Full Day Indigenous Ainu of Hokkaido and Jozankei
Description
The Ainu Cultural Center is a real hidden gem. Tucked away in lush natural surroundings an hour or so outside of Sapporo, this center/museum is sure to please. It is very informative with tons of artifacts of The Ainu. The center is well curated and visitors are encouraged to hold and touch the many authentic Ainu handcrafts. The outdoor village with traditional handcrafted Ainu houses and canoes are very cool to experience as well. This is a “must go” sight for those interested in indigenous groups. Your tour will continue on to nearby Jozankei Hot spring(Onsen) Village. There are 56 hot spring sources in Jozankei, concentrated around both the Tsukimibashi and Takayamabashi bridges along with The Toyohira River which flows throughout the village. The waters of most of these hot spring baths average temperatures ranging from 60 to 80 degrees Celsius. As a member of this tour, you will experience a two hour hot spring bath at one of Jozankei’s most reputable hot spring hotels.
Tour Options
Itinerary
This tour will start at Sapporo Station in front of “Myomu”(The Circular Stone Structure) in front of the South Exit doors of Sapporo Station. Kindly meet here at exactly 9a.m. Your guide will be there to greet you. After brief introductions and smiles, we will start to embark on our wonderful tour starting at The Ainu Cultural Center. The tour will begin here at The Ainu Cultural Center. Your guide will take you through the 1 hour tour of the Ainu Center Museum(exhibition room). Here, you will learn of the lifestyle, history, and art of the Ainu people, the indigenous people who first settled Hokkaido and developed a unique culture. This facility is the first of its kind in Japan to focus on original inhabitants and allows visitors to actually feel, touch and experience first-hand traditional Ainu craftworks(over 300 items) made by Ainu artisans.
After leaving The Ainu Cultural Center, you will be heading (by bus) to the very nearby quaint little hot spring village known as Jozankei. Jozankei is located within the lush green Shikotsu-Toya National Park. This area is characterized by topography and phenomena created by hundreds of years of volcanic activity.Thus, this volcanic activity has created numerous natural hot springs that dot the entire area of Jozankei Village. Upon arrival, your guide will show you around the area and make sure you see all the popular sights that Jozankei offers. These will include both the Jozankei Shrine and Temple, Gesen Park and footbath, Futami Park and Futami Tsuribashi Suspension Bridge. This guided walking tour of Jozankei is breathtaking any season of the year.
Your tour will conclude on a physically soothing “high note”. Your guide will escort you to the Hotel Shika no Yu hot spring. Here, you will enjoy the very popular 2 hour day-bath experience. Of course, hot springs(“onsen” in Japanese) are an integral part of Japanese culture and have been enjoyed for centuries for their therapeutic and relaxing properties. Visitors to Japan, would be amiss not to experience an onsen bath. You will have the chance on this tour! After soaking in one of the many hot springs, we will slowly make our way back to Sapporo Station
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(37)
Tour was amazing, educational, and fun! I really enjoyed learning about the Ainu and Jozankei was very beautiful and scenic, loved the forest walk. Thank you Scott for such a nice time and your knowledge of the ainu, Hokkaido and Japan!
Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to leave such a nice review! We're delighted to hear that you found the tour both educational and fun. Jozankei is a truly beautiful area, and we're glad you enjoyed the forest walk and the opportunity to learn more about Ainu culture and the history of Hokkaido. Scott will be thrilled to hear your kind words and we'll be sure to pass them along to him. Thank you again for choosing Snow Monkey Resorts! We hope to welcome you back to Japan for another adventure in the future!
Great learning experience about one of the lesser known parts of Japan history, and the onsen experience was a lovely way to end it. Lunch venue was very interesting and fun as well!
A lovely few hours enjoying Scott’s guidance and hospitality. Enjoyed the Ainu Museum, the public transportation rides, the lunch experience, the onsen soaking and of course, Scott’s conversations and dry humor! The experience was enhanced by the presence of Stella and Faith from Hawaii in our little group.
Highly recommend this small group tour. If there’s interest in Ainu culture and history, book this trip. Scott was very informative, insightful and it’s a better way to fully experience the centre rather than just walking through it. Day is very balanced with the onsen trip after it. Thanks Scott :)
We used public transportation to get there so it took a while but was scenic along the way. The Ainu Museum was very interesting. Then, we headed to Jozankei for lunch, a short hike, and the onsen at a local hotel. It was a different experience than our hotel onsen. There were a lot of people but 3 different baths. Overall, it was a long but very good day with our guide, Scott.
He is knowledgeable and explained things in detail so that we could easily understand. It was a pleasure traveling with you. Thank you..
This was an outstanding tour where we were able to be immersed in the culture at the museum as well as explore the hot springs town. Our guide was informative and friendly. Would highly recommend for anyone interested in the culture of Sapporo and interested in the Indigenous culture of Japan.
A great tour, with an engaging tour guide in Scott. Fees were all included in the ticket and you get a good showing around the Ainu museum and the Hot Springs, coupled with the onsen trip, lasting about 10 hours from start to finish. Highly recommended, although wear shoes with grip if going on the gorge hike during off season!
Scott Edmond is awesome! He is incredibly knowledgeable and his English is perfect! Kind and friendly. Highly recommend this tour or any other tour with him!!!
Great personalized trip in a small group setting. Knowledgeable tour guide who made the museum informative and engaging. Our tour guide Scott spoke English and explained everything well, even with managing the transportation.
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