“Nanporo Onsen Heart & Heart” is a 100% natural spring onsen facility located at approximately 45 minutes from Sapporo. Your skin gets moisture after bathing into this salty brown onsen. I especially recommend this onsen to those who suffer from dry skin!

 

Index

- You can visit there by car or buses!
- The secret of moisture is…?
- A walk outside naked? The seven color corridor to connect outdoor baths
- Enjoy indoor bath and oxygen bath
- Don’t forget cabbage Tendon, the local specialty of Nanporo! 
- The facility is open until 10 PM!

 

45 minutes from Sapporo, you can reach there by either car or a bus!

“Nanporo Onsen Heart & Heart” is an onsen facility in Nanporo-Cho. You can enjoy staying overnight, or they also accept day visitors (adult 650 yen, children 300 yen, children under elementary school are free). Since they have a big parking space, you can visit there by car, but you can also visit there by public bus so I can recommend to those who don’t drive! 

 
▲The big parking which approximately 280 cars can park is near the facility. (The photo is provided by Nanporo Onsen Heart & Heart)


- To visit there by car from Sapporo
Approximately 10 minutes from “Ebetsu Higashi IC” of Hokkaido Expressway (Approximately 45 minutes from central Sapporo)

- To visit there by bus (via Shin-Sapporo)
JR Sapporo Station - (approximately 8 minutes by express of JR Chitose Line) - JR Shin-Sapporo Station and transfer
From the bus terminal at Shin-Sapporo Station - (about 45 minutes by Yutetsu Bus going to “Nanporo Higashi-cho” or “Kuriyama”) - Get off at “Nanporo Onsen Mae” bus stop.

- To visit there by bus (via Ebetsu)
JR Sapporo Station - (approximately 20 minutes by express of JR Hakodate Line) - JR Ebetsu Station and transfer
From the bus terminal at Ebetsu Station - (about 20 minutes by Yutetsu Bus going to “Nanporo Higashi-cho” or “Kuriyama”) - Get off at “Nanporo Onsen Mae” bus stop. 


 

I will introduce the secret of moisture

The secret to making your skin moist is the onsen component. I, the onsen sommelier master nobu Kawashima will explain a little bit. 

The onsen component here is called “sodium-chloride hot spring (weak alkaline, high tonicity hot spring). It contains a high amount of salt and has more density than human body fluids such as blood. 
The characteristic of the water is that when people bathe into the water, onsen components are easy to penetrate into the body and the onsen components sort of wraps the body around after getting out of the bath. 

 
▲The color is brownish red like oolong tea. 


Have you ever heard that you should drink a lot of water before going into an onsen? The primary reason is that people sweat when they bathe into onsen, but I recommend to drink a little more than usual when you get into this particular bath. The onsen components are easy to penetrate into the body and water will go out of your body as if they substitute. 

 
▲You can notice the onsen component stuck in the bathtub. 


On the other hand, the onsen component works like a facial pack after getting out of the bath. So your body stays warm and moist afterward. Which means, your skin gets moisture very much, and body gets warm from the center. 

 
▲This is the only onsen facility in Nanporo-cho. They have their own spring sources and use spring water from multiple sources in the facility. 

 

A walk outside naked? The seven color corridor to connect outdoor baths

Many people want to enjoy the outdoor bath if you go to an onsen. 
In this facility, both male and female can enjoy two kinds of outdoor baths. 

 
▲The Japanese style outdoor bath like Goemon-buro which is a traditional bath like a big wooden bucket.  


▲The outdoor bath surrounded by rocks. You can relax here very much. 


These outdoor baths are located apart from each other, and you have to walk outside for about 1 minute. It is a great way to cool down the body! 
“What? Do we have to walk outdoor naked?” Those who surprised - don’t worry. People walk through the seven color corridor which is surrounded by fences. 

 
▲The seven color lights will be turned on at night! Is it fun just to walk here? (Photo: Nanporo Onsen Heart & Heart) 


When the facility first opened, the bath for day visitors and overnight visitors were different and people had to change the clothes to enjoy both baths. Therefore, they built a corridor to connect two outdoor baths located apart from each other, to enjoy both baths without changing. 

 

Enjoy indoor bath and oxygen bath

The temperature of the indoor bath is a little higher than the outdoor bath. Those who want to warm your body slowly should go to outdoor bath and those who want to get warm instantly should use the inner bath! 

 
▲The inner bath is spacious. The shower spaces are separated by walls so you don’t have to get bothered by the person next to, which is a great point. (Photo: Nanporo Onsen Heart & Heart)


You can also enjoy oxygen bath together with indoor bath.
It’s a bathtub which contains oxygen, and it is said that you can expect active body metabolism and to make blood pressure stable by bathing into the oxygen bath. When I soaked into the tub, I sort of felt some fresh air. It was as if I was in the forest as I bathe into an onsen! 

 
▲It is common to see fermented baths in other onsen facilities, but oxygen bath may be something unique. 


They also have radon bath and sauna so choose whatever you like and enjoy! 

 

Don’t forget cabbage Tendon, the local specialty of Nanporo! 

Many people may imagine cabbage tendon (800 yen) when they hear that the facility is located in Nanporo. 

 
▲The cabbage tendon looks quite filling - the picture is a regular size. 


This is a local B-class (casual) gourmet using cabbages produced in Nanporo. You can try cabbage tendon at the restaurant in “Nanporo Onsen Heart & Heart”. 
Don’t underestimate the taste because it’s a B-class gourmet! This is definitely something you should try! The dish is quite popular as they get visitors to have cabbage tendon as well as their onsen. 
The dish is quite filling, but you should try. You can have a lot of vegetables, too! Your skin condition and stomach condition may get well. 

 

The facility is open until 10 PM! You can stop by here when you finish your work early or on weekends!

“Nanporo Onsen Heart & Heart” is close to the interchange of the expressway and you can also visit there by using public buses. The facility is easy to visit from the neighboring cities and towns such as Sapporo. You can enjoy the thick onsen component, and it makes your skin moist. Why don’t visit here on next weekend to relax? They accept day visitors until 10 PM, so it’s also a great idea to stop by when you finish your work early. 


 


* The information is as of May 2018. Check the official website for the latest information such as price information. 

Text, photo / Hokkaido Likers photo writer nobu Kawashima
https://www.no-1-travel.com/