Day Trips from SapporoKoganeyu Onsen: A Renovated Hot Spring and Sauna Near Jozankei
By Chaporo, a Sapporo local Published 
Quick answers
- A Meiji-era healing spring, renovated in 2025, about 10 minutes from Jozankei
- Faintly cloudy, silky water; a dry sauna with automatic löyly and a mist sauna
- 1,270 yen; 10:00–23:00 every day, plus a 6:00–9:00 morning bath
- Guests with tattoos are not admitted; private baths from 3,800 yen for 90 minutes
Koganeyu Onsen is a day-bath hot spring about 10 minutes from Jozankei, on the road back toward Sapporo. It has been a healing spring since the late 19th century (the Meiji era), but it reopened after a renovation in June 2025, so the building is new, with a rest area and a restaurant. The water is faintly cloudy and silky, there is a sauna where water is poured on the hot stones automatically, and there are private baths. It is open every day from 10:00 to 23:00. Note that Koganeyu does not admit guests with tattoos of any size.
The baths and saunas
Koganeyu is surrounded by mountains, and you can soak in the source water or in a small pot bath with the forest around you. The water is mild sulfur water, slightly alkaline, faintly cloudy and silky on the skin.
There is a dry sauna with automatic löyly (water poured on the stones automatically) that heats you right through, and a mist sauna, and the cold plunge is properly cold. The outdoor bath is surrounded by trees, which were in full autumn color when I went, and sitting outside to cool down between sauna rounds, with a faint smell of sulfur in the air, was the best part.
Soba at the restaurant
The restaurant has a long menu, and the thing to have is the soba, made every day from 100% Hokkaido buckwheat: smooth, with a good firm bite. I had the set of soba with albacore tuna dressed with sesame, and the sesame and tuna went very well together (1,100 yen when I went).
Price, hours and parking
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Hours | 10:00–23:00 (last entry 22:00), plus an early-morning bath from 6:00 to 9:00 (last entry 8:30) at a lower price |
| Price | 1,270 yen adults, 500 yen children |
| Towels | Towel set 220 yen; towels plus yukata 350 yen |
| Private baths | 90 minutes for up to 3 people: 3,800 yen on weekdays, 4,300 yen on weekends and holidays; ask at the front desk on the day |
| Closed | Open every day |
| Tattoos | Not admitted, whatever the size (official policy) |
| Parking | Free, about 150 cars |
See the official site (in Japanese) for details.
How to get to Koganeyu Onsen
From central Sapporo: about an hour by car, through the city toward Jozankei. The city roads can be busy in the morning, so allow extra time.
From New Chitose Airport: about an hour and a half, on mountain roads with little traffic.
Near Koganeyu Onsen
Jozankei's hot spring town is about 10 minutes further on, so you can try a second bath, and Hoheikyo Dam and Hoheikyo Onsen are beyond it.
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.
Hoheikyo Dam: The Electric Bus, Autumn Leaves and Parking Near JozankeiA local's guide to Hoheikyo Dam above Jozankei: the windowless electric bus up the gorge (2026 season and fares), the view from the dam and the water release, autumn crowds and parking, and how to get there from Sapporo.
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.
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 Koganeyu Onsen
Q1. How much is Koganeyu Onsen?
1,270 yen for adults; a towel set is 220 yen.
Q2. What time is Koganeyu open?
Every day from 10:00 to 23:00 (last entry 22:00), with an early-morning bath from 6:00 to 9:00.
Q3. Does Koganeyu have private baths?
Yes, for 90 minutes for up to three people: 3,800 yen on weekdays and 4,300 yen on weekends and holidays.
Q4. Can I go in with a tattoo?
No. Koganeyu does not admit guests with tattoos of any size, including in the private baths. Hoheikyo Onsen, further up the valley, is widely reported to accept them.