Misaki no Yu Shakotan: A Hot Spring and Sauna Above the Sea of Japan

Misaki no Yu Shakotan is a hot spring on a hill above the coast of the Shakotan Peninsula, looking straight out over the Sea of Japan. The water is milky and slightly silky, there is a herbal sauna where you can ladle water on the hot stones yourself, and the best part is lying outside afterward with the sea below you. It is open from April to November, 11:00 to 19:00, closed on Wednesdays, and a bath costs 1,200 yen.

1The baths and the sauna

Inside there are four baths: a warm bath, a hotter bath, a bubble bath and a cold plunge. Outside there are two open-air baths. The water is milky and slightly silky, and it warms you right through.

There is also a herbal "botanical" sauna, big enough for about five people, where you can ladle water on the hot stones yourself. After the sauna you can lie down outside to cool off, looking down on the Sea of Japan, and that is what makes this place special.

2Before you go

• Tattoos are not restricted.
• Shampoo and body soap are provided free.
• No photos in the bathing area, and no bringing in food or drink.

The restaurant has been renewed as baobao, a Taiwanese restaurant using Shakotan produce (meals 11:00–18:30), and you can eat there without paying for a bath.

3Price, hours and parking

Check the official site (in Japanese) before you go; it sometimes closes for repairs or events.

From the car park you look the other way, inland, to the mountains of the peninsula.

4How to get to Misaki no Yu

From central Sapporo it is about two hours. Take the Sasson Expressway and then the Shiribeshi Expressway (signed for Yoichi) to the end at Yoichi IC; where the road splits toward Otaru and Yoichi, keep left for Yoichi. The toll from Sapporo-kita IC to Yoichi IC is 1,750 yen. From Yoichi, follow Route 229 along the coast. For breaks, there is Kanayama PA on the expressway and the Space Apple Yoichi roadside station (a michi-no-eki rest stop with toilets, food and local produce) about five minutes from the Yoichi exit.

5Near Misaki no Yu

Misaki no Yu is a good last stop after a day of Shakotan's capes: Cape Ogon in Bikuni, Shimamui Coast and Cape Kamui.

Shimamui Coast and Cape Shakotan: The Tunnel Viewpoint and the LighthouseA local's guide to Shimamui Coast on Cape Shakotan: the tunnel that opens onto the Shakotan blue sea, the walk up to the lighthouse viewpoint, the path closure until April 2027, parking and how to get there from Sapporo. Cape Kamui: The Walk to the Tip, Gate Hours and the 2026-27 ClosureA local's guide to Cape Kamui on the Shakotan Peninsula: the walk along the ridge over the blue sea, the Nyonin-kinsei gate and its legend, gate hours by month, the trail closure until April 2027, and parking.

My Shakotan guide ends the day here.

Shakotan and Cape Kamui Day Trip from Sapporo by Car: A Local's RouteA local's day trip from Sapporo to Shakotan by car: Cape Ogon, Shimamui Coast, a sea urchin bowl, Cape Kamui and a sea-view onsen, with tolls, opening hours, closures and the bus alternative.

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.

6FAQ about Misaki no Yu Shakotan

Q1. How much is Misaki no Yu?

1,200 yen for adults; a towel set is 500 yen.

Q2. Is Misaki no Yu open in winter?

No. It is closed from December to March.

Q3. What day is Misaki no Yu closed?

Wednesdays.

Q4. Is there a sauna?

Yes, a herbal sauna for about five people where you can ladle water on the stones yourself, and space to lie down outside looking at the sea.