Distance
3hrs
Time
Ascent
Highest point
Difficulty
Best season
We visited this route on Oct 27, 2012
Last updated Oct 23, 2024
Asahi-dake stands right behind the popular spa town of Jozankei (定山渓温泉), on Route 230 west of Sapporo. The trail starts behind a small shrine at the southwest end of the village, here.
This hike starts and ends within Jozankei town so there are plenty of facilities and accommodation. The hiking season is from late May into November. It is lovely in autumn when the colours are at their peak but the area is very popular with locals at that time so it can be busy at weekends with traffic congestion on Route 230.
UPDATE 2024: Recent feedback indicates that this route has become a bit tougher over recent years, narrow and slippery in places and impeded by fallen trees. Although it’s a short route, it might not be suitable for people with little mountain experience.
The route is well signed and clearly defined. The trail begins behind the shrine at the top of the village (over the Toyohira River on its west bank) by a small park (岩戸公園). Go up the steps to the trailhead, and into the forest where the path winds up through the trees to eventually merge with another trail coming in from the left. Turn right and on to the top in a few minutes, about an hour from the start in total. There is a large summit sign but the views are only partial given the forest cover. Return to the trail junction and this time take the other path down the mountain to where it joins a gravel road in about half an hour. Continue on down and cross the Toyohira River. On the other side of the river turn left along the riverbank trail that takes you back into Jozankei in less than a hour.
Transport
Public transport:
Regular buses run from Sapporo Station and Makomanai Station to Jozankei Onsen. Get off at the stop by the Dai-ichi Hotel (第一ホテル前, daiichi-hoteru-mae, location) and just walk a bit further up the road to the trailhead park (Iwato Park, 岩戸公園).
By car:
Jozankei Onsen is about an hour from central Sapporo along Route 230. The roads may be busy and parking in the village difficult during peak period weekends. There’s a large car park across the road from Daichi Hotel, here.
Hut(s)
None
NOTE: The GSI 1/25000 topo map(s) above can be purchased for 350yen each from Kinokuniya bookstore next to Sapporo Station or online (in Japanese).
route safety
This is only a relatively short walk but it’s always worth having rain gear, food and water with you. Even around here there are bears so take the usual precautions.
Weather forecast
Onsen nearby
This is Jozankei – there are onsen everywhere from upmarket resort hotels to the roadside Ashi-no-yu 足の湯 where you can soak your feet for free.
In Japanese: Hokkaido Natsuyama Gaido 1, 北海道夏山ガイド 1 道央の山々 (Hokkaido Shimbunsha, 2010) pp.20-23. These guides are updated every few years.
Guide Options
If you’d like to hike this route and/or explore other hikes in the central Hokkaido area together with a local certified guide, get in touch with Yasuko Kikuchi. Born and raised in Hokkaido, she’s a JMGA-certified guide now based in Sapporo. Her outdoor experience is broad and worldwide, having worked as a Canadian Ski Patrol member, and has sumitted a number of 6,000m+ peaks around the world. She speaks good English. In addition to Yasuko, also see a full list of English-speaking Hokkaido Mountain Guides Association (HMGA) guides on the HMGA website here.
Support us
Like this content? Buy the HokkaidoWilds.org team a coffee. 50% of tips go to the Hokkaido Wilds Foundation.
It’s now some time since I did this, back in the days when Leon Roode was still in Sapporo organising wonderful outings with his Hokkaido International Outdoor Club. As ever on those trips it was a fun day out in good company, and we enjoyed the fine autumn colours on the hillside and down in the gorge of the Toyohira River. We rounded off the day this time with a leisurely visit to the baths in one of the more upmarket resort hotels.
As with each ski touring, cycle touring, and hiking route guide published on hokkaidowilds.org, should you choose to follow the information on this page, do so at your own risk. Prior to setting out check current local weather, conditions, and land/road/track closures. While traveling, obey all public and private land use restrictions and rules, carry proper safety and navigational equipment, and of course, follow leave-no-trace procedures. The information found herein is simply a planning resource to be used as a point of inspiration in conjunction with your own due-diligence. In spite of the fact that this information, associated GPS track (GPX, KML and maps), and all information was prepared under diligent research by the specified contributor and/or contributors, the accuracy of such and judgement of the author is not guaranteed. hokkaidowilds.org, its partners, associates, and contributors are in no way liable for personal injury, damage to personal property, or any other such situation that might happen to individuals following the information contained in this post.
hokkaidowilds.orgに掲載されるすべてのスキールート、自転車ツーリングルート、ハイキングルートと同様に、本ページに掲載される情報を利用し行動する場合、必ず自己責任で利用することを条件とします。出発する前に現地の天候や状況、通行止め情報などを確認しましょう。行動中は、公有地／私有地に関係なく必ず現地の利用条件を守るようにし、適切な安全装置や、コンパスや地図などのナビゲーション道具を身に着けてください。いうまでもありませんが、自然に与える人間の影響を少なくし、ゴミの持ち帰りをはじめ環境を傷をつけない（Leave No Trace）ようなアウトドア行動にしましょう。本サイトに掲載される情報はあくまで計画を立てるための一つの情報源に過ぎなく、行為者の先んじて払ってしかるべき正当な注意義務及び努力と合わせて利用することを条件とします。本ページのGPSトラック（GPXとKMLと地図）を含む情報は提供者のできる限り正確な調べにより提供しているものの、その情報の正確性や、提供者の行動判断は、hokkaidowilds.orgは一切の責任を負いかねなく保証できません。また、本ページに掲載される情報を利用することによるいかなる怪我、器物損壊等、その他事件 ・事故等においてhokkaidowilds.orgや本サイトの関係者は一切の責任を負いかねます。
Done this Jozankei Asahi-dake route? Thinking of doing it? Please post any feedback or queries here. Thanks!
Download may take some time
We’ve got affiliate links on HokkaidoWilds.org to help fund the Hokkaido Wilds foundation.
The Foundation gets a small commission on sales from affiliate links, but we only link to stuff we think is worth checking out for people keen on the outdoors in Hokkaido and Japan.
The Hokkaido Wilds Foundation is a fund where 100% of funds are donated to Hokkaido volunteer groups involved in sustainable, safe, and responsible access to the Hokkaido outdoors.
Filter by location
REGION: The general mountain/geographical region the route is in.
BEST MONTH(S): Time of year a route is suited to visiting. Some pop all season, some are more limited.
DIFFICULTY: How strenuous a route is, and how technical it is. Full details here.
FREERIDE/SKITOUR: Very subjective, but is a route more-of-a-walk-than-a-ski or the other way around? Some routes are all about the screaming downhill (freeride), some are more about the hunt for a peak or nice forest (ski-tour). Some are in between.
MAIN ASPECT: Which cardinal direction the primary consequential slope is facing, that you might encounter on the route. More details here.
ROUTE TAGS: An eclectic picking of other categories that routes might belong to.
SEARCH BY LOCATION: You can find routes near your current location – just click on the crosshairs (). You may need to give permission to HokkaidoWilds.org to know your GPS location (don’t worry, we won’t track you). Or, type in a destination, such as Niseko or Sapporo or Asahikawa etc.
Please let us know how we can make it easier to narrow down your search. Contact Rob at rob@hokkaidowilds.org with your suggestions.
Category
Grade
Points
Strenuousness
Vertical Gain
25
Time ascending
0
Technicality
Altitude
0
Hazards
0
Navigation
0
Totals
25/100
GRADES range from A (very difficult) to D (easy). Hazards include exposure to avalanche and fall risk. More details here. Rating rubric adapted from Hokkaido Yukiyama Guidebook 北海道雪山ガイド.
8 thoughts on “Jozankei Asahi-dake Hike”
I agree with the commenters that this trail is no longer a 2/10 difficulty. I went on it today and it’s very much not a “stretch your legs” hike. It’s actually a bit technical, with light scrambling and ropes needed (and provided) in many spots. The trail is not well maintained and extremely uneven for most of the hike. The trail is often very slim, slippery and muddy with a steep drop off. Just please be warned this is not exactly a casual day hike for most levels. We went during the week in the middle of the day and didn’t see another soul, so that’s a plus but also maybe a sign it’s not for everyone.
Thank you for the feedback Julie!
Thanks Julie. It seems that the trail has not been maintained in recent years and I should go and check it out! I had a quick look on the Japanese hiking site Yamareco and saw a similar comment to yours so it looks like an upgrade in difficulty is definitely required. A shame as it’s so accessible otherwise.
Thanks for your information, Lena; that’s very helpful. Are the trees at Peak?
We went on this hike today and would agree with Andy that the hike is not for beginners. Especially in autumn the leaves make the thin path even more slippery. Also the most scenic part of the hike is down by the river, so right at the end. We didn’t see many other hikers, but the ones we saw had bells with them to scare off the bears that are regularly being sighted in this area. It was good exercise before the onsen and nice with the autumn foliage, but would caveat the above things.
Hi Lena, thanks for the feedback! When we started these route guides we assumed that they would be of interest to visitors already experienced in the outdoors looking for things to do while in Hokkaido. But as you imply, anybody can find them online so comments like yours are useful in helping people make up their minds. Thanks again!
Great description. Really solid info. Thanks. Time estimates were helpful, as was info about coming down the other way. The only thing I’d stress is that for beginners or especially elderly, it’s probably not doable. Thin track in many places, right on the edge of the mountain, and you need to climb over (and sometimes under) many many fallen trees, and in places it’s really steep. It’d be dangerous for some, but I enjoyed it in the very early morning, returning to my hotel for onsen and buffet breakfast!
Thanks very much for your feedback Andy, it’s really useful for us to get up to date reports on trail conditions. Sounds like that buffet tasted good! At the start of the season there are often trees down due to the heavy snowfall and generally the local trail volunteers clear them away, but as I haven’t been there for quite a while I don’t know if it was due to that or storm damage in recent years.