[From Sapporo to Otaru] The charm of a drive through Jozankei, where the fresh greenery and autumn leaves are beautiful! Hokkaido Lab ~A Hokkaido travel guide to enjoy gourmet food, nature, and culture~

[From Sapporo to Otaru] The charm of a drive through Jozankei, where the fresh greenery and autumn leaves are beautiful!

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: Last updated: September 11, 2018

Table of contents

Jozankei Onsen town

Toyohira Gorge

Cafe on the cliff

Jozankei Dam, Jozankei Dam Museum

Sapporo Lake Observation Deck No. 1

Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort

Narutoya

Jozankei Onsen town

Jozankei Onsen is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. Although it is located deep in the mountains, a little distance from downtown Sapporo, Jozankei Onsen is in Sapporo's Minami Ward, so it is considered a hot spring within Sapporo City.

Located close to Sapporo city center, this hot spring resort town is highly recommended as a base for sightseeing in Sapporo. During the autumn foliage season, you can enjoy beautiful scenery along with numerous hot springs featuring open-air baths where you can soak in the hot springs.

Jozankei Onsen Town 2

Jozankei Onsen offers facilities for day trips to the hot springs, as well as footbaths, so why not start by taking a stroll around the Jozankei Onsen town?

Jozankei Onsen Footbath

While Jozankei is famous for its autumn foliage, the "Keiryu Koinobori" (streamer carp streamers) in spring, where 400 carp streamers fly above the Toyohira River, is also very popular.

Seeing countless colorful carp streamers swimming in the blue sky makes me feel so excited and think, "Ah, it's spring!"

Jozankei Onsen Koinobori (Carp Streamers)

The 31st Jozankei Onsen Stream Carp Streamer Festival
Period: March 1st (Thu) - March 15th (Thu), 2018
For further information, please read 　Jozankei Tourism Association Homepageへ

Toyohira Gorge

If you take a slight detour from the main route and drive 5km (about 7 minutes) from the Jozankei Onsen area towards Nakayama Pass, you'll find Toyohira Gorge. Toyohira Gorge is a naturally rich area centered around the Toyohira Gorge Dam, which controls the Toyohira River. The scenery is especially beautiful during the autumn foliage season, and it has been selected as one of the Forestry Agency's "100 Best Water Source Forests" and "100 Best Dam Lakes." It's definitely a tourist spot you should visit during the autumn foliage season.

Toyohira Gorge 2

From the entrance to the Toyohirakyo Dam, you will take a hybrid electric bus. You can see the water being released from directly above the dam, and the height is so great it will make your legs tremble—it's truly breathtaking.

Additionally, there are observation decks and rest houses, making it a recommended place to relax and unwind.

[Toyohira Gorge]
Address: 840 Jozankei, Minami-ku, Sapporo City, Hokkaido
Telephone number: 011-598-3452
Hours: 8: 45 ~ 16: 00
Operating period: May 1st (Tue) - November 3rd (Sat/Holiday)
Fares: Hybrid electric bus - Adult (round trip) 620 yen, Child (round trip) 300 yen

Cafe on the cliff

Now that I've returned to the Jozankei Onsen area from Toyohirakyo Gorge, I feel like taking a little break.
For those looking for such a place, I recommend "Cafe Gake no Ue" (Cafe on the Cliff).

Cafe Clifftop

The cafe's location on top of the cliff is truly "on top of a cliff." It's a small shop that can accommodate about 10 people, and a terrace where you can enjoy the feeling of being surrounded by nature just by sitting there.
This is what it looks like when you look down from the terrace seating. Even if you're not afraid of heights, it's guaranteed to make you shudder.

Cafe Clifftop

And now for the main event: the menu! The sweets are delicious♪ My recommendation is the "Rich Pumpkin Shiratama Zenzai." The natural sweetness and richness of the pumpkin are simply amazing.

Cafe Clifftop

[Cafe on the Cliff]
Address: 567-36 Jozankei, Minami-ku, Sapporo City, Hokkaido
Telephone number: 011-598-2077
Opening hours: 10:00 AM - 18:00 PM. Closed on Mondays (or Tuesdays if Monday is a public holiday).
URL: (Tabelog)http://tabelog.com/hokkaido/A0101/A010305/1006508/

Jozankei Dam, Jozankei Dam Museum

Jozankei Dam

Jozankei Dam Museum

Now, if you proceed along Hokkaido Prefectural Road No. 1 (Otaru-Jozankei Line) from the Jozankei hot spring town, you will soon arrive at the Jozankei Dam. Located in the mountains of Jozankei, this is another spot where you can fully enjoy nature. In particular, during the autumn foliage season, it is a very popular spot for viewing autumn leaves, just like Toyohira Gorge.

The Jozankei Dam Museum displays dioramas and panels illustrating the dam's construction. It also provides easy-to-understand explanations of water supply and power generation systems through videos and interactive exhibits.

[Jozankei Dam Museum]
Address: 8 Jozankei, Minami-ku, Sapporo City, Hokkaido
Telephone number: 011-598-2513
Hours: 9: 30 ~ 16: 00
Opening period: Mid-May to early November
Fee: Free

Sapporo Lake Observation Deck No. 1

This observation deck is located between Kobiki Ohashi Bridge and Kotengubashi Bridge, jutting out slightly from the road towards the dam.

Autumn is definitely the best time to visit, but it's a very pleasant place even in summer because of the open scenery. The parking lot here has a one-way entrance and exit, so be careful when entering and exiting.

Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort

Sapporo International Ski Area

This ski resort is easily accessible from Sapporo and Otaru and is popular with snowboarders. Rentals are available, so you can come empty-handed and enjoy skiing or snowboarding.

During the autumn foliage season, the ropeway leading to the mountaintop operates as the "Autumn Leaves Gondola." Enjoying the colorful trees from atop the gondola is a truly special experience.

[Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort]
Address: 937 Jozankei, Minami-ku, Sapporo City, Hokkaido
Telephone number: 011-598-4511
Operating period: From around mid-November to around May
URL: http://www.sapporo-kokusai.jp
Autumn foliage gondola:http://kouyou.sapporo-kokusai.jp/

Narutoya

After passing through Asarigawa Onsen, you'll find "Narutoya," a branch of the famous "Naruto" restaurant in Otaru, on your right where it intersects with National Route 5. This restaurant is famous for its "half-fried young chicken," a must-try specialty when visiting Otaru.

Of course, there are several other branches in Otaru, but this one has the easiest parking, so if you're hungry, don't hesitate to gobble up some chicken! They also have a lunch menu.

[Narutoya]
Address: 2-1-4 Shinko, Otaru City
Telephone number: 0134-54-0540
Business hours: 11:00-21:30 (last order 21:00)
URL:　http://www.naruto-ya.com/

<Conclusion>
Sapporo, Otaru

This route connecting Sapporo and Otaru is closed to traffic at night from 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM during the winter season, from early November to mid-April. Please note that the route may also be closed at other times depending on weather conditions, so be careful during bad weather.

Since this is basically a mountain road, if you travel this route at night, you're almost guaranteed to encounter foxes on the side of the road. They may even jump out onto the road, and there are no streetlights, so drive with extreme caution when traveling at night.