A hot spring town in the heart of snow country
Tokachigawa Onsen is most famous for its potent “moor” hot spring water, rich with minerals and sediments that have several health benefits, including maintaining smooth, silky skin. The water is said to be particularly effective against nerve and muscle pains, arthritis, stiff shoulders, and fatigue after a long day on the slopes. The hot spring is so widely recognized that Tokachigawa Onsen was selected as an official Hokkaido Heritage Site.
The onsen town of Tokachigawa is located on a sweeping plain beside the Tokachi River, only a stone’s throw from several ski destinations. The town offers an array of snowy sights to take in while you soak in the warming natural spring water, such as “diamond dust” ice crystal clouds and the hundreds of migratory swans that visit Tokachigawa every winter.
There are many attractions on the Tokachi River that you can only experience in winter, such as the Swan Festival, and a natural phenomenon called unryu, a fog that forms above the river creating a dragon-shaped mist. Visit in winter for an experience like no other.
How to get there
From Sapporo Station take a limited express train three hours to Obihiro Station. Tokachigawa Onsen is 20 minutes by taxi from Obihiro Station.
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