Nakagake onsen
Hot Spring Overview
Nakadake Onsen is a true wild spring bubbling up at about 1,800 m on the mid-slope of Mt. Nakadake in the Asahidake range of the Daisetsuzan Mountains, Higashikawa Town, Kamikawa District, Hokkaidō. Perched along the Asahidake hiking trail, it’s known as a “sky onsen” enjoyed only by mountaineers.
The water is a milky, sulfurous spring, extremely hot at source. Because it’s too hot to enter directly, you must channel in snowmelt or stream water from nearby snowfields and ravines to cool it down to a safe bathing temperature. The bath itself is nothing more than a simple pool dug into the earth—just large enough for a handful of people—and there are absolutely no facilities (no changing rooms, no toilets).
Hot Spring Details
Practical Info
Visit Log
Bath Types
Facilities
Access Information
From the Asahidake Ropeway’s Sugatami Station, follow the hiking trail: Sugatami Pond → Asahidake Summit → Mamiya Peak → Nakadake Junction → Nakadake Onsen.
Allow at least 4 hours of serious mountain hiking one-way (2 hours to the summit, plus descent to the onsen).
Winter (November–June): Full alpine gear and winter-mountaineering experience are required.
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About Secluded Rating
Access (Difficulty to Reach)
Over 1 hour walk
Scenery & Atmosphere
Hidden wilderness
Onsen Value
Unique spring
With its only-on-foot, multi-hour alpine approach from the ropeway; its 1,800 m high-altitude setting; the primitive, earth-dug bath; the need to gather and mix your own cooling water; and the total lack of any on-site facilities or attendants, Nakadake Onsen exemplifies the highest “Level 5” secret-spring experience.