I took Friday and Monday off from work. You probably already know what that means. It was the start of a sauna trip.
On Friday, June 5th, I departed Kobe Airport at 7:30 a.m. and touched down at New Chitose Airport at 9:15 a.m. From there I headed to the rental car desk, sorted out the paperwork, and set off for my first destination: Marukoma Onsen Ryokan. It had been about three years since I last set foot in Hokkaido, and this was my first trip with hot springs and saunas as the main purpose. Naturally, I gripped the steering wheel with an unusual level of determination. As I drove, breathtaking scenery I would never encounter in everyday life kept appearing one after another. The excitement of travel was pounding in my chest.
After about an hour on the road, Lake Shikotsu appeared before me. The lake, which has repeatedly been ranked number one in Japan for water quality, is so clear and blue that it has earned the name "Shikotsu Blue," and the majestic mountains centered on Mount Eniwa quietly encircle it. At Marukoma Onsen Ryokan, I would be able to enjoy hot springs and a sauna while gazing at this stunning view of Lake Shikotsu. When I first discovered this place, I was overjoyed at the thought of using a sauna in such an incredible setting.
I arrived at Marukoma Onsen Ryokan. Being a weekday morning, the place was sparsely visited. I bought a day-use bathing ticket from the vending machine, picked up a towel at the front desk, and headed to the main bath. Up until stripping off my clothes in the changing room, it was no different from any ordinary large public bath. But that is where a truly rare experience begins.
The moment I stepped into the main bath, the stunning view of Lake Shikotsu leapt into my eyes. I stood there motionless for a few seconds, transfixed by its beauty, before gathering myself and taking in the layout. The indoor bath features multiple tubs at different temperatures as well as a sauna, and out in the open-air area there is a hot spring with a full view of Shikotsu's natural scenery, a cold plunge bath, and an outdoor relaxation space. There is also a spot where you can drink the spring water.
I rinsed off and eased myself into the outdoor hot spring. Marukoma Onsen Ryokan has a history of over 100 years, founded in 1915 (Taisho 4) by its first proprietor, Sasaki Hatsutaro, making it a venerable hidden hot spring. It features a natural open-air bath of the rare "foot-source springing" type found in very few places across Japan, where the water connects to Lake Shikotsu through the rocks, meaning the depth of the tub changes with the lake's water level — a hot spring that is truly at one with nature. The color, scent, and texture of the water remind me of Arima Onsen in Hyogo Prefecture. The mineral content is so rich that it stains the bathtub itself a deep golden hue. I soaked slowly in this historic hot spring while gazing at the spectacular view of Lake Shikotsu. When my body warmed up, I rested a little, then slipped back in. Throughout it all, the stunning view of the lake was always right there beside me. What a feeling of bliss.
After enjoying the hot spring to the fullest, I began my sauna sessions: sauna → cold plunge → outdoor relaxation. The sauna room in the indoor bath is a compact space for about four people, with a temperature of around 90°C. The stove is made by Finnish manufacturer MISA, and self-service löyly is available. The MISA stove is exactly to my taste in that it warms you slowly and deeply from the core. I took my time warming up my body. In the serene space, I steadied both mind and body. After a while, a fellow bather called out, "I'm going to do löyly." In a space for four people, the moment water hit the sauna stones, hot steam spread in an instant and sweating kicked into high gear. Eventually reaching my limit, I moved to the cold plunge bath in the outdoor area.
Marukoma Onsen Ryokan's cold plunge bath uses direct flow water from Lake Shikotsu, ranked number one in Japan for water quality eleven years in a row. Even in June, the water temperature is around 10°C, and the refreshing shock is intense. Soaking up the full blessing of that natural water and feeling my blood vessels contract all at once, I moved to the outdoor relaxation space right beside it. The spectacular view of Lake Shikotsu spread out before me, and relaxing outdoors while gazing at that scenery was nothing short of extraordinary. I have visited ocean-view and lake-view facilities a number of times before, but this is the first time the lake has been this close. The outdoor bath and the lake are at nearly zero distance — the relaxation area is close enough that a running jump would land you in the lake. Because of that, you can feel the flow of the water, the sounds, and the breeze of Lake Shikotsu directly. Isn't this the greatest outdoor relaxation of my entire life?
Before heading into my second sauna session, I stopped by the drinking spring. Here you can drink the spring water as it wells up. I usually drink plain water, but today I decided to drink the spring water and charge up on minerals. The style is charmingly rustic — you ladle the water straight out and drink it in one gulp. The moment it hits my mouth, there is a strong iron-like taste. It cannot be called delicious by any stretch, but there is a sensation of the earth's power being charged into your body. The foreigner standing next to me seemed genuinely curious, so I handed over the ladle and encouraged them to try it. "Try it." After taking a sip, they left with the single word "unrich." Unrich? How soft. The act of drinking the spring water like this is a richly rewarding experience that can only be had in a very limited number of places.
In the second session I warmed up in the sauna the same way, submerged myself in the top-ranked lake water to cool down, and once again enjoyed the outdoor relaxation while gazing at the spectacular view of Lake Shikotsu. The weather was cool too, the kind where you could stay outside forever. Until the switch flipped and I thought, "alright, time to move," I simply lay there and looked at the breathtaking scenery. A renowned hot spring, a sauna, a lake-water cold plunge, and a view-perfect outdoor relaxation. Every element was supreme, and I was genuinely moved.
Afterward, I repeated the hot spring and sauna cycle many more times. When I finally finished and looked at my watch, two hours had passed in no time at all. I suppose this is what it means to enjoy yourself so much that you forget the time. I felt as if I had slipped through time itself.
After the extraordinary hot spring and sauna session, it was time for a delicious meal. When it comes to Lake Shikotsu, the must-try is Shikotsu-ko chip. Shikotsu-ko chip refers to himemasu, a freshwater fish of the salmon family that grows in Lake Shikotsu, Hokkaido — a precious fish you can only taste here. A few minutes by car from Marukoma Onsen Ryokan, there was a set-meal restaurant called Poropinai Shokudo, apparently well known for serving himemasu at its best. I enjoyed the full course: sashimi, fried, and salt-grilled. It was the most delicious fish I had eaten in years. The palate sharpened by the sauna absorbed every bit of the fresh fish's umami.
When your very first visit delivers an experience this magnificent, you naturally start to worry whether anything that follows can possibly top it — but there is no need to worry. An extraordinary lineup continues from here. I said goodbye to the spectacular view of Lake Shikotsu and set off for my next destination: a facility where you can become one with nature in an enormous open-air bath in the forest, and experience the ultimate state of totonou in two saunas with completely different concepts. After the lake, it is the forest. The name of that facility is Midori no Kaze Resort Kitayuzawa. The journey has only just begun.
