Shogetsu Grand Hotel

The breakfast and dinner menus were both large, with lots of things to try, and the onsen facilities were good too. I booked their solo-traveler option, where they choose your room. I had two really refreshing nights here and can recommend the place.

We used a Premium Room #703 as our base for a first trip around Jozankei, staying one night in mid-September as autumn was starting. It was rainy off and on. The room was high up, roomy, and had a floor-to-ceiling window plus four windows that opened behind insect screens. The in-room onsen bath was lovely, though its water at 55 degrees was too hot for us. The shower pressure was only moderate, but the controls and temperature worked well. We tried the private onsen too, where the water was more comfortable. It has one river-view room and another with no view, but apparently guests get assigned a room at random at check-in, which seemed odd. The last private bath slot is 10 pm. The hotel's spacious lounge looks out toward the river and has a music corner with rocking chairs and an audiophile speaker system. Activities run there throughout the day. The hotel also lends clothing and slippers for getting around, including to meals and the hot spring. Our kaiseki dinner and semi-buffet breakfast were served in the dining hall. Dinner had just one sitting, at 6 pm, and took at least an hour and a half; breakfast started no later than 7:30 am. We added seafood to dinner but received hairy crab instead of shell sashimi. It tasted much too salty, probably from the way it was cooked, and I wouldn't recommend it. The Nature Luminarie was running during our stay, apparently from June to October, and tickets were for guests staying in Jozankei. It's a five-minute walk downhill southwest from the hotel, ending at Futami Suspension Bridge. Nearby, Gensen Park has a free riverside footbath, Ame no Hi to Yuki no Hi sells gelato, Yama no Kaze Machi is a small shopping stretch, and Iwato Kannon Hall is a temple. The farthest is about a 15-minute walk, and there's a Seicomart across the road. Jozankei is about an hour by bus from Sapporo. The hotel has a once-daily shuttle, late afternoon toward Jozankei and early morning to Sapporo. We took the Kappa Liner because its times suited us better and it could handle our extra-large luggage. Public buses run frequently too, including #12, though they aren't convenient with oversized bags. The hotel was strict about the 3 pm check-in time. They suggested settling the bill from 7 am onward on checkout day to avoid queues, and there was no problem leaving our luggage after checkout. We had a higher-floor room, though the entrance and check-in desk are on the sixth floor and rooms can be on the first. The lounge sofa bed was huge, but its tiny pillows made lounging uncomfortable. Jozankei's central location works well, and it seems to be the only hotel where every room has a river view. With the daily activities, it's easy to relax here, especially as a couple, family, or senior guest.

The open-air onsen was the part I remember most: soaking in the hot spring, hearing the river below and looking out at the forest. The indoor baths were nice as well, and the facilities were well kept. Our tatami room was clean and spacious, with a quiet view of the river and surrounding mountains. Staying at Shogetsu Grand Hotel in Jozankei felt like a proper Japanese ryokan escape into nature. The staff were warm and helpful, with thoughtful service throughout. It's a lovely place to slow down, and we'd happily return.

When it’s cold outside, the air conditioner only heats, so I can’t use it to cool the room. It gets a bit stuffy.