Jozankei Nature Village in Winter
定山渓自然の村
5.5km
Distance
2hrs
Time
75m
Ascent
411m
Highest point
1/10
Difficulty
Jan-Mar
Best season
Jozankei Nature Village in winter can't be beaten for a relaxing winter getaway within the Sapporo City limits. Overnight accommodation prices are dirt cheap considering the facilities provided. In winter you'll have the forest behind the village to yourself to wander around and enjoy the quiet woods. Just down the road is Hoheikyo Onsen, famous for its Indian curry and huge outdoor pools. The village is accessible via public transport too (if you don't mind a 2.5km walk).
Last updated Jul 13, 2021
Need to know details
Location
Jozankei Nature Village (定山渓自然の村) is located west of Jozankei Village, about 30km southwest of central Sapporo. Here’s the location on Google Maps.
General notes
Jozankei Nature Village (定山渓自然の村) is a recreation park run by Sapporo City. It is open year round, so it is a great place to enjoy the deep-winter Hokkaido outdoors in a relatively controlled, safe environment. Tent sites are available all year round, as are the cabins and ‘tent-houses’.
Particularly in winter, the tent houses and cabins are a really good deal. The wooden log cabins sleep 5, and cost 4,700yen a night (for the whole cabin). The tent-houses sleep 7, and cost 3,900yen a night. They’re all heated with very effective kerosene heaters. Details in Japanese here.
Behind the nature village is a large wooded area that is great fun to explore on snowshoes or ‘hunter’ skis. You can bring your own equipment or rent it all at the nature village.
Route Timing
Route
Transport
Public transport:
Getting to Jozankei Nature Park is fairly straight forward by public transport. Take the Nanboku Subway Line all the way to the final station, Makomanai Subway Station. From there, catch a bus to Hoheikyo Onsen (hot springs). If you time it right, you can catch a free bus all the way to Hoheikyo Onsen. The free bus leaves Makomanai Subway Station at 10am each day, and takes 45 minutes (https://www.hoheikyo.co.jp/en/access/index_e.html). The bus leaves about 100m down the road from the station (42.990827,141.356258).
By car:
There is ample parking at the Nature Village carpark here.
Hut(s)
None
Physical maps
GSI Topo Map: Jozankei (定山渓) – map no. NK-54-14-15-1
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
Weather forecast
Windy.com weather forecast for Jozankei Nature Park
Onsen nearby
Hoheikyo Onsen (1,000yen per person), one of the best in Hokkaido with a massive outdoor bathing area, is only 2.5km away (here). They also have a good food court with Indian curry and soba.
Extra Resources
No extra English resources that we know of. If you know of any, please let us know in the comments.
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.
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