Hot Springs & Well-being Hokkaido: Hot Springs Paradise! The World's Top 5 Hot Springs

Noboribetsu Onsen is one of Japan's most iconic hot spring resorts. It boasts abundant spring water quantity and qualities, earning its nickname "The Hot Spring Department." Its charm lies in its varied spring qualities, ranging from sulfur, iron to salt springs. It's also known for Jigokudani, a massive source of hot water. Noboribetsu Onsen's promenade has been set up so visitors can feel free to stroll around. You can also find unique, scenic locations nearby like the Oyunuma, a sizeable hot spring swamp with a 1 kilometer circumference, and Okunoyu, which resembles a boiling cauldron of hot water. If you get hungry, try checking out the Onsen Ichiba shopping street. Indulge in Hokkaido's seasonal seafood with ease, such as a hearty rice bowl topped with seafood, or scallop and oysters grilled over a sunken hearth, or even freshly peeled sea urchins

Yunokawa Onsen is known as the hot spring resort nearest to an airport in Japan and can be reached in a mere five minutes by car. It boasts a long history spanning over 500 years and a location where you can easily access tourist attractions like Goryokaku Park, Mount Hakodate, and Trappistine Monastery, making it a popular sightseeing base in Hakodate. The waters are clear and colorless, known for being gentle to the skin and capable of warming you up and keeping you from the cold. There are a variety of lodging facilities in the area, from budget to luxury inns. Aside from these, there are also many day-trip hot spring facilities available, making it an ideal place to stop by during your free time. At the Hakodate Tropical Botanical Garden, you'll see snow monkeys taking a dip in the hot springs from December to May. Also, don't forget about Hakodate's seafood, ramen, and other gourmet delicacies!

Tokachigawa Onsen is one of the most renowned hot springs in East Hokkaido, known for its world-famous Moor Onsen. Its hot spring waters gush out through the Tokachi River's strata, which has accumulated nutrients from naturally grown plants along the riverside since ancient times. The spring waters stand out for containing plenty of organic matter from plants, giving off an amber color. It was once called the Kusuri no Numa (Medicine Swamp) by the Ainu people. Hot yet smooth and moist, it has a reputation for being a "spring for beauties." The area offers many hotels and inns you can enjoy according to your travel style. The Roadside Station Garden Spa Tokachigawa Onsen in the town's center is a hot spot where you can find many of Tokachi's specialties. This includes Moor Spring spas, markets, hands-on workshops, souvenirs, and gourmet food made from local ingredients.

Kawayu Onsen is one of the few hot spring resorts where all its hot spring facilities are 100% free-flowing. Located between Lake Kussharo and Lake Mashu, the springs are more acidic than lemon. Soaking a nail in those waters will dissolve it in around two weeks. Bathe in them, and you'll feel like your skin is tightening. In recent years, its spring waters have been proven to have powerful sterilizing effects and are expected to bring all sorts of benefits. The scent of sulfur and steam drifts through the town, stemming from its flowing high-temperature hot spring rivers. You can get to Mount Io in 10 minutes by car. The mountain is filled with fumes, with its foot being home to the largest colony of azaleas in Japan.

Toyotomi Onsen is the northernmost hot spring resort in Japan, having a long history since its opening in the 1920s. It's about an hour's drive from Wakkanai Airport. The resort is said to have been founded when natural gas and hot spring water erupted during oil prospecting. Because of this, the water is oily, alkaline, with a slight petroleum scent. Springwater like this is very rare, with only two such springs in the world. These hot springs are attracting attention in recent years, mainly from those seeking to cure their skin diseases. The Sarobetsu Wetland Center of Rishiri-Rebun Sarobetsu National Park is only a 20-minute drive from the hot springs, so we recommend you stop by when visiting the springs.