Great reasons to add yukimiroten to your vocabulary and itinerary alike.
Before we talk about places to hop into a hot spring, let’s dip our toes in the waters of bathing-related Japanese linguistics. If you’re reading this article, there’s a decent chance that you’re already familiar with onsen, the Japanese word for “hot spring,” and you might also know furo and its more refined-sounding variant ofuro, both of which mean “bath.” Furo, with a little leading consonant change from F to B, also shows up in rotenburo, “open-air bath,” and today we’re looking at a special kind of rotenburo, the yukimiroten, or “snow-viewing outdoor bath.”
Since we’re already into the back half of winter, you might be thinking you’ve already missed the season’s window to admire snow-blanketed scenery while your body stays nice and warm inside an open-air hot spring. But the snow season is a long one in Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost prefecture, and there’s still time for a yukimiroten soak, with Japanese online travel portal Jalan having prepared a list of five breathtaking, warmth-imparting hot spring hotel recommendations.
● Hotel Hanakagura
Website
We start off in the town of Higashikagura, where Hanakagura is just 15 minutes by car from Asahikawa Airport, offering one of the quickest-after-arrival yukimiroten experiences you can find. It’s not just the convenience that makes this place great, though, as its hillside/meadow-adjacent orientation means that in winter a shimmering sheet of snow stretches out before you before the land starts rising again into the Daisetsuzan mountain range. You don’t even have to spend the night, as the baths are available for day-use as well, and if you love not just hot springs but animals too, Asahikawa’s famous zoo is less than half an hour away.
● Marukoma Onsen Ryokan
Website
You don’t stay in business for 110 years and counting without being someplace special, and this secluded ryokan (traditional inn) in the town of Chitose, inside a national park and on the shores of Lake Shikotsu, definitely qualifies. Multiple open-air baths, some right on the edge of the lake, offer their own unique viewpoints, and for early risers, the sight of the sun rising and giving a golden glow to the waves and snow mounds will give you a magical start to your day.
● Matsu no Yu
Website (Rakuten Travel)
You don’t even have to venture outside of the Sapporo city limits to find a great yukimiroten, thanks to Matsu no Yu. First opened in 1957, this ryokan’s open-air bath will always give you great wintertime snow views and the soothing sound of the Toyohira River that flows next to the inn, and if you’re extra lucky, you might spot a deer, Ezo risu (Hokkaido squirrel) or white-tailed eagle in or above the nearby forest too.
● Tabist Chikuba Shinyotei
Website
Though bamboo is often associated with Asian countries, Hokkaido’s climate is too chilly for the plant to be as prevalent as it is elsewhere in Japan. This ryokan in Hakodate, though, does have its own bamboo grove, and its own bamboo-view bath. Chikuba Shinyotei switches which of its two outdoor baths is for men and which is for women on a daily basis, though, so you’ll want to call ahead check the schedule if you’ve got your heart set on soaking in the bamboo-view one.
● Yuyado Daiichi
Website
And rounding out the list, for those venturing deep into Hokkaido and making it all the way to Nakashibetsu, near the island’s eastern tip, is Yuyado Daiichi. A unique aspect of bathing here is that you’ll likely be serenaded by birdsong as you soak, and some bathers even encounter shimafukuro, or Blakiston’s fish owls, the largest species of owl. Note, however, that it’s not just the remote location that makes this a yukimiroten for experienced travelers, but also the fact that the bath is a mixed men’s/women’s communal setup, though bathing suits are provided free of charge for those who wish for a little more modesty while in the hot spring.
It’s worth bearing in mind that while all of these places are amazing snow-view bath spots, their natural surroundings mean they’re still beautiful, just in a different way, at other times of year too. Still, for snow lovers, there’s definitely something special about visiting Hokkaido in winter, and these hot springs make great points to plan your itinerary around.
Source: PR Times
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images: PR Times
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