked to restaurants 5 to 10 minutes away both nights, leaving the car at the hotel so I could have a drink.

Rishiri Furusato Shokudo on Rishiri Island: Crunchy Sculpin Roe with the Island's Own SakeRishiri Furusato Shokudo in Kutsugata: gisuko sculpin roe, hokke and local sake, with menu prices, hours, booking and payment as I found them in June 2026. Menmu Nabechan on Rishiri Island: Kelp-Cured Flounder with a Shochu Made from Rishiri KelpMenmu Nabechan, an izakaya in Kutsugata on Rishiri Island: kelp-cured sashimi and Rishiri kelp shochu, with prices, hours, booking and how to walk there.

The Kutsugata branch of Seicomart, Hokkaido's own convenience store chain, is also within walking distance and open from 6:00 to 23:00 (Seicomart store search, as of November 10, 2026).

6Parking, the free shuttle and bike rental

I came by rental car and parked in the hotel's own lot, which was free.

Without a car, the hotel runs a free shuttle from Rishiri Airport and the Oshidomari ferry terminal, timed to the flights and ferries, and also to the Oshidomari trailhead for climbing Mt. Rishiri, leaving the hotel at 5:30. It runs only if you request it when you book. Bicycles cost 300 yen an hour, or 1,500 yen for a day if you take one for five hours or more (Hotel Rishiri, as of November 2026).

7FAQ about Hotel Rishiri

Q1. Is Hotel Rishiri open in winter?

Not for overnight stays. In 2026 the last night is November 29, and stays reopen in late March 2027. The hot spring stays open through the winter (Hotel Rishiri, as of November 12, 2026).

Q2. Can I use the onsen at Hotel Rishiri without staying?

Yes. Day bathing is from 13:00 to 21:00 (last entry 20:30), 650 yen for adults, and you can buy or rent towels (Hotel Rishiri, as of November 2026).

Q3. Does Hotel Rishiri have an airport shuttle?

Yes, a free shuttle from Rishiri Airport and the ferry terminal, which you request when you book (Hotel Rishiri, as of November 2026). I had a rental car, so I didn't use it.

8More on Rishiri Island

With the onsen in the building and dinner and a convenience store a short walk away, Hotel Rishiri was an easy base for exploring the island by car. Here is the two-night drive I did from it, with times and costs.

Rishiri Island Itinerary: 2 or 3 Days Around Mt. Rishiri by Rental CarA Sapporo local's Rishiri Island itinerary by rental car, with real times: flights from Sapporo, picking up the car at the airport, Himenuma Pond, Cape Peshi, sea urchin season and prices, where to stay, costs, and a shorter 1-night version.