At a glance

  • Reservations for the Kappa Liner open one month before travel and close at 17:00 the day before. Online and on-site fares may differ, so it is best to plan both legs together.
  • If the reservation option does not work for you, check the alternative local buses 12J and 12H from Makomanai Station on the Namboku Subway Line. The trip may take longer.
  • Futami Park is undergoing maintenance work in 2026–2027, but a notice says the suspension bridge will remain accessible during the autumn foliage season. Check the work areas and walkable sections again on the day of your visit.
  • As one day-use example, the tourism association lists Yunohana Jozankei at 1,180 yen for adults and 450 yen for children, open 10:00–21:00 with last check-in at 20:30. A towel and indoor clothing rental set costs 450 yen. The nearby bus stop is Jozankei Shako-mae. Check the facility’s information for your visit date, the child age range, and tattoo rules. If staying until evening, first check whether the last bus leaves before bathing closes.
  • If you add Hoheikyo Dam, shorten the village walk. In 2026, the Dam Liner runs October 3 to 25. The tourist information center accepts 65 people per departure that day in arrival order. Departures are 09:30, 11:00, and 12:00; use the return paired with your outward trip. This is different from the advance-reservation Kappa Liner. Skip the dam if full or if the timing does not fit your bath and return bus.
  • The Dam Liner takes you to the electric bus boarding area, where you transfer to a paid electric bus. Private vehicles cannot enter the dam area. The electric bus season is May 2 to November 3, 2026, with listed hours of 08:45 to 16:00 and the last uphill departure at 15:30. The October adult return fare is ¥1,200. The Dam Liner does not stop at Hoheikyo Onsen; visiting the dam does not provide the same transport as visiting that bath.
  • October is a foliage season, but color and leaf condition vary with altitude, temperatures, rain, and wind. Check the official foliage updates. The electric bus has a separate season after the Dam Liner ends, but you must first arrange other transport from the village to its boarding area.

Take a bus from the station to the hot springs, then choose only a nearby walk

This is a conceptual 3D diagram to help show how the starting points and destinations relate to one another; the dots do not represent actual distances to scale. Open Google Maps directions from each card.

Sapporo StationBus Stop 27 Jozankei OnsenHot spring · Lunch Futami Suspension BridgeValley walk
Tap a number to open an explanation of the location and actual maps and directions. Connecting lines are not shown. This is a schematic for understanding the journey. It is not to scale and does not show actual elevation or road alignment.

See the travel guidance for each stop below.

  1. Sapporo Station Bus Stop 27

    Departure point for the Kappa Liner.

    Open in Google Maps: Sapporo Station

  2. Jozankei Onsen Hot spring · Lunch

    Choose a day-bathing facility first.

    Open in Google Maps: Jozankei Onsen Directions

  3. Futami Suspension Bridge Valley walk

    Check construction and access notices before walking.

    Open in Google Maps: Futami Suspension Bridge Directions

For stop 27, first check the temporary bus-stop information around Sapporo Station. Station redevelopment may mean the actual boarding location differs from old bus-terminal maps. The operator’s timetable takes priority for your actual return time.

A Plan That Keeps You on Schedule

Suggested Order for Your Visit

Separate a basic day in the onsen village from an autumn day that includes the dam. The dam card is optional: add it only if same-day seats and return times work after arrival.

Morning · Sapporo Station Bus Stop 27

Depart on your reserved Kappa Liner or an alternative bus. Before leaving, double-check your reservation, bus stop, and return trip.

Check the Bus and Reservation
  • Reservation deadline: 17:00 the day before
  • About 60 minutes
Optional autumn visit: Hoheikyo Dam before bathing

On arriving in Jozankei in the morning, ask the tourist information center about same-day Dam Liner seats. After registration, take the shuttle, paid electric bus, and paired return trip back to the center. Allow about two hours and match the bath’s entry deadline and bus to Sapporo. If no seats are available or service is canceled, keep only the village walk and day bath.

Noon to afternoon · Hot spring and valley

Arrive within the reception hours of the day-bathing facility you selected in advance. After your bath, choose just one or two options that suit your energy and the weather: Futami Suspension Bridge, a footbath, or a café.

Prioritize Your Bath
  • Day-bathing reception hours
  • Futami Suspension Bridge

Places and meals

Jozankei Onsen

A hot spring town where you should choose your day-bathing facility before setting out.

Google Maps
Futami Suspension Bridge

A good bridge to include in a short valley walk.

Google Maps
Hoheikyo Dam

A separate destination reached from the village by Dam Liner and electric bus. If no same-day Dam Liner seats are available, stay with the village plan.

Google Maps

What to Decide First

Choose a hot spring that allows day bathing before planning around the autumn foliage dates. Not all ryokan accept day visitors, and reception may close before your bus arrives.

Reality check

Transport

The Kappa Liner takes about 60 minutes from Sapporo Station Bus Stop 27. The listed one-way fare is ¥1,700, or ¥1,460 online. If you do not have a reservation, check the same-day schedule for local buses via Makomanai Station. A regular bus from Sapporo to Jozankei takes about 80 minutes. Allow extra for autumn traffic. The Dam Liner takes you only to the electric bus boarding area; reaching the dam requires another paid bus.

Time

Return travel takes about 2 hours by Kappa Liner or 2 hours 40 minutes by regular bus, before traffic delays. Allow a full day if you want to add a 60–90-minute bath, a meal, and a valley walk. Adding the dam requires about two extra hours from and back to the tourist information center, with a shorter village walk. Skip it if the bath entry deadline or return bus does not fit.

Cost

Kappa Liner and bathing admission are separate. As an example, an online round trip of 2,920 yen (1,460 yen × 2) plus adult Yunohana admission of 1,180 yen totals 4,100 yen; adding the 450-yen towel-set rental makes 4,550 yen. Food and other travel are excluded. Totals change with another facility or on-site bus fares. For the optional dam visit, add ¥1,000 for the return Dam Liner and ¥1,200 for the October adult return electric bus, a total of ¥2,200, to the budget above.

Safety

Valley paths can be slippery in rain, on fallen leaves, and with the first snow. Avoid a long bath after drinking, and take an earlier return bus in the late afternoon.

If plans change

If the Reservation Does Not Work

Check whether the local bus round-trip times fit the facility's bathing reception hours. If the timing is difficult, it is better to switch to Otaru or a public bath in the city center.

When construction, rain, or foliage conditions make walking difficult

Keep just the hot spring bath and café, dropping the riverside and suspension-bridge walk. Do not cross closed riverside sections. If day-use bathing is also unavailable, switch to a public bath downtown.

Dam Liner full or canceled

Keep the village, cafe, and day bath rather than waiting so long that you miss bath entry or your return bus. Do not substitute a walk to the dam or direct access by private vehicle.

Small tip

Choose the bathing facility first, then fit the round-trip buses around it. Reaching the hot spring village does not mean all ryokan accept day-use bathers. Tattoo rules, towels, available baths, and check-in deadlines vary by accommodation.

Final check before departure

  • First check which facilities allow day bathing and when reception closes.
  • Book or save your Kappa Liner round trip or local bus return trip.
  • Check same-day notices for foliage conditions, construction areas, and temperatures.
  • For the dam, check the 2026 Dam Liner season, same-day registration, and paired return trip.
  • Check electric bus operation, fares, the 15:30 last uphill departure, and bath entry deadlines. If seats are full, stay in the village.

Official visitor information was checked on October 9, 2026. Recheck seasonal closing times, closures, and prices in the operator notices below and on the booking screen for your visit date. Dam transport was checked again on October 11, 2026. The Dam Liner runs October 3 to 25 with same-day registration at the tourist information center in arrival order. The electric bus has a separate season ending November 3. Check current foliage and weather rather than assuming peak color.

Information checked: 2026-10-11

Google Maps

Check the location on the map

Use Google Maps to review the location and nearby route. Recheck opening hours and prices with the official source before visiting.

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