The Yachigashira area on the east side of Hakodate is home to Yachigashira Onsen, the closest hot spring to the Hakodate Bay area.
I was not able to stop by when I visited Hakodate in the spring of 2021, but I visited there when I revisited in the fall.
Although the Yachigashira area may seem more subdued than Goryokaku and the Bay Area, it does have some of Hakodate's charms, such as fashionable cafes and parks.
Click here to see CAFE Umi to Glass, a stylish cafe overlooking the Tsugaru Straits.
Click here to see Hakodate Park and Hakodate Hachimangu Shrine in the Yachigashira area.
Yachigashira Hot Spring
Address: Yachigashira Onsen, 20-7 Yachigashira-cho, Hakodate, Hokkaido
Access: 5-minute walk from Yachigashira City Tram Station (free parking available)
Yachigashira Onsen was originally Hakodate City-run Yachigashira Onsen, which opened in 1953, and was privatized in 2013 and operated as a public bathhouse.
(Front)
The word "Municipal" can be read from the sign on the building as a remnant of the fact that it was originally operated by the city.
When you enter the building, there is a ticket machine in front of the building, with the reception desk for bathing and other services on the right and the cafeteria on the left.
Admission is 430 yen for adults and 140 yen for children. Towels and soap can also be purchased, although it is necessary to bring your own.
I pressed the wrong button on the ticket machine and got a refund at the reception.
There were many locals or people using coupon tickets.
The cafeteria was also bustling with people.
The prices of kakesoba (buckwheat noodles) and tendon (rice topped with tempura) were relatively reasonable at 400 yen and 630 yen, respectively.
The bathtub is on the second floor, so you have to go up the stairs. The facility is old, so it looks like a local hot spring facility that I visited in the past.
The curtain of milk soap was hanging.
(A view of the inside of the bathroom)
The photo of the inside of the bathroom is borrowed from Hakodate Tourist Information Kokorabu.
It consists of an inner bath and an outer bath. The outer bath is star-shaped in the shape of Goryokaku, a historical site in Hakodate.
Yachigashira Onsen is red hot spring water with brownish-iron content and smells like rusty iron.
The bathtubs are 43.5°C, 42.0°C, and 40°C, and are generally hot, so there is a possibility of getting a hot-spring rash if you take a long bath.
(Rest space on the 2nd floor)
There is also a rest area on the second floor.
There are vending machines so you can enjoy a delicious carbonated drink after sweating (not milk).
I looked out from the rest area on the second floor. It was raining a little bit at this time, so the view was not great, but if it were clear, Mt. Hakodate would be beautiful.
Yachigashira Onsen has a good old-fashioned local atmosphere because it is located away from major tourist attractions such as the bay area and Goryokaku.
Yunokawa Onsen is the most famous hot spring resort in Hakodate.
Although this is a minor attraction, visitors can experience akayu (red hot spring), which is said to have been used by such famous figures as Hijikata Toshizo. I also thought it was convenient that the hot spring facilities are open from 6:00 to 21:00, making it possible to drop by while strolling around the Yachigashira area, including Hakodate Hachiman Shrine and Hakodate Park.
I would like to stop by again when I visit Hakodate.
