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Northern Hokkaido, Japan
Photo: (WT-en) Jpatokal at English Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Sōunkyō Onsen (層雲峡温泉) is a hot spring resort nestled in the Sōun Gorge (層雲峡 Sōun-kyō) of the Daisetsuzan National Park in Hokkaido, Japan. It is in the municipal area of Kamikawa town (上川町).
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黒岳の湯
A small three-story edifice in the center of town, featuring an outdoor rotenburo (suitably protected from prying eyes), an inside bath, a sauna, a (tiny) cold pool and a relaxation room with cold Hokutō Tōgen for sale. All this (excluding the beer) costs ¥600, and if you're staying at the youth hostel you'll get a coupon for ¥100 off. The pools are gender separated, and views from the outdoor pool are not spectacular.
層雲峡温泉
The only hotspring in town that has a mixed-gender outdoor area (with provided bathing suits). Daily from 12:00-16:00 the spa is opened to guests who are not staying the hotel for ¥600 (with exemptions on some public holidays - call to make sure before going!).
層雲峡ユースホステル
A popular youth hostel perched above the main town, a 5-minute walk up a winding road from the ropeway station. A bed for the night costs ¥2,940. Open only from June 1st to October 31st!
The only means of public transport into the gorge is bus. Departures to the nearest major city Asahikawa are fairly frequent.
Read in the guideSounkyo Onsen and its nearby attractions are best covered on foot, although you might want to rent a bicycle for visiting the gorge itself. A cable car runs most of the way up neighboring Mount Kurodake.
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Higashikagura · Regional · AKJ
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