Kawayu Onsen, nestled amongst Hokkaido’s representative lakes of Lake Mashu-ko in the west and Lake Kussharo-ko in the southeast, is a hot spring town that boasts that 100% of its hot waters come directly from the source, referred to as kakenagashi in Japanese and a rarity in the country. There is Mount Iwo, whose name means “sulfur mountain,” about 3 kilometers south of Kawayu Onsen, and the hot spring river that serves as its heat source flows though the onsen town.

At Kawayu Onsen, you can enjoy the onsen baths in your own way, choosing from among the free footbath in front of the station that you can enter as you please, hotels with full-blown rotenburo outdoor baths, and hotels with less hot baths.

Diamond Dust in Kawayu is an event held each February, in which the district is illuminated with about 1,000 ice candles. The light of the candles turns the wintry district into a magical wonderland.