Winter break, second visit in two years. The purpose here is the mall hot springs and sauna. After checking in at 3:00 pm, we enjoyed the baths for three hours until the 6:00 pm dinner buffet. The buffet includes salt-boiled snow crab that my family loves! I focused on balance, starting with salad and moving on to steak and tempura, which was provided live. I was pleased to see chirashi sushi and desserts. Although it's the sweets kingdom of Obihiro, the desserts left something to be desired. Thank you for the meal!

Breakfast on the second day of the Hokkaido series (Obihiro to Asahikawa) in October 2020. Had breakfast at the same place as dinner yesterday. The weather is nice and the autumn leaves are beautiful. During the morning walk, I was lucky to see a wild chipmunk eating a pine cone. Now for breakfast. Started with a scrambled egg on the hot plate, with a little less mayo. I prefer it a bit more moist. I love eggs, so I also had a soft-boiled egg. For sides, I got a salad, sausages, and bacon. The fish options were salmon and bonito simmered in soy sauce. I like to mix grated radish with cod roe. Since I didn't have rice yesterday, I had a bit of yakisoba for carbs. It was seasoned quite richly. And of course, being in Hokkaido, I had pumpkin soup. For dessert, I had Hokkaido Tokachi Four-Leaf Yogurt with kiwi, blueberries, pineapples, and honey jelly. I managed to enjoy the meal while keeping the carbs low.

I have been touring in Hokkaido since my teens, but this was my first time at Tokachi River Onsen. The hot spring with its rare maul quality, containing organic matter, was very warm and pleasant. For dinner, we had a buffet in a large hall. There were various dishes available, but I prioritized freshly made items cooked right in front of me. So, I had to get the tempura shrimp and the beef that was being grilled, even if it wasn't exactly steak. I also tried some sashimi, though I didn't have high expectations since we were inland in Obihiro. I also picked up shrimp tempura, only to find shrimp fry. Of course, I couldn't miss out on the potatoes, some unfamiliar Koshimizu ginger simmered in sugar, and other options. I started dinner by avoiding carbohydrates. The freshly fried tempura shrimp was delicious, despite the batter being more like a fritter. It's always great when the food is warm. I also tried onion rings and tofu skin from Otofuke. Overall, it felt like a typical buffet, and I didn't really sense a strong focus on local dishes.

I stayed here for a business trip to Obihiro. I stayed for 1 night with breakfast and dinner included. Dinner was...honestly, not great haha. I went through the buffet once but there wasn't much that I wanted to eat. I wanted to try the local specialty donburi but it wasn't available. I guess it's because we're inland. I found that dipping the roasted pork that comes with ramen into the soup made a good snack. Breakfast was decent. It's not as good as Lapista in Hakodate or Dormy Inn in Wakkanai, but there were dishes like tarako, onsen egg, and grated yam that went well with rice. The mackerel simmered in soy sauce was also quite good. If you're lucky, you can go on a hot air balloon ride early in the morning at the hotel. It's recommended to see the sunrise in the clear winter sky.

In December 2016, I found some old photos. On this day, we celebrated my mother's birthday by staying overnight with a large group for New Year's Eve. We had a buffet dinner with a variety of dishes including Chinese, Korean, and Western cuisine. There were many guests from different backgrounds, but since it was a buffet, the food was decent enough if you didn't expect too much. It was fun to try dipping marshmallows in the chocolate fountain, something I had never done before. The baths were a bit old but had plenty of tubs, so it didn't feel cramped, which was nice. Now I need to dig up the photos of breakfast. Thank you for the meal.

On April 6th (Friday), my wife, my child, and I stayed at this place. It was a day with lingering snowfall, resembling a winter watercolor painting. Although I have heard that famous local song since I was a child, I had never been here before, along with my wife. However, everything from the hot springs, meals, to the staff's service was excellent. My child loved the welcome food, potato butter. The dinner buffet with Tokachi beef was delicious. The facilities had a well-maintained Showa era charm. It reminded me of the hot spring trips I used to take with my grandfather as a child. The room was good, the bath was nice. My child was showered with compliments by the university students who were there for a training session, saying "cute~" repeatedly. They also said, "This hot spring is great, I want to come back again." The breakfast was also delicious. At 7800 yen per person, it was a great deal. We definitely want to come back.

Over 30 years ago, when I got married, I stayed at a nearby inn and came here just to use the hot springs. That was the first time I learned about moor hot springs and became a big fan... Since then, I have visited Tokachigawa Onsen many times, and finally learned that they have built an outdoor bath, so I came to visit. This is my second week in a row at a hot spring. I saw the "Today's Inn" and it was cheap, so I decided to visit on a whim. The food is... decent but sufficient. It's cheap, so it's fine (laughs). There are a lot of foreigners, but it can't be helped. It's a reality that some hotels are able to stay in business thanks to them... I eat until I'm full, even though I'm conscious of gaining weight. I eat while aware of my stubbornness. The usual chocolate fondue tower is still there. The children and women are delighted. The purpose is to soak in the hot springs leisurely and cheaply. ...I tell myself (laughs). Thank you for the meal.

On the third day of our Hokkaido trip in September 2017, we stayed at Tokachigawa Onsen. We chose a special room with a Japanese-style room and a bedroom for 18,360 yen, which was quite appealing in terms of price. The building seemed quite old, but the special room we stayed in had been renovated and had a nice woody scent. The room had two washbasins and a spacious toilet. The ryokan also offered day bathing, and the jet bath called "Estebath" was amazing, with a depth of 110cm. The variety of jet baths was impressive, with some being so strong that you had to hold onto the handrails to avoid being swept away. I wish there was a place like this nearby so I could use it every day. For dinner, we dined at a separate dining area, as the other guests had a buffet. It was a bit lonely but nice and quiet. The meal included an aperitif, appetizers, hot pot, sashimi, simmered dish, fried dish, Tokachi beef steak, vinegar dish, sushi, and melon. Considering the price of the accommodation, the meal was decent, especially the oilfish hot pot, which was delicious. The sashimi, in the form of whole sea bream, was surprising. By the third day of the trip, my stomach was getting tired, so I couldn't eat as much, but the food was still enjoyable. For breakfast, we had a buffet with a variety of seafood dishes, including a seafood bowl and side dishes that went well with soba rice. Hokkaido ryokans really put effort into their breakfast buffets. Despite the old-fashioned appearance of the inn, the high point was definitely the jet bath.

I used it for a company banquet (^-^) I like Tokachi River Onsen♪ Please see the photo for the banquet menu. I didn't really sit at my seat much because I was chatting a lot, so I don't have many memorable dishes, but the "Tokachi Wagyu Beef Teppanyaki" was tender and delicious (*´∀`). The rest was neither good nor bad, just typical hot spring inn food. It was a fun time after a long time, so I'm easygoing about everything (*ˆ﹀ˆ*)

Our last stay in Hokkaido was at Hotel Taiheigen in Tokachigawa Onsen. It has a historic atmosphere and is a large hotel with many banquet halls, making it suitable for workplace trips. The hot springs are also nice! We chose this hotel because you can ride in a hot air balloon, but unfortunately, we couldn't due to the typhoon. The dining area was a spacious floor that seemed to also be used for wedding receptions. The food was varied, from meat to sashimi, and they even had a chocolate fountain that the kids enjoyed. The ramen at the end was personally very satisfying! The restaurant staff were also very friendly!

My parents stayed here at GW and they were very satisfied with the accommodation, food, and baths. They came back with three souvenirs they picked up at the gift shop: "Sakura Bocce," "Come Spring," and "From Hokkaido with Love Rice." Souvenirs can have funny names sometimes, like snacks with interesting names. Sakura Bocce had a crispy surface followed by a chewy texture, which I really liked. However, I wished the sakura cream inside had a stronger flavor. "Come Spring" was a cute cookie with pink patterns, but it tasted like white chocolate only. I thought it would have a sakura flavor, but it was hard to tell. I really liked the "Rice Cookie" though. It had a crunchy rice cracker-like topping on top of white chocolate, and the cookie itself was also crunchy. The texture and not-too-sweet taste were great. It was delicious and I would love to have it again. Thank you for the meal.

This year's family summer vacation is in Obihiro! We usually go on a family trip every year, and we have already been to Okinawa twice as a family. Originally, we planned to take a plane to Okinawa or go to Adventure World in Wakayama this time, but due to the high cost of flights during the Obon period, we decided to travel within Hokkaido in the summer and take a plane trip in the winter. So, this time we are coming to Obihiro. The main purpose of the trip is the Katsumou Fireworks Festival! It gets really crowded every year, being the biggest fireworks festival in Hokkaido. The last time I came was when I was single, before any accidents happened, and when they still had the big 1-shaku fireworks. It's been about 15 years since I last attended. The kids have never been to Katsumou before, and since they love fireworks, I wanted to show them up close. We decided on Obihiro quite late, around June I think. All the accommodations in Obihiro were fully booked during the Obon period. However, my husband managed to find this hotel for us (although it seems the price was quite high). We stayed here for two nights, and both nights were buffet dinners and breakfasts (same menu for both days). It was tough to handle four buffet meals, but it's a family trip, so we had to go with it. The taste was typical of a large hotel buffet. However, they had dishes and ingredients from their own farm, as well as dishes made with local Hokkaido ingredients. I made sure to choose those actively. The deep-fried sea bass was the most delicious. The kids were, as usual, focused on the chocolate fountain and shaved ice. It's the usual stuff, good for a family stay. The hot spring was a Moor hot spring, a bit on the hot side, with a spacious public bath. The building showed signs of aging, but it was clean. One thing that made me happy was the free picture letter class after dinner, which the kids participated in. My daughter drew a picture letter of tomatoes and corn, and my son drew one of grapes and carrots, both nicely done. I was happy to see them working hard on it. These cultural activities are enjoyable. Another highlight of the hotel is the hot air balloon, which has become a symbol of the hotel. They were flying hot air balloons on the hotel grounds, and we were able to ride one on the second morning! The first day was canceled due to strong winds, so I was glad we stayed for two nights. The hot air balloon ride cost 1600 yen per person. They had a special offer during Obon where one child could ride for free with one adult, so we paid 3200 yen for all four of us. I'm not sure if that's expensive or cheap, but the view of Tokachi from the hot air balloon was delightful! Now, about the main event of this trip, the Katsumou Fireworks Festival. It's about a 15-minute drive from Tokachi River Onsen to the festival venue. Surprisingly, a friend's house is just a 10-minute walk from the venue, and thankfully, they let us park our car in front of their house. I wanted to get paid seats, but they were already sold out when I tried to buy them. Starting this year, even the seats that used to be free without tickets now require tickets for entry. Fortunately, a couple of friends who live near Sapporo were also at Katsumou and had secured a spot without tickets. They said they would save extra space for us, so we didn't have to worry about it. I'm really grateful to my friends for their help in enjoying the fireworks festival. We watched the fireworks from the opposite side, where the fireworks were launched, across the bridge. The bridge was a bit in the way, but we still had a beautiful view. The kids were thrilled, and the festival lasted from 7:30 pm to 9 pm, quite a long show. My daughter fell asleep halfway through, but the kids enjoyed it a lot. We were talking about getting paid seats next year while we enjoyed the fireworks festival. After staying in Obihiro for two nights, we are heading to Urakawa! Let's go!

Last year, I visited Tokachigawa Onsen for the first time and was amazed by its beauty. This time, I decided to stay overnight at Hotel Daiheigen and opted for a plan that included a creative Japanese dinner and a breakfast buffet. Unfortunately, I drank too much at night and woke up with a hangover, so I forgot to take many photos. The dinner included Tokachi burdock hot pot, sashimi, ponzu sauce with shirako, tempura, Hokkaido beef fillet steak, and a luxurious ikura bowl. The homemade ice cream was also a highlight. The breakfast buffet featured local ingredients like Nanatsuboshi rice, boiled potatoes with miso, scrambled eggs, and bacon. The hot spring at the hotel had a unique brownish color and a slightly viscous texture, leaving the skin smooth and silky. The surprise was the water slide in the large bath area, which I couldn't resist trying once. Overall, the experience was fantastic and I highly recommend it.

I stayed at a hot spring resort through Jalan.net for 7,777 yen per person (excluding tax, with an additional 150 yen hot spring tax per person). The total including tax was 8,400 yen, plus the hot spring tax of 150 yen, making it 8,550 yen. The hot spring facility was great, and I enjoyed the smooth skin effect. The baths switch between men and women in the middle of the night. There were various types of shampoo and other amenities, which I think women would enjoy. The plan included dinner and breakfast buffets. The photo shows the dinner spread, with live cooking of steak and tempura, and self-cooked shabu-shabu to enjoy at the table. The braised pork belly dish called "Buta no Kakuni" was especially delicious. I forgot to take a photo of breakfast, but I remember having grated nagaimo, sausages, bacon, and rice. During my trip, I was worried about getting an upset stomach depending on the schedule, so I couldn't eat as freely as I wanted. I'm quite cautious by nature.