Sounkyo Onsen
Open by month
Open in January. No seasonal closure recorded. New Year (Dec 29 – Jan 3): open.
Open in February — at its best. Ice Fall Festival (Hyobaku Matsuri) in winter; Gorge Fire Festival late Jul to mid-Aug; autumn leaves come down from the peaks to the town by mid-Oct.
Open in March. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in April. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in May. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in June. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in July. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in August — at its best. Ice Fall Festival (Hyobaku Matsuri) in winter; Gorge Fire Festival late Jul to mid-Aug; autumn leaves come down from the peaks to the town by mid-Oct.
Open in September — at its best. Ice Fall Festival (Hyobaku Matsuri) in winter; Gorge Fire Festival late Jul to mid-Aug; autumn leaves come down from the peaks to the town by mid-Oct.
Open in October — at its best. Ice Fall Festival (Hyobaku Matsuri) in winter; Gorge Fire Festival late Jul to mid-Aug; autumn leaves come down from the peaks to the town by mid-Oct.
Open in November. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in December. No seasonal closure recorded. New Year (Dec 29 – Jan 3): open.
Checked against the official site on 2026-10-12.
A gorge resort at the foot of the Daisetsuzan mountains, with tall cliffs and the Ginga and Ryusei waterfalls nearby.
Nearby
- Mt. Asahidake Ropeway (Daisetsuzan) ≈ 40 min by car
- Tenninkyo Gorge ≈ 45 min by car
- Shirogane Blue Pond (Biei) ≈ 1 h 25 min by car
- Shirahige Falls ≈ 1 h 25 min by car
- Asahiyama Zoo ≈ 1 h 25 min by car
Travel times are rough estimates by car.
- Best time
- February, August, September, October — Ice Fall Festival (Hyobaku Matsuri) in winter; Gorge Fire Festival late Jul to mid-Aug; autumn leaves come down from the peaks to the town by mid-Oct
- Getting there
- Dohoku bus from Kamikawa Sta. about 35 min, or from Asahikawa about 110 min
- Fee
- Free to walk around
- Good to know
- No train beyond Kamikawa; check bus times (timetable changed July 2026)
- Time needed
- 4 h
Checked against the official Japanese website on 2026-10-12. Report outdated info