Tokachigawa Onsen, a vegetable moor hot spring, is one of the only such hot springs that exist in the world.


	At Tokachigawa hot spring resort, enjoy a natural splendor that’s unique to Hokkaido. Seasonal events highlight natural features, and a hearty, rustic cuisine satisfies visitors. The hotels here welcome travelers with the finest hospitality.

>>>　What’s a “moor hot spring”?

Tokachigawa hot spring is on the Tokachi River in Otofuke Town, in the middle of the Tokachi Plains. The hot spring gushes up through a lignite layer composed of the remnants of reeds and other wild plants that have accumulated over the ages. The moor vegetation makes the water rich in organic components. The waters are milder and richer in natural moisturizers than ordinary hot springs, smoothening and moisturizing the skin and making Tokachigawa hot spring famous as a “hot spring for beauty.”

>>>　The benefits of “moor hot spring” water

In addition to containing lignite and peat, which form over the ages from incompletely carbonized vegetation, the Tokachi Plains are widely distributed with porphyritic granite. The humic substances in lignite and peat smoothen and rejuvenate the skin. The porphyritic granite breaks down the minerals in the hot spring water. Since the Tokachigawa “moor” hot spring is rich in organic and mineral components from vegetation and rock, it acts as a moisturizer. The water is highly osmotic and gentle on the skin.
Masuo Nakano, Professor Emeritus, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine

>>>　Reason for designation as a Hokkaido Heritage

Vegetable moor hot springs in Japan are far more rare than ordinary mineral hot springs. In 2004, Tokachigawa hot spring obtained Hokkaido Heritage designation, which is given to “tangible or intangible properties that should be passed down to future generations.” It received this recognition ahead of many other hot springs in Hokkaido. Tokachi hot spring is even mentioned in old documents of the Meiji era (1868 - 1912), and it’s known in Ainu legend as a “medicinal bath.” Full-scale development of the hot spring began in the second quarter of the 20th century. It grew into a leading hot spring in eastern Hokkaido in the postwar years, now attracting some 60,000 tourists a year from within and beyond Hokkaido. Advanced eco-friendly measures, such as careful management of the hot spring water by the Council for Comprehensive Management of Tokachigawa Hot Spring, formed in 1989, have also been taken to protect the precious hot spring resource.