
Ai Nishimura
Administrator of the blog "My Diary," which began in 2004. A writer who has traveled to all 47 prefectures and loves local culture and history.
Author of Shimane's "Geography, Place Names, and Maps" Mysteries (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha), My Town is the "Number One in Japan" Dictionary (PHP Institute), and Prefectures Explained in Neko Neko Japanese History (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha). Official blogger for Suntory Gourmet Guide, official top user for Retty, and official platinum blogger for Excite.

First day
- 5 spots to casually enjoy the hot springs at Kawayu Onsen
- "Mori no Hall" - a warm and quiet cafe time
- Enjoy a vegetable-packed, homemade tempeh lunch at Suzume Shokudo & Bar, a relaxing spot in the hot spring town
- Experience the benefits! Kawayu Kanko Hotel: A hot spring inn with natural hot spring water
Second day
- Get to know the national park inside and out! Museum and cafe in the forest "Kawayu Eco Museum Center"
- One of the most transparent in the world! Experience the mysterious blue up close at Lake Mashu
- Search for souvenirs from Eastern Hokkaido at Roadside Station Mashu Onsen
- Excellent flavor and firm texture of "Mashu Soba" and soba ramen "Handmade Soba no Ryogoku"
5 spots to casually enjoy the hot springs at Kawayu Onsen
The journey begins at Kawayu Onsen Station on the Senmo Main Line. The wooden station building is popular for its retro atmosphere that evokes travel memories.
There is a free foot bath attached to the station. It is covered and well-maintained, and is filled with plenty of slightly hot water. You can see the smoking "Iwo-yama" mountain from the station.
Next is Kawayu Onsen Town. There is also a foot bath here. This is a foot bath in the middle of nature, where you can soak your feet while feeling the breeze. There is also a drinking spring right next to it. When you drink it, it tastes sour! That's because the water at Kawayu Onsen is highly acidic. Just by soaking your feet in it, your whole body will feel warm and cozy.
The fourth spot is a shrine. Kawayu Shrine has a hand-washing basin, and hot spring water flows out abundantly. The hot spring water is said to purify you in the true sense of the word.
The last place we went to was Kawa no Onsen. The river where the hot spring flows is the origin of the name "Kawayu". A promenade is being built little by little in the surrounding area, and you can walk along the river. In the future, there will be events where you can walk through the river.
On cold mornings, the steam from the river turns into frost, creating a fantastic sight.
Kawayu is a town where the aroma of hot springs wafts through the air and hot springs gush out from all over the place. The spring water is highly acidic and has a lemon-like sour taste. It is said to have antibacterial properties for the skin, and is also good for burns and cuts, and is expected to have the effect of removing old dead skin cells.
Foot baths and hand baths are free of charge, so you can easily enjoy a soak even during your trip. Why not bring a towel and try visiting different hot springs?
There is plenty of hot water and many hot springs, so you can enjoy the beautiful hot springs by touring the hot springs all over town.

Kawayu Onsen Station, a wooden station building with a red roof.

The interior has a retro feel with plenty of wooden construction.

This foot bath opened in 2003.

Since it is an indoor hot spring, you can warm up slowly even on cold days. There is also floor heating.

There are even large wooden chairs and tables to sit on while you wait for your train.

You can also see the smoke from Mount Atosanupuri from the station.

There is a foot bath at Kawayu Onsen's Kawayu Garden.

You can soak in the water while enjoying the scent and admiring nature.

Although the foot bath is free, it is well-cleaned.

The stone monument next to the foot bath has a spring that you can drink. It's as sour as a lemon.

Kawayu Shrine in the hot spring town was founded in 1887.

The shrine enshrines Amaterasu Omikami, Toyouke Okami, and Sukunahikona, the god of hot springs.

The water fountain at this shrine is actually a hot spring, with 60°C water gushing out.

All the rivers in this photo are hot springs.

In the morning, the steam rising from the hot springs creates a fantastical atmosphere.

The hot springs are highly transparent and gush forth abundantly. A promenade has been built along the river.
Touring Kawayu Onsen
address | : | Teshikaga Town, Kawakami District, Hokkaido |
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phone | : | 015-482-2200 (問い合わせ先:(一社)摩周湖観光協会) |
web | : | https://www.masyuko.or.jp/onsen/ (Teshikaga Navi) |
"Mori no Hall" - a warm and quiet cafe time
This is a cafe in front of the station where you can enjoy lunch, delicious cakes, baked goods, etc. It is a popular shop among locals, with customers coming in as soon as it opens and selling out by the evening.
It first opened in front of Kawayu Onsen Station in 2005. It used to be a small cake shop in the same area, but in 2011 it expanded to its current location and opened as a cafe. It now operates as a multi-purpose store that also sells miscellaneous goods and local vegetables, and where you can purchase cookies and baked goods to take home after enjoying lunch or a cafe meal.
On this day, I chose the mille crepe, which has been available since the shop first opened. It is a well-balanced layer of moist crepe dough mixed with mascarpone, four kinds of fruit, and cream. The fruit and dough are as fresh as if they were freshly made, and the cream is not too sweet, so you can really taste the flavor of the ingredients. The flour, cheese, eggs, etc. are all from Hokkaido, so it was a cake that really brought out the freshness of the ingredients.
The popular lunch menu, served from 11:00 to 15:00, is the "Mori Gohan" one-plate lunch, which changes monthly. Another popular item is the "Mori no Morimori Sandwich," a hearty sandwich with a beautiful cross-section.
As the store's reputation has led to more and more customers from all over Hokkaido flocking to it, it may run out of stock depending on the queue or time. However, once you step inside, you'll be greeted by attentive service and a relaxing atmosphere, where you can enjoy delicious food and a relaxing time.

Mori no Hall in front of Kawayu Onsen Station.

The shop is spacious and you can enjoy sweets and tea during lunchtime.

Mille crepes have been available since the store's founding, and are packed with fruit.

Mascarpone is mixed into the dough, giving it a moist texture.

There are two types of tea available: Earl Grey and Nilgiri.

The store also has a general goods section and holds limited-time fairs.

Baked goods also make great souvenirs, with a wide variety available, including cookies and muffins.
Forest Hall
address | : | 2-1-2 Kawayu Station, Teshikaga-cho, Kawakami-gun, Hokkaido |
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phone | : | 015-483-2906 |
business hours | : | 10:00~17:00 |
Closed Day | : | Monday Tuesday |
web | : | https://www.instagram.com/morinohall/ (Instagram) |
Enjoy a vegetable-packed, homemade tempeh lunch at Suzume Shokudo & Bar, a relaxing spot in the hot spring town
At this small restaurant in Kawayu Onsen town, you can eat dishes made with rare local vegetables.
The lunch, called "Field Set Meal," comes with a bowl of homemade tempeh, a small side dish, and miso soup.
Tempeh is a healthy food made by infusing soybeans with tempeh bacteria and fermenting them. It is homemade and made using pesticide-free green soybeans from Koshimizu Town, which faces the Sea of Okhotsk, and fermented for 24 hours. The deep-fried tempeh has a fluffy texture of soybeans and a texture similar to that of a croquette. It is very easy to eat, has no strong flavor, and is a healthy lunch.
This restaurant was started by a family who had returned from the city, and after much trial and error they were trying to find a way to commercialize the deliciousness of Hokkaido soybeans. The miso is also homemade, making the most of the deliciousness of the beans, and is a product they are proud of. The small dishes on this day included yacon from Teshikaga and stir-fried vegetables made with their proud miso.
They aim to be a vegan restaurant, using only beet sugar and additive-free seasonings, as well as ingredients. Furthermore, they have a dream of taking on various new challenges in the tourism industry at Kawayu Onsen in the future.
The owner has experience living abroad, and with his knowledge of both city and countryside, the restaurant incorporates a wide-ranging culinary perspective, attracting people from inside and outside Hokkaido.
This health-conscious restaurant and bar has a friendly atmosphere that makes you feel free to drop in. It's a place where you can feel the bounty of the ingredients and satisfy your stomach tired from daily overeating or feasts on the road.
Take-out bento boxes are also available, and menus are available that can be eaten at the hot spring inn or in your hotel room.

Suzume Shokudo & Bar is a relaxing restaurant located in the hot spring town.

It's a shop filled with love, with some items being DIY.

The interior of the store makes extensive use of wood, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.

For lunch, try the "Field Set Meal," which also comes with a small side dish and a bowl of rice.

The "tempeh" used in the rice bowl is homemade and made from organic soybeans, which is healthy for your body.

Although it is a fermented food, it has no peculiar taste and has a texture similar to that of a croquette.
Suzume Restaurant & Bar
address | : | 3-1-1 Kawayu Onsen, Teshikaga-cho, Kawakami-gun, Hokkaido |
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phone | : | 015-486-7380 |
business hours | : | 11:30~14:30、18:00~21:30 |
Closed Day | : | Wednesday Thursday |
web | : | https://www.instagram.com/suzumekawayu/ (Instagram) |
Experience the benefits! Kawayu Kanko Hotel: A hot spring inn with natural hot spring water
In Kawayu Onsen town, all the accommodations have their own hot springs. The source is Mount Atosanupuri, located very close to the town. Mount Atosanupuri still emits smoke and is covered in yellow sublimated sulfur, creating a majestic sight. The area once flourished as a sulfur mine, and it was also a base for the development of eastern Hokkaido, with the construction of roads and railways to transport sulfur and the opening of Kushiro Port.
When we arrived at Kawayu Kanko Hotel, the hotel's hot spring was right in front of us. The hot spring water bubbles up from underground and is sent to the bath just 35 meters away. There is a large amount of water, and it flows directly from the source, so fresh hot spring water is always delivered to the bath.
The large public bath has hot, medium and low temperature baths, which utilize a heat exchanger so that the water can be enjoyed as it is from the source without adding water or circulating. Alternating between hot and lukewarm water can improve blood circulation, and you can choose your preferred temperature.
At the hotel, the president, Yasuo Nakajima, has prepared a picture storytelling show about the origins and history of Kawayu Onsen. The picture storytelling show was drawn by the president himself using felt tip pens, crayons, watercolors, etc. The aim of the show is to help people to get to know Teshikaga not just as a tourist destination, but to get to know it better, to realize its charm, and to enjoy it at their own pace.
Kawayu Kanko Hotel is not only a place to stay in Kawayu Onsen town, but also actively promotes the attractions of Teshikaga.
This picture story has now been made into a picture book and is available in the hotel rooms, as well as for sale at the hotel shop, Lake Mashu and Mount Iou rest houses. If you come across this picture book, you should definitely pick it up, as it will help you understand Teshikaga better and enjoy Kawayu Onsen to the fullest.

Kawayu Kanko Hotel is celebrating its 70th anniversary.

Relax in the open-air bath, filled with fresh hot spring water straight from the source.

The large indoor bath allows you to enjoy alternating baths in hot, medium and low temperature hot springs.

The hotel has 67 rooms, including Japanese-Western style and Japanese-style rooms, all with a relaxing atmosphere.

A picture-story show that conveys the history and culture of Kawayu, illustrated by President Nakajima himself. The talk is lively as well.

It also provides a detailed explanation of the formation of Teshikaga, a volcanic area, and the hot springs that bubble up from there.

These picture stories are made into picture books and sold at bookstores and other places.

You can also see the source of the hot spring. The water that is carried to the large bath from 35 meters away is fresh and has many beneficial properties.

There is also a foot bath at the entrance. The hot spring town is rich in hot spring water, and you can enjoy various hot springs.
Kawayu Tourist Hotel
address | : | 1-2-30 Kawayu Onsen, Teshikaga-cho, Kawakami-gun, Hokkaido |
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phone | : | 015-483-2121 |
web | : | http://www.iionsen.com/ |
The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.