Apoi Sanso

After visiting Cape Erimo, this is a good place to stay. It feels like an outdoor resort, and the location works well for hikers and campers. The mountain view is excellent, and the room is spacious, though nothing special. I was pleasantly surprised by the outstanding service. The staff were very enthusiastic.

I stopped here for lunch, but it wasn't anything special. There was just too much seafood for a place up in the mountains.

There are few hot springs and restaurants open when you're coming down from a mountain, so this place was very helpful after climbing Mt. Apoi. The hot spring water was excellent, and the scenery alongside it made for a perfect way to unwind after a long climb. I could relax over my meal in a quiet spot with a view. The restaurant has a broad menu, including Chinese and Japanese food. Since I was all the way in Hokkaido, I tried the local Tsubutoji Donburi. It was tasty, with a nice texture, and cost 1,100 yen, which seems reasonable for this area.

The open-air bath is on the warm side, so it's easy to stay in for a while. There's no proper outdoor bathing area and it's small, but you can cool off sitting on a rock. On a clear day, the men's side looks out toward the Pacific Ocean, while the women's side has a view of Mount Apoi. I was comfortable here, the food was reasonably priced, and I came back to use the bath again the next day. This is my report on a day visit to the large public bath at Apoi Sanso, posted Wednesday, October 29, 2025 at 6:00 PM. I finally made it here after a 10-year wait. On October 21, 2015, after hiking Mount Apoi, I tried to stop by, but a deer jumped out and I hit the curb guard while avoiding it. The car was badly damaged, so I had to give up. 😃 Apoi Sanso is one of Samani Town's few tourist facilities. It doesn't use natural hot spring water, but artificial spring water based on the travertine of the Futamata Radium Hot Springs. Records say there was already a log cabin-style mountain lodge here in the 1950s. The facility opened in 1997, taking over from it. It offers both overnight stays and day visits and has connections with campgrounds and geoparks. The public corporation that ran it for many years has dissolved, and management apparently passed to a private designated operator starting this fiscal year. The bath is open 6:00-8:30 and 11:00-23:00, with entry ending 30 minutes before closing. That gives you the option of an early morning bath or a late one. Admission is 500 yen for adults, and credit cards and code payments are accepted. You can leave shoes on shelves or use lockable shoe lockers. The changing room has baskets, plus valuables lockers that take a 100 yen deposit, which is returned. Amenities include body soap, rinse-in shampoo, and a hairdryer. The soap is a budget Windhill model, and there are three Kozumi Monochrome hairdryers. There's also a water tank, two Yuasa electric fans, and a Tanita scale. The men's and women's bathing areas each have 7+4+4 indoor faucets with separate showers, two shower booths, a 40°C main bath with jets, a 38°C secondary vibrating bath, an 18°C cold bath, and a dry stone sauna with one tier and room for five people. Outside, there's a 33°C open-air rock bath. For some reason, despite having no direct connection to Samani Town, there's a life-size panel of Gold Ship, the now world-famous Uma Musume character, on display inside. There's also a restaurant and a rest and dining area in front of the changing rooms, where you can order from the same menu as at the restaurant. There's deer droppings everywhere in the area, like at Nara Park, so watch out for Ezo deer jumping out.