The effects of onsen, or hot springs, can be divided into “General Effects” and “Alternate Effects of Spring Quality” which depends on the quality of the hot springs. It’s not totally applicable to simply state that just because this spring has this quality, this spring will have these effects.
   For example, even if a certain onsen is called “a sulphur spring”, according to the hot spring area, effects can vary depending on factors such as the potency of the sulphur components, the amount of non-sulphur components, and the strength of acidity/alkalinity; these effects can be divided into those affecting healthy skin and those affecting skin diseases.
   Onsen generally have effects on the following diseases: neuralgia, muscle pain, arthralgia, frozen shoulders, paralysis, joint problems, bruises, stiffness, cracking joints, chronic digestive disorders, hemorrhoids, chills, post-illness convalescence, recovery from fatigue and improvement of general health.

In a hot spring town, enjoy not only your hotel or the hot spring in your Japanese inn, but also the many onsen in the town. You can try out various onsen with their own atmosphere, spring quality and effects.
   In addition, in the outdoor baths, you can also enjoy the experiences of watching the snow in winter, the sunrise in the morning, the sunset in the evening and facing the sea if your onsen is close to the ocean. When opting for a hot spring area, no matter which hot spring you decide on choosing, you can have a more-than-satisfying experience.

It’s perfectly fine to enter an onsen 2-3 times per day. But staying in the hot spring for an extended period of time can be taxing on your body, so please be careful. Taking a bath for 10-20 minutes up to a half-hour before meals, and more than one hour after meals is ideal. Please avoid drinking alcohol when entering the bath to prevent the risk of brain anemia, arrhythmia and other medical incidents.

• Wearing underwear or bathing suits in the onsen.
• Wearing a bath towel in the onsen (it is acceptable to wear one in a rotenburo, or outdoor bath).
• Putting a towel into the bathtub.
• Walking in the changeroom without wiping off your body.
• Entering directly into the tub without washing yourself

First, let’s talk about preparing the body for the hot spring water. To acclimatize the body to the water temperature, douse yourself with plenty of hot water. Once the dousing has been completed, enter the tub quietly.
   Lower half of your body by squatting and placing your knees below the water, followed by your waist, then your chest and finally lying down with the water up to your neck in a slow sequence to help the acclimation process. When you get out of the tub, refrain from taking a shower and wrap a towel lightly around yourself so that the active ingredients from the hot spring will remain on your skin. After finishing your bath, replenish your body with plenty of water and relax while trying not to cool off too quickly.

In a Japanese ryokan, or traditional inn, Japanese culture, art, customs, etc. have been greatly incorporated. The Japanese people treat the ryokan with great importance, and experience a way of life that has been passed down over the years. When staying at a ryokan, they can get that familiar feeling of “Japan” itself.
   For instance, many ryokan provide bathrobes which guests can wear and relax in. In addition, because washitsu (tatami rooms) are very common there, futon are provided to sleep in instead of beds. The meals are also centered on Japanese cuisine. Because instead of having the everyday life of bed, chairs and Western bathrobes, you’ll be experiencing the lifestyle of tatami, futon and Japanese bathrobes, you can get a taste of what Japanese life is all about….something out of the ordinary.

Jozankei Onsen, which is 26 km south of Sapporo and approximately an hour’s drive, is located within Shikotsu-Toya National Park and is popular as a lush valley resort. The quality of the water in this salt spring is clear, colourless and has a mild salinity (a neutral to hypotonic hot-temperature spring). The spring is effective for nerve disorders, chronic digestive and skin problems, fatigue, general health and gynecological diseases, etc. There are 56 springs, and from the banks and bedrock of the Toyohira River, which runs through the resort, flows rich natural springs. Flowing out at 8,600 L per minute, the gush temperature reaches approximately 60 – 80 degrees C, a source of pride in terms of quality and quantity.

Hokkaido’s largest hot spring area. Boasting a daily flow of 10,000 tonnes of water, many varieties of hot springs flow here. They include sulfur, salt, aluminum ion, bluestone, iron, acidic, sodium bicarbonate, green, and sulfate springs. The variety is so rich that Noboribetsu is called “The Department Store of Onsen”. Because there are also a variety of benefits, one of the attractions of Noboribetsu is that you can take an onsen night tour and take in these various benefits. Getting there is convenient…from Shin-Chitose Airport or Sapporo takes about an hour. A lot of the springs in Noboribetsu Onsen flow from Jigokudani, or The Valley of Hell. Jigokudani is a crater site formed 10,000 years ago, and even now it’s an active volcano which spews as much as 3,000 L per minute of hot spring water. It’s not only the source of the onsen, but it’s also a tourist spot visited by many people that is accessible on foot from the hot spring houses.

Yunokawa Onsen is Hokkaido’s oldest and most prosperous hot spring area. Only 5 minutes from Hakodate Airport, it’s a popular spot for tourists. The special characteristic of Yunokawa is the quality of the water which has sodium and calcium in greatest abundance (salt springs); the water itself is clear, colourless, odourless and has a softness which is easy on the skin. It’s effective for chills since the water is very warming and difficult to cool down. It’s also good for rheumatism, bruises, sprains, gynecological problems, stiff shoulders, lower back pain, neuralgia, intestinal disorders, fatigue, etc. The attraction of Yunokawa Onsen is that there are many systems in place to supply water at the right temperature (the springs emit water at about 65 degrees C), so that people can just enjoy a natural hot spring.

Akanko Onsen has a long history. When Takeshiro Matsuura explored the area in 1858, the Ainu who were residing there had been using the springs. A hydrogen sulfide spring with a temperature range of 38 – 85 degrees C, the springs are effective for neuralgia and rheumatism. Also at Akanko, you can enjoy a rich variety of hot springs, outdoor baths and baths for hand and feet.

In the centre of the Tokachi Plain, Tokachigawa Onsen, which flows through Kahan of the Tokachi River in Otofuke Town, has plants (Moor Onsen) which are rare in the world. From ancient times, the hot springs have flowed through an underground lignite layer formed over the years from deposits of indigenous plants such as bulrushes. Rich in this vegetation-based organic matter (Moor), the spring water is known to be very easy on the skin when compared to other hot springs because of the abundance of natural moisturizing agents which leave women coming out of the bath with skin that is moist and silky.

Lake Toya, or Toyako, is counted as one of the big three landscapes in Hokkaido. Designated as a national park, a hot spring area was established there in 1917 after the eruption of Yosomiyama, a branch volcano of Mt. Usu, which created a spring there in 1910. Also known as Ezo-Fuji, Mt. Yotei can be enjoyed for its natural scenery and volcanoes, experiences and tourism. The water quality is that of salt springs, so it is effective for neuralgia, chronic rheumatism, chills, etc. It is an onsen known for promoting skin that is smooth to the touch.

In 1971, this hot spring was created from some drilling activity on the seaside. Shiretoko tourist offices are also located at Utaro Onsen in the port town of Utaro facing the Ohkotsk Sea on the west side of the Shiretoko Peninsula. The water quality includes sodium bicarbonate salts, and is effective for neuralgia, chronic rheumatism, chills, etc. Tasting the fresh seafood from the Ohkotsk Sea is also one of the attractions. In winter, the event known as The Aurora Fantasy and the Ryukyo Norokko train operate in time with the arrival of the ice floes.

At Kawayu Onsen, located at the foot of Mashuuko and Kussharoko, you can get a taste of the quality and quantity of the springs, and enjoy the concentration of them. The city district of Kawayu Onsen takes the central position with its sulfur springs. Entering the area, you can fully experience the scent of sulfur and steam. By the levees of Kussharoko, you can also enjoy footbaths.

Sounkyo Onsen, located in the biggest area of Daisetsuzan National Park, is situated in the middle of a gorge where cliffs stretch for 24 km. There, a hot spring area is being built with hotels and B&Bs. This hot spring which is frequented by climbers, has also been visited annually by 3 million tourists. In recent years, the central part of the resort area has been arranged to resemble a Canadian mountain resort called “The Canyon Mall”, unlike other general hot spring areas which take on a more generic Western atmosphere. Every winter, the Sounkyo Ice Waterfall Festival is held.

Niseko spreads along the base of Mt. Yotei and the Niseko mountain range which has Niseko Annupuri at its centre. This area where you can truly enjoy the abundance of nature has the Konbugawa Onsen, Annupuri Onsen, Niimi Onsen, Yumoto Onsen, Goshiki Onsen and Higashiyama Onsen among others…a hot spring paradise. After enjoying the majesty of nature, you can heal your mind and body while walking through the onsen village.