Goshiki Onsen

What makes it special

The name Goshiki means five colours, after the way the water shifts from crystal clear to milky white as the light changes. It is sulphur water rich in hydrogen sulphide, and on some days it runs closer to green than white. At 750 metres, the smell of sulphur hangs in the mountain air.

The baths are built entirely of wood, with pools of Japanese larch. The inn has tended its own larch forest since its early years, and the open-air bath is Karamatsu no Yu, the larch bath.

Rocks break the surface of the outdoor bath, and Iwaonupuri's peak stands straight ahead. The indoor baths are fed straight from the source too, so the same water reaches every pool.

The inn has stood here since 1930.

Visiting

Goshiki Onsen's day bathers choose one of two bathing areas inside after paying. The first area on the right after the desk has the better outdoor view; the baths further back are older, and their outdoor pool looks out on less.

In the changing room, you undress and leave your clothes in the basket provided, then wash at the showers in the next room before you get in. Towels can be rented at the inn.

Allow about an hour in the water, moving between the indoor bath and the outdoor one. The water can run anywhere from mild to hot, so test it with a hand before you sink in.

Tips

The men's outdoor bath may be visible from the viewing platform opposite, so keep a small towel to hand when you walk out to it. If you have a tattoo, ask at the desk before you change.

The trailheads for Niseko Annupuri and the walk to Onuma Lake start beside the inn, so you can climb in the morning and soak afterwards. If you stay the night in winter, the outdoor bath shows snow and the moon at night and again at dawn.