How to Find Autumn in Sapporo
You’ll get to feel the autumn mist in Hokkaido first, and the trees have already started to put on their colourful shroud at the end of September. But you still have time to get a glimpse of the gold-red foliage of Japanese maple trees.
Jozankei Onsen is a mountainous hot spring village an hour drive away from Sapporo. Sure, you can bathe all day, but try not to miss the Jozankei walking path along the Toyohiragawa river.
While you’re crossing the symbolic Futamitsuri bridge on your way south from the onsen, you’ll see Kappa road filled with a collection of sculptures, fountains, and tiny details dedicated to turtle-like creatures. Kappa is a frog-like water goblin with a fondness for cucumbers (a namesake to sushi with the same ingredient) found in Japanese folklore. And it’s also the mascot for Jozankei.
What’s more, the Jozankei walking path leads to a forest where you can enjoy a traditional hot spring bath in nature while walking on a carpet of autumn leaves. For the best experience, you should arrive between 6pm and 9pm, and make sure you do before Sunday 20 October. This is also when the hot spring district puts up a nightly light show extravaganza, Jozankei Nature Luminarie. Futamitsuri bridge and the length of Toyohiragawa river will be all lit with projection mapping technology, so you can enjoy some artificial colours when the autumn nights get too dark.
If you need to get to Jozankei the comfiest way possible, use the Kappa Liner bus service found near our latest hotel in the Susukino downtown of Sapporo.
