Kamuiwaki Onsen Hoyojo

Kamuiwaki Onsen Hoyojo is a municipally run day-use bathhouse on the west coast of Okushiri Island, a small island in the Sea of Japan off the southwest corner of Hokkaido. It stands right beside the fishing harbour of Kamuiwaki and opened in 1978 as a gathering place for island residents and a place of rest for visitors. The ferry port lies on the opposite, eastern side of the island, so reaching the bathhouse means crossing to the far shore. The surroundings are quiet: cliffs, a small harbour, and an unbroken view of open sea from the bath windows.

According to the town of Okushiri, water of about 65 degrees Celsius rises at 300 litres per minute, drawn by pump from a well 30 metres deep, and is supplied as free-flowing natural hot spring water. The town notes that because the source is so hot, cold water is sometimes added during warmer months. No recirculation filtering is used. The ground-floor bath uses the water exactly as it comes from the source, a deep rust-red coloured by iron, while the second-floor bath uses water with the iron removed, leaving it clear. The listed indications include neuralgia, joint pain, sensitivity to cold, chronic gynaecological complaints, chronic skin conditions and fatigue. Published sources differ on the precise spring-type name and pH, so check the analysis certificate posted on site.

There are only indoor baths, one on each floor, with no open-air bath and no lodging. The second-floor bath is a view bath looking out over the Sea of Japan, and a large tatami rest room adjoins the ground-floor bath. Admission is 500 yen for adults (junior high school age and above, including the 70 yen bathing tax), 200 yen for elementary school children, free for younger children, and 270 yen for residents of Okushiri aged 65 and over. Opening hours are 10:30 to 20:00 from 1 April to 30 September and 11:00 to 20:00 from 1 October to 31 March. It closes on the first Monday of each month (the following Tuesday when that is a public holiday) and from 31 December to 2 January. Shampoo and towels are not provided but are sold at reception, and bath towels can be rented.