Sounkyo Onsen: Day-Use Hot Spring Baths & Prices

Near the center of Hokkaido, within Daisetsuzan National Park, lies Sounkyo. It is a grand gorge where sheer cliffs stretch about 24 kilometers along the Ishikari River, with a hot spring town nestled in its embrace. The clear, mild simple spring is gentle on the skin, letting you soak at ease amid majestic nature.

Highlights

• The gorge beauty of columnar-jointed cliffs and the Ryusei and Ginga waterfalls
• Mountain scenery enjoyed from the Daisetsuzan Kurodake ropeway
• The winter tradition of the Sounkyo Onsen Ice Falls Festival

Enjoying the Seasons

Summer bustles as a base for gorge hikes and Kurodake climbs, while autumn dyes the gorge with splendid leaves. From late January to mid March the Ice Falls Festival is held on the Ishikari riverbed, and at night the ice sculptures glow in seven colors, spreading a fantastical world.

Access and Basic Information

• About 30 minutes by bus from JR Kamikawa Station
• About 30 minutes by car from Kamikawa-Sounkyo IC on the Asahikawa-Monbetsu Expressway
• Roughly one hour and 30 minutes by car from Asahikawa Airport
• Spring type is simple spring
• The town has a day-use bathing facility, so the inn waters are easy to enjoy

Practical Travel Notes

• The Daisetsuzan Kurodake ropeway runs from the base station to the fifth station in about seven minutes one way. From the top spread mountain views of the Daisetsuzan peaks, drawing climbers and hikers in summer and admirers of the sea of clouds and autumn leaves in fall
• The Ryusei and Ginga waterfalls are a popular spot where both falls can be seen together from the Sobakudai observation deck, a short drive from the town
• The Ice Falls Festival is usually held from late January to mid March, with a cooperation fee asked of those in junior high and above. The evening illumination is the highlight, so dress warmly for your visit
• The best times are autumn for leaves and winter, when the ice sculptures glow. A day trip of a waterfall tour and a bath fills half a day, or a full day if you add the ropeway or a climb

A Quick Tip

Nights at the Ice Falls Festival turn bitterly cold, so solid winter clothing is a must. Warm your chilled body slowly in the inn gentle waters after viewing. The ropeway and waterfall decks change in operation and appearance with the season, so checking conditions in advance brings peace of mind.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Spring quality: Across the hot spring town as a whole there are three types: bicarbonate springs, sulfur springs and simple springs. Bicarbonate springs are listed as beneficial for cuts, peripheral circulatory disorders, sensitivity to cold and dry skin; sulfur springs for atopic dermatitis and chronic eczema; and simple springs for autonomic nervous instability and insomnia
• Center of day-trip bathing: The town-run "Kurodake no Yu" is the only facility in Sounkyo Onsen dedicated to day-trip bathing. It opened on September 1, 1998 (Heisei 10)
• Kurodake no Yu opening hours: From May 1 to October 31, 10:00 to 22:30 (last reception 21:30); from November 1 to April 30, 11:00 to 21:30 (last reception 21:00); from December 31 to January 3, 11:00 to 18:00 (last reception 17:30)
• Kurodake no Yu fees and closing days: 800 yen for adults, 400 yen for children. Open all year round (with occasional closures for facility maintenance). Residents of Kamikawa Town receive the local rate on presentation of identification
• Kurodake no Yu facilities: Two large indoor baths plus an open-air bath on the third floor, a sauna and a cold bath. There is also a rest room and a shop
• Day-trip bathing at the inns: According to Kamikawa Town's guide, reception hours are 11:00 to 17:00 at Hotel Taisetsu, 12:00 to 18:00 at Sounkyo Kanko Hotel, 13:00 to 19:00 at Choyotei, 13:00 to 20:00 at Sounkyo Mount View Hotel, 13:30 to 19:00 at Choyo Resort Hotel, 14:00 to 20:00 at Yumoto Ginsenkaku, and 15:00 to 20:00 at Sounkaku MOUNTAIN RESORT 1923. Kurodake no Yu and Hotel Taisetsu are the only places you can drop in during the morning. Prices vary greatly from inn to inn, so please check with each one
• Kurodake Ropeway: From Sounkyo Station (elevation 670 m) to Kurodake Station (5th Station, elevation 1,300 m) at 5 m per second, taking about 7 minutes. A round trip is 3,000 yen for adults and 1,500 yen for elementary school students; one way is 1,800 yen and 900 yen. The pair lift higher up runs from the 5th Station to the 7th Station (elevation 1,520 m), taking about 15 minutes in summer and about 9 minutes in winter, with a round trip costing 1,200 yen for adults and 600 yen for elementary school students
• Ropeway suspension periods: From November 9 to November 30 the ropeway is closed for maintenance. The ski area is scheduled to operate from early December until Golden Week. Operating hours change with the season; from June 27 to September 30 the ropeway runs 6:00 to 18:00 and the lift 6:30 to 17:30
• Ice Waterfall Festival: Held each winter at a special venue on the Ishikari River riverbed. The 51st edition ran from January 24 to March 8, 2026, from 17:00 to 21:30 on weekdays and 11:00 to 21:30 on weekends and public holidays (last entry 21:15), with a cooperation fee of 1,000 yen
• Access (bus): About 30 minutes from JR Kamikawa Station. From Asahikawa to Sounkyo takes about 110 minutes by Dohoku Bus
• Access (rail): 45 minutes by limited express from JR Asahikawa Station to JR Kamikawa Station. From Sapporo Station to Asahikawa Station takes 1 hour 25 minutes by limited express
• Access (car): About 25 minutes from the Kamikawa-Sounkyo IC on the Asahikawa-Monbetsu Expressway. From Sapporo it is about 205 km via the Do-o Expressway and the Asahikawa-Monbetsu Expressway
• Footing and slopes: The hot spring town spreads across a slope arranged like a staircase of about 600 steps. It is best to expect some climbing and descending when moving between inns
• Suggested time: About an hour if you only bathe. Allow half a day if you also take in the waterfall viewpoints, and a full day if you add the ropeway or a climb up Mount Kurodake
• Winter gear: The Ice Waterfall Festival venue is outdoors at night. Come with solid winter clothing and non-slip shoes
• Location: Sounkyo, Kamikawa-cho, Kamikawa-gun, Hokkaido (Kurodake no Yu, telephone 01658-5-3333)

📚 Sources

The opening date, hours, fees, closing days and facilities of Kurodake no Yu, as well as the day-trip reception hours of each inn in the hot spring town, were confirmed on the facility pages and the day-trip hot spring list of the official Kamikawa Town website. The three categories of spring quality and their indications, the fact that the hot spring town spreads across a staircase-like slope of about 600 steps, and access by bus and car come from the Sounkyo Onsen page of Hokkaido's official tourism site "HOKKAIDO LOVE!". The edition number, period, hours and cooperation fee of the Ice Waterfall Festival, along with the bus journey time from Asahikawa and the distance from Sapporo, come from the official site of the Sounkyo Tourist Association; the fares, journey times, elevations and maintenance suspension period of the ropeway and lift come from the guide on the official site of the Daisetsuzan Sounkyo Kurodake Ropeway; and the discovery in 1900 (Meiji 33), the naming by Omachi Keigetsu in 1921 (Taisho 10) and the founding of Sounkaku in 1923 (Taisho 12) were confirmed on the history page of the official site of Sounkaku MOUNTAIN RESORT 1923. Prices, opening hours and event periods are subject to change, so please check the official information before setting out.