Walking
Hot Spring
Visit an acidic crater lake, take a dip in a historical hot spring and visit a botanical garden in the Sukayu Onsen area
This walking course takes in points of interest around Sukayu Onsen, a traditional hot spring with a 300-year history. Visit bubbling pools of acidic water in Jigokunuma, enjoy a steam bath at Manju Fukashi and sample local delicacies.
Sukayu Onsen
Sukayu Onsen is famous for its enormous sennin-buro ("thousand-person bath") mixed-gender bath and old-fashioned charm. The bath is constructed from local hinoki cedar known as Aomori hiba. After a dip, sample local delicacies such as Sukayu soba and ginger miso bamboo-shoot oden stew. The hot spring is open year-round.
Jigokunuma Pond
Jigokunuma Pond is a crater lake that was formed by volcanic activity around the Hakkoda Mountains. It receives some 2,700 liters of hot, acidic water every minute. Nearby is Manju Fukashi, literally "bun steamer," where you can sit on a covered wooden bench and let the rising steam warm you to the core.
Tohoku University's Mount Hakkoda Botanical Garden
Tohoku University Mount Hakkoda Botanical Garden opened in 1929 and features around 330 species that represent nearly all the plants that grow on the Hakkoda Mountains. The garden includes a small marshland with cottongrass, bog cranberries and Asian skunk cabbage. You can also observe flowers such as lobelia, chickweed wintergreen, umebachiso (Parnassia palustris) and insectivorous sundew. Admission is free. Note that the garden is closed in winter.
