On May 29, 2023, at 9:20, I had breakfast at the warm inn Furukawa and stopped by before returning to my room. There is a door that you can enter without going outside from the inn, which is convenient. I purchased the famous hot spring manju (900 yen), which is a must-buy when visiting Jozankei. As soon as you take a bite, you will understand why. The skin is soft and a bit thick, with a chewy texture, and the sweet red bean paste filling is excellent. My wife always says, "I think the hot spring manju here is the best in the world." As a hot spring enthusiast, I have tried hot spring manju from all over the country, but the one here is truly the most delicious.

We stayed at Jozankei Souvenir Hall in Sapporo, just the two of us. It's still our usual budget travel style. This time we decided to stay in Jozankei. When we stay in Sapporo, we tend to spend a lot on eating and drinking around town, so staying in a hotel might actually be cheaper if we can use the local resident discount. Check-in was at 4:30 pm, but they suggested that dining around 7:30 pm would be more relaxed. My wife was not happy about it, but I can manage, so it's okay for me. My wife sulked and opened a beer. I resisted the temptation to drink and waited. I wandered around a bit since we had some time. The place we were looking for was closed, but nearby there was a souvenir shop. It wasn't anything special, just your typical souvenir shop. I couldn't find anything that caught my eye. In the end, we bought some fish cakes, cheese slices, and beans. We started eating them as beer snacks, and even though they weren't anything extraordinary, we couldn't stop eating. So, I had to remind myself not to overindulge and limit myself to one beer. The fish cakes were delicious, with a nice texture and a hint of saltiness. They were so tasty that we couldn't resist having more. And as for the beer, I found myself having a second one, questioning my willpower.

At the Teinsankei local products store, you can enjoy homemade steamed buns such as yomogi (mugwort) and onsen (hot spring) flavors. I bought one of each and enjoyed them while soaking my feet in the foot bath. The buns had a soft and chewy texture with a sweet red bean filling. The yomogi bun had a nice hint of mugwort flavor, which added to its deliciousness. The buns were small in size, making them easy to eat.

I received another souvenir from my family, so I would like to post a review. The souvenir is a set of "Onsen Manju" purchased from "Omoideya" for about 800 yen. It seems to be from the "Nukumori no Yado Furukawa" inn. There are 5 pieces each of black sugar and yomogi flavor. Both are small but have thick and chewy skins and are delicious. The sweetness of the red bean paste is just right and easy to eat. Especially the yomogi flavor sells out in just one hour after opening! If you come across it, I recommend trying it. Thank you for the meal.

On our family trip, my wife wanted to buy these hot spring buns as a souvenir, so we stopped by after checking out of Kano Yu. I remember when a friend bought them for me when we stayed at Furukawa during our student days - the skin was unexpectedly chewy and delicious. This time, I bought a box of 8 for myself. I packed 4 for myself to bring to Yokohama. The rest were quickly devoured by the kids. It seems like my wife was able to refresh herself after a long time in the hot spring. It was good to see.

- Onsen manju (10 pieces) for 750 yen is a popular treat in Jozankei! These handmade manju sell out quickly, especially the yomogi flavor, so be sure to go early in the morning to get some. The manju has a unique chewy skin and is filled with smooth red bean paste made from local beans. It's not too sweet and stays moist, which is great. The yomogi manju has a strong yomogi flavor and might be the best onsen manju I've ever had! Thank you for the delicious treat!

I went to Jozankei Product Pavilion. There is also an eat-in space. You can eat hot spring buns individually. It is located around the bottom of the hotel district, making it a place you can easily stop by while strolling. The store is filled with various sections such as Kappa corner, wooden bear carving corner, Jozankei souvenir corner. Among them, I got the hot spring bun that I wanted the most as a souvenir. It has a thin skin and a easy-to-eat sweetness. This has become a popular souvenir enjoyed by many. Thank you for the meal.

Hidamari Tea House in Jozankei. They sell 3 eggs for 120 yen, and there is a special place nearby where you can make onsen tamago (hot spring eggs). You can also crack and eat the onsen tamago inside the shop. Enjoy!

I missed the bus and ended up eating a steamed bun instead. It was supposed to be 70 yen, but it was actually 75 yen! The bun was slightly warm and delicious. It was a good choice.

You can buy onsen tamago at Jozankei Onsen Park!

Warm Inn Furukawa's manju. This manju won the gold prize in the ranking of manju in Jozankei, with 13 entries. At night, there were only 2 boxes of the regular ones left. The yomogi manju seems to sell out quickly as it is limited in quantity. I wanted to try the yomogi manju too. This manju also has a short expiration date. The skin is thin and chewy. It seems to have starch mixed in with the wheat. The sweetness of the filling was just right. I could eat as many as I wanted. We tried several types of manju, but the manju placed on the far right at the Hanamomiji shop was our favorite for both of us.

I have been a fan of this place for a while and decided to get some takeout. It seems like they weren't freshly made for the winter season. Wife: They may not be freshly made, but they are delicious! The skin is so fluffy and tasty. The black sugar in the skin is excellent, but the filling could be stronger. Still, it's a tasty hot spring manju. I couldn't resist and ate it in the car right after buying it. It was meant to be a souvenir...

The other day, I received a souvenir from my senior who went on a trip. When I looked at the package, there was a picture of a kappa. I remembered that Jozankei is also famous for kappas. It seems to be cookies. When I tried to eat it at home, my curious niece appeared and eagerly wanted to eat it. I opened the box and took a picture, but she quickly reached out and took it. Inside the bag, there were cute kappa cookies in the middle. The pictures were surprisingly well made. My niece kept saying how cute they were. When I tried one, it was quite delicious. I am grateful for my senior's kindness. Thank you for the treat. My mother received a souvenir from her friend's trip to Jozankei. We usually love the manju from Daikokuya, but they are only open on weekends now, so we couldn't get them. The onsen manju is a favorite of ours, so we were happy to receive it. Inside the box were two types of manju, one was the usual kind, and the other was mugwort. I tried one of each. The regular manju had a soft skin with a hint of sweetness, and the filling was not too sweet. The mugwort manju had a soft skin with a distinct mugwort flavor. I think I prefer this one. The mugwort onsen manju was quite delicious. Thank you for the treat.

Dango and tea~coffee. This is a tea shop attached to a souvenir shop located in the center of Jozankei Onsen. The dango has a very authentic taste and the drinks are also satisfying. I don't expect anything too fancy... I just see it as a place to take a break (laughs). It might be convenient for a short rest while staying at a hotel in Jozankei Onsen, or even after checking out the next day, while wandering around. Of course, it could also be a nice spot for a quick break during a day trip, maybe after using the foot bath. However, there are many foreign tourists from Asian countries here. I felt angry and sad when a staff member handed a very strange and small irregular soft-serve ice cream to foreign tourists with a normal face. I wish they took more pride in their service.

Sapporo's hidden gem, Jozankei Onsen. It's about a one-hour drive from the city center, and one of the charms of Sapporo is being able to go to a hot spring resort surrounded by mountains and nature. Hokkaido is also known for its hot springs, with hot springs bubbling up in various places all over the island. The atmosphere of hot spring resorts where inns are clustered together in a small area is really nice. I love both remote hot spring inns and these popular hot spring resorts, each with its own unique charm. Jozankei Onsen has souvenir shops and tea houses along the main street. I enjoy trying hot spring buns while strolling around, so I stopped by a shop called "Omoideya." The buns are homemade and made with local red beans. They have a similar look and taste to the buns I had at another tea house earlier. The buns are small and have a slightly chewy texture with a lightly sweet red bean filling. They were not warm, but it seems they are made on-site as the shop had a workshop-like area behind glass. The shop also sells souvenirs and kappa goods. There are benches where you can sit and enjoy the buns you bought. I love the lively atmosphere of places that sell freshly steamed buns by the roadside, and I wish I could have found one in Jozankei Onsen. The hot spring town also has free foot baths, hand baths, shrines, walking paths, and it would be even more enjoyable if they incorporated a "food tour" into the charm of the hot spring town. I love food! In May, the scenery of the valley was very beautiful. There were many cherry blossom trees, and the cherry blossoms were in full bloom, creating a beautiful landscape. The spring leaves were also beautiful! The change from late spring to early summer when the leaves turn a delicate and elegant color is called "spring momiji." The color change of the leaves is a way for the trees to protect their immature tissues from strong ultraviolet rays in late spring and to prevent the leaves from being eaten by insects. The trees on the sunny slopes changed color beautifully. With the snow-capped mountains in the background, the budding light green grass, deep green conifers, and the occasional orange, yellow, and cherry blossom pink colors were mixed in. It was a different kind of beauty from the vibrant colors of autumn, a delicate spring mountain. In the nearby green areas, the cherry blossoms were in full bloom against a backdrop of a ground covered with katakuri and ezoyenogosaku flowers, and a clear blue sky without power lines. I always thought the valley shines the most during the autumn foliage season, but there are also seasons of flowers, new greenery, clear summer river views, and the autumn foliage is just as beautiful.

In April 2014, I visited alone (*´∀｀*) (Looking in the mirror...)(>´＝｀<) Hmm... (>´＊｀<) My face looks tired and wrinkled from my monk-like lifestyle this month... I've been working hard and earning a salary, so I need to treat myself. I decided to treat myself to something luxurious nearby. The end of the fiscal year passed without any rewards, and I've been busy preparing for the new fiscal year, so I haven't had a chance to celebrate with a "job well done" party. I decided to take a solo trip to Jozankei in Japan. I took a bus from Sapporo and arrived in just 50 minutes. The scenery was beautiful, but it's surprising that it's still part of Sapporo. I wandered around the area until check-in time, enjoying the scenery and trying some delicious steamed buns. The steamed buns were soft, fluffy, and just the right size. I quickly devoured one, as it didn't seem like it would keep for long. After enjoying the steamed bun, it was finally time to check in. I wonder what other wonderful things await me during this well-deserved treat.