Sapporo's hidden retreat: Jozankei Onsen and Nakayama Pass
| From Tomakomai Station | By car about 1 h 10 min (about 83 km by road) Estimated from road map data. Traffic lights, congestion and winter roads can make it take longer. |
|---|---|
| Area | Sapporo |
| Our photos | 2015 |
| Map | Route from Tomakomai Station / Open map |
What are Jozankei and Nakayama Pass like?
Jozankei is a hot spring area in the mountains of Minami Ward, Sapporo. It is called “Sapporo’s hidden retreat” (Sapporo no okuzashiki). Hot spring inns line the gorge, and the fall foliage is especially popular.
If you continue south on National Route 230, you reach Nakayama Pass, and from there you can go on toward Kimobetsu and Niseko.
Getting there from Tomakomai and travel time
From JR Tomakomai Station, it takes about 1 h 10 min by car. The distance is about 83 km by road.
The route uses mountain roads, including a pass, so in winter please check the road conditions.
Travel times are estimates based on the road distance from map data (OpenStreetMap), assuming an average speed of about 55 km/h (about 70 km/h for routes longer than 40 km). Traffic lights, traffic jams and winter road conditions can make the trip longer. Please check the latest road information before you go.
How people living in Tomakomai can enjoy it
You can drive there from Tomakomai on the mountain road via Lake Shikotsu or via Sapporo, so the trip itself is a nice drive. Our president visited in 2011 and 2015.
Our photo record
Our president visited in May 2015 and recorded about 12 photos.
This page was machine-translated. The Japanese original prevails.
Photos: Banana House Inc. (taken by our president). Do not reuse without permission.
Our photo records and timestamp certificates
The 12 photos in this article were taken on site by our president. We list the SHA-256 hashes of the published files and have them signed by timestamp authorities (DateSealed, DigiCert, Sectigo)(First certified: 2026-11-03 12:40 JST). A signature shows that the same file existed before that time; it does not prove the date the photo was taken.
You can check the signature and hash of each photo from its timestamp certificate. To see whether a photo you saved matches our records, use the photo timestamp verification page (Japanese) .
Frequently asked questions
Where is Jozankei Onsen?
It is in the mountains of Minami Ward, Sapporo.
Nearby spots
- Odori Park and central Sapporo (about 18 km in a straight line / from Tomakomai Station about 55 min)
- Takino Suzuran Hillside Park (about 19 km in a straight line / from Tomakomai Station about 1 h 5 min)
- Eniwa Gorge (about 23 km in a straight line / from Tomakomai Station about 45 min)
Looking for a home or selling in Tomakomai?
“Lake Shikotsu or Noboribetsu on weekends”, “I want to live near the airport”: we suggest areas that fit the way you want to live. We also help with selling and vacant houses.
Banana House Inc., 1-1-1 Honkocho, Tomakomai. We never use pushy sales. Please write in English or Japanese.