Breathtaking Scenery at Jozankei Bridge in Hokkaido

Hokkaido's Jozankei Bridge offers breathtaking scenery. In the morning, I first visited "Jozankei Bridge" to capture the classic view of "Jozankei Onsen." This iconic scene often appears in brochures and magazines, and I was reminded of the stunning beauty I saw back in 2017. Next, I headed to "Hoheikyo Gorge" to enjoy the autumn foliage. The round-trip shuttle bus costs 1,000 yen and takes about seven minutes to reach "Hoheikyo Dam." While it resembles the Kurobe Dam, it is much smaller in scale. The autumn leaves here were at their peak, and the mountain views were truly spectacular, making it one of Hokkaido's most popular spots for autumn foliage. Upon arrival, a vendor handed me some sweet and delicious corn, so I bought a few more to share with everyone. After taking photos near the dam, I walked five minutes to the observation deck. Although there is a sloped cable car, the long weekend brought too many visitors, causing long queues. The view from the top was fantastic, but it seemed that a tourist got injured, as an ambulance arrived and handled the situation with a stretcher. On the way back, I walked to the parking lot, passing "Kudan Falls" and "Senjo Rock," which are must-see spots for photography. For lunch, I stopped at "Michi-no-Eki Bouyou Nakayama," where I enjoyed a meal while admiring "Mt. Yotei," also known as Ezo Fuji. In the afternoon, I visited "Shinsen Marsh Nature Reserve." Although online sources mentioned the autumn leaves were at their peak, they were already nearing their end. There are no restrooms here, but the "Niseko Town Goshiki Onsen Information Center" has facilities. Unfortunately, the autumn foliage at "Goshiki Onsen" was also fading, but the scenery along the descent through Niseko was much more beautiful. At 4:40 PM, I arrived at the lakeside hotel "The Lake View TOYA Nonokaze Resort," the most luxurious accommodation of this Hokkaido autumn foliage trip. This hotel is well-known among Taiwanese tourists and is one of Hokkaido's most famous hot spring resorts, comparable to Hoshino Resorts. It is highly rated and part of the "Noguchi Kanko" hotel group, which also owns other high-end hotels like Boro, Choyo-tei, and Sekisui-tei. In winter, I often stay at "Midori no Kaze Resort Kitayuzawa," which is also part of the group. Besides Hokkaido, the group has hotels in Hakone and Yugawara. All rooms here offer lake views. I stayed in a spacious and comfortable twin room on the fourth floor, measuring 36.8㎡, with a balcony. Unfortunately, the view of the fireworks at night was partially obstructed by the building, but after watching three bursts, I moved on to other activities. Since these daily fireworks displays are relatively small in scale, they don't compare to the grand summer fireworks in Japan, like the Nagaoka Fireworks. It's similar to watching NBA games and then losing interest in smaller basketball leagues. The lobby's floor-to-ceiling windows provide a classic view of "Lake Toya." The restaurant offers a luxurious Hokkaido buffet, which is truly exceptional. The "Le Vent" restaurant has lake views, and I even saw two foreign chefs. The pasta was especially delicious, as were the cakes, sea snails, and seafood. However, the quality of the steak was inconsistent; the first serving was tender and tasty, but the second was tough and rubbery. Alcohol is not included and must be ordered separately, which is a bit disappointing. If I were to open a hotel, I would offer free alcohol and complimentary drinks in the room's refrigerator. Breakfast featured many dairy products, which I highly recommend! Besides the buffet, other restaurants provide kaiseki cuisine and high-end meal options tailored to premium guests. This was my first stay at "Lake Toya Onsen." The hot spring water is classified as "Sodium-Calcium Chloride Spring," and its slight yellow tint is due to its iron content. The most famous feature is the rooftop open-air bath "Panorama Roten TENQOO," where you can soak while enjoying lake views. The men's and women's baths alternate; at night, the men's bath features a modern square pool, while in the morning, it transforms into a rock-style bath. On the second floor, there is a retro-style bathhouse called "Showa no Yu," complete with a TV and massage chairs. Unlike typical bathhouses that only offer hot water, this one is a hot spring and even provides free ice cream, which is not available upstairs. The library is nice but rarely used, and the shop is spacious but expensive. Although the elevator area mentions art exhibitions on each floor, I checked every floor and found only chairs, with no displayed works. While the hotel's scenery, restaurant, and lobby decor are impressive, closer inspection reveals peeling wallpaper in the corridors, elevators, and rooms, indicating lower construction quality. The luxurious feel seems to be focused on the facade. In the morning, I went for a walk from 6:30 to 7:30 AM and bought coffee at the 7-11 across the street. The ground was littered with trash, which was surprising for Lake Toya. I'm not sure if it was left by tourists or locals. The lakeside area is beautifully planned, but the autumn leaves were only partially red. The uphill areas and mountains were much more stunning. During my morning soak, I noticed vibrant autumn leaves to the right. On my walk, I reached "Lake Toya Parking Lot" within five minutes, where the foliage was beautiful. I then continued to "Lake Toya Visitor Center and Volcano Science Museum," which also had lovely autumn leaves. Walking around the area was very pleasant.