Lake Shikotsu

Marukoma Hot Spring Hotel

Surround view from our room

1st stop of our trip in Hokkaido, we stayed in Marukoma Onsen Ryokan which is home to the oldest hot spring facility in the Lake Shikotsu area. It built in 1915 and remained unchanged since it was established. Very old right, but don't worry they maintain the place very well. The inn really clean and comfortable, doesn't look old as it's age.

Their history wall

I booked the room with Kaiseki (traditional multi-course Japanese dinner) dinner and breakfast package. The room facing the lake, it was very beautiful, it was very quite, very big, and clean. I can hear the sound of the water from the lake from my room. I love it! feel so relax and refreshing.

And FYI, the room doesn't have a bathroom, there's only a toilet inside the room. We took a bath in public bath. It's normal in Japan if you stay in onsen ryokan. Unless you stay in a room with private onsen.

FYI, this inn has private onsen which can be rent by hour. Here private means not inside your room. They have separated onsen to be rent privately. If i'm not mistaken they have 2 private onsen. Which inside got private toilet and bathroom. So you go back to your room then can rest immediately. So gooooddd.. :)

The Marukoma Onsen has 2 types of onsen outdoor and indoor. The outdoor one they have 2, one is facing the lake, the other one attach together with the indoor but this one outside not under the roof. They have sauna as well. Very very recommended this place, some more here so quite not that crowded with the guests. As we went there with some colleagues and they tried another inn in another area they said the ryokans that they stayed a bit crowded i.e. around Lake Akan and Lake Toya.

The inn's backyard covered by the snow

Outside the inn at night

How to get there:

You can take bus or cab from Chitose new airport. If you take cab it will take around 31 minutes, if you take bus it will take 50 minutes. The bus only bring you till the Lake Shikotsu bus stop, you need to inform the inn what time you will arrive at the bus stop then they will pick you up.

Bus ticket: 1030Yen

Please check here for more details the access to Lake Shikotsu.

If your next destination from here is Sapporo, they have shuttle bus from the Inn direct to JR Sapporo station for 500Yen. It's very convenient.


And here is the highlight of the path to the Marukoma Inn. It's so breathtaking, so beautiful.