Suigan 翠巌 翠巌酒店

Suigan is an all-suite inn with just seven rooms, located near the scenic “Maizuru no Toro” gorge inside the national park area of Jozankei Onsen in southern Sapporo. The address is 1-86, Jozankei Onsen Nishi, Minami-ku, Sapporo. It is about one hour by car from central Sapporo and around 90 minutes from New Chitose Airport via expressway. Guests can also reach the inn by combining the complimentary shuttle or local buses with public transport. Set slightly away from the main Jozankei hot spring town, Suigan enjoys a quiet setting where forested mountains spread out across the valley.

The core concept is a “self-contained stay within your room.” There is no shared lounge or large public bath; instead, all seven guest rooms are designed as special suites with their own hot spring baths, so that dining, bathing, and relaxation can all take place entirely in your private space. The property is aimed at adults—only elementary-school age and above are accepted—and staff generally do not enter the rooms unless requested, placing a strong emphasis on privacy.

Every room is a suite, and all seven have different layouts and design touches. Some feature a large open-air bath, some have a private sauna, others include a dedicated theatre space or a reclining “ne-yu” style bath. No two rooms are the same. All of them, however, offer a generous living and sleeping area equipped with TV, refrigerator, Wi-Fi, washlet toilet, and a full set of amenities. The hot spring water in each room is supplied directly from a blend of three private sources owned by the same hotel group, allowing guests to enjoy the onsen in whatever style their particular room offers.

In addition to the main building, Suigan also has an annex, “Matsunao Ibara,” which opened in October 2025. While the main building offers seven hot spring suites designed for a fully in-room stay, the annex features seven mountain-view Western-style rooms, each with its own view bath, and serves meals in an open-style restaurant. Inspired by a Zen phrase that values living “true to one’s nature,” the annex concept is to relax as you are—taking in the surrounding scenery while enjoying both your private in-room onsen and meals prepared in the open kitchen.

The hot spring water is a sodium-chloride spring blended from three sources owned by the Daiichi Takimotokan group. It is supplied free-flowing to the various indoor and open-air tubs and reclining baths in every room. This type of spring is known for its strong heat-retaining properties, helping the body stay warm after bathing, and is often described as a “warming bath.” It is said to be effective for conditions such as neuralgia, muscle pain, sensitivity to cold, and fatigue. There is no large communal bath by design; instead, the focus is on soaking “whenever you like, as often as you like, in your own private tub.”

Meals are designed to be enjoyed slowly in your room. In the main building, dishes are brought via a dedicated service door so that staff can deliver each course while still preserving privacy. Dinner is served as a full course from appetizers through dessert, with menus that change seasonally and highlight vegetables, seafood, and meats sourced mainly from Hokkaido. The emphasis is on drawing out the natural flavors of each ingredient rather than on showy presentation. At the annex Matsunao Ibara, guests dine in a restaurant with an open kitchen, enjoying course meals while looking out toward the surrounding nature.

On-site facilities are intentionally minimal. Suigan itself does not have a lounge or public bath, but guests receive “Suigan Premium Access,” which grants complimentary use of the large baths and lounges at nearby properties operated by the same hotel group. This includes shuttle-assisted access to the hot spring facilities and lounges of sister hotels such as Jozankei Daiichi Hotel Suizantei and Mori no Uta. Guests also enjoy perks like all-you-can-eat gelato at the group’s gelato shop “Ame no Hi to Yuki no Hi” and reserved seating at the shaved-ice café “Morino Hyakunichigori,” making it easy to combine a quiet stay at Suigan with visits around the neighborhood.

Access from Sapporo is via National Route 230 heading south, continuing past the main Jozankei hot spring area toward the Maizuru no Toro gorge. The official website details a complimentary shuttle bus from Sapporo Station (advance reservation required) as well as routes that combine subway and local bus services, so it is quite feasible to stay without a car. On-site parking is also available for guests arriving by rental car or their own vehicle.

In summary, Suigan is a distinctly individual, small-scale retreat in Jozankei built around the idea of “a stay that is completed within your hot spring suite.” Rather than a lively resort with large public baths and extensive in-house facilities, it is aimed at couples, pairs, and small groups who want to spend quiet time enjoying their private onsen, in-room dining, and views of the surrounding gorge and mountains.