Hokkaido Hot Spring & Sauna Journey ~Shikotsu Lake, Noboribetsu, Toya Lake & Jozankei~

Hokkaido is the sacred land of hot springs and saunas in Japan. This is something I feel deeply now. In operating this site, I have researched nearly ten thousand facilities across Japan, and no region comes close to Hokkaido when it comes to the richness of its hot springs and saunas. On this trip, I visited facilities that I am convinced rank among the very best — even within Hokkaido, which is already home to so many exceptional spots. Starting my journey at Shikotsu Lake, I traveled through Noboribetsu, Lake Toya, and Jozankei, visiting hot spring destinations that are the pride of Hokkaido — indeed, the pride of all Japan. Here is a record of a journey in which I was utterly undone by sublime hot springs, saunas, and the grandeur of nature.