Marukoma Onsen: Day-Use Hot Spring Baths & Prices

Quietly set on the northern shore of Lake Shikotsu stands Marukoma Onsen, a single inn founded in 1915. The source, said in its early days to have healed the wounds of horses carrying sulfur, still flows in naturally today. Listed with the Association for Protecting Japan Secret Hot Springs, it is a hidden gem in deep Sapporo country.

Highlights

• A natural open-air bath welling up underfoot, its depth changing with the lake level
• A nationally rare openness where the lake surface and the bath surface become one
• A scenic bath overlooking the clear waters of Lake Shikotsu

Enjoying the Seasons

Summer brings a refreshing soak while gazing at the blue, clear Lake Shikotsu, and autumn colors the lakeside leaves beautifully. Winter deepens the charm of a snow-dressed lake and a quiet hidden spring, and whenever you visit, a bathing experience that unites you with Shikotsu nature awaits.

Access and Basic Information

• About 45 minutes by car from Chitose IC on the Doo Expressway
• Roughly one hour by car from New Chitose Airport
• A shuttle for overnight guests runs from the Lake Shikotsu bus terminal
• Spring type is a natural sodium and calcium chloride spring
• Though a single inn, it also accepts day-use bathing

Practical Travel Notes

• Day-use bathing is limited to certain days and hours, officially accepted during daytime on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Always confirm the open days and final entry time before visiting
• Alongside a large indoor bath and a view open-air bath, the signature is a natural open-air bath that wells up underfoot. Its level matching the lake makes for a construction rare anywhere in Japan
• The standard public-transport route is a Chuo Bus from JR Chitose Station to the Lake Shikotsu terminal, then on to the inn. Service is limited, so checking outbound and return times is essential
• The best times are summer, when the lake glows blue, and autumn, with its vivid leaves. A day trip of a bath and lakeside stroll fills half a day, while an overnight stay lets you savor the quiet

A Quick Tip

The natural foot-spring open-air bath changes depth with the lake level, so savor the unique water condition of the day. As a single inn, early reservations bring peace of mind, and check the shuttle bus times in advance. Since day-use bathing runs on limited days, plan with room to spare.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Spring quality: Sodium-calcium chloride, bicarbonate and sulphate spring (former classification: earthy-gypsum saline spring / neutral, hypotonic, high-temperature spring)
• Source temperature: 54 degrees
• Indications: Neuralgia, muscle pain, joint pain, frozen shoulder, bruises, sprains, haemorrhoids, chronic digestive complaints, chronic skin conditions, convalescence, recovery from fatigue and sensitivity to cold, among others
• Contraindications: Acute illness (especially with a fever), malignant tumours, serious heart disease, respiratory failure, kidney failure, haemorrhagic conditions, active tuberculosis, severe anaemia and pregnancy (especially in the early and late stages), among others
• Natural open-air bath: The water wells up under your feet. Because it is at the same level as Lake Shikotsu, the depth of the bath changes with the season
• Open-air bath: There is an open-air bath with a view
• Days for day-use bathing: Friday, Saturday and Sunday
• Hours for day-use bathing: 10:00-14:00 (leave the building by 15:00)
• Day-use bathing fees: 1,200 yen for adults, 600 yen for children, 300 yen for infants, free of charge for children under 3. Both men and women can use the large indoor bath, the open-air bath with a view and the natural open-air bath, as well as the sauna attached to the large bath
• Private baths: "Maru no Yu", with a barrel sauna, costs 4,400 yen for 50 minutes or 7,700 yen for 110 minutes (up to 4 people), and "Koma no Yu", with an open-air bath, costs 2,750 yen for 50 minutes (up to 4 people). Day-use hours are 10:00-14:00, and in both cases the day-use bathing fee is payable separately. There is an advance reservation form
• Towels: No towels are provided in the private bathrooms, so it is safest to bring your own
• Tattoos: Bathing is permitted
• Bathing robes: Women may wear a bathing robe
• Barrier-free facilities: The ryokan is certified under the Japan Tourism Agency's "Certification System for Universal Design of the Heart at Tourist Facilities". There is a ramp at the main entrance, spaces reserved for people with walking difficulties in the car park, and a stairlift on the passage leading to the large bath. The tubs have handrails, and assistance chairs for the washing area and wheelchairs are available to borrow, with written communication also offered at the front desk
• Access by car: About 42 km and about 60 minutes from New Chitose Airport via Prefectural Route 16 and National Route 453; about 44 km and about 70 minutes from central Sapporo via National Route 453; about 37 km and about 60 minutes from Tomakomai via National Routes 276 and 453 (all figures are guides for weekday daytime driving)
• Access by public transport: About 60 minutes by Hokkaido Chuo Bus from stop No. 28 at the domestic terminal of New Chitose Airport to the Shikotsuko Bus Terminal, or about 50 minutes from JR Chitose Station. It is about 20 minutes from the bus terminal to the ryokan, but the shuttle bus is for overnight guests only and must be reserved. If you are visiting for the day by public transport, you need to arrange transport from the Shikotsuko Bus Terminal in advance
• Winter notes: During the 2026 Shikotsuko Ice Festival (January 31 to February 23) the route buses are extremely crowded. During the festival the fully reserved "Hyoto BLUE LINER" also runs, linking New Chitose Airport and JR Chitose Station with the Shikotsu Onsen Bus Terminal (one way 2,000 yen for adults and 1,000 yen for children)
• How long to allow: One to two hours for bathing alone. Day-use visits have a short window, with reception closing at 14:00 and departure by 15:00, so if you want to combine your visit with a walk along the lakeshore, plan to arrive in the morning
• Address: 7 Horomunai, Chitose City, Hokkaido

📚 Sources

The spring quality, former classification, source temperature, indications and contraindications, the details of the natural open-air bath, the open-air bath with a view and the sauna, the days, hours and fees for day-use bathing, and the prices and hours of the private baths "Maru no Yu" and "Koma no Yu" all come from the "Onsen" page of the official website of Marukoma Onsen Ryokan. The story of its founding (the first-generation owner Hatsutaro Sasaki discovered the hot spring in 1915 and opened the inn two years later) is taken from the information page, and the barrier-free facilities, the policy on bathing for people with tattoos, bathing robes and wheelchair loans from the "Universal Access" page of the same site. The journey times by car and bus, the shuttle bus for overnight guests and the route bus information for the Ice Festival period are based on the access page of the official website. Details are subject to change, so please check official sources before you set out.