Full Day Indigenous Ainu of Hokkaido and Jozankei

Name: Full Day Indigenous Ainu of Hokkaido and Jozankei
Price: 25400 JPY
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.83 (24 reviews)

Overview

Available languages

English

8 hours

Mobile ticket

The Ainu Cultural Center is a real hidden gem. Tucked away in lush natural surroundings an hour or so outside of Sapporo, this center/museum is sure to please. It is very informative with tons of artifacts of The Ainu. The center is well curated and visitors are encouraged to hold and touch the many authentic Ainu handcrafts. The outdoor village with traditional handcrafted Ainu houses and canoes are very cool to experience as well. This is a “must go” sight for those interested in indigenous groups.

Your tour will continue on to nearby Jozankei Hot spring(Onsen) Village. There are 56 hot spring sources in Jozankei, concentrated around both the Tsukimibashi and Takayamabashi bridges along with The Toyohira River which flows throughout the village. The waters of most of these hot spring baths average temperatures ranging from 60 to 80 degrees Celsius. As a member of this tour, you will experience a two hour hot spring bath at one of Jozankei’s most reputable hot spring hotels.

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby

Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What To Expect

AINU Cultural Center (Sapporo Pirka Kotan)

This tour will start at Sapporo Station in front of “Myomu”(The Circular Stone Structure) in front of the South Exit doors of Sapporo Station. Kindly meet here at exactly 9a.m. Your guide will be there to greet you. After brief introductions and smiles, we will start to embark on our wonderful tour starting at The Ainu Cultural Center. The tour will begin here at The Ainu Cultural Center. Your guide will take you through the 1 hour tour of the Ainu Center Museum(exhibition room). Here, you will learn of the lifestyle, history, and art of the Ainu people, the indigenous people who first settled Hokkaido and developed a unique culture. This facility is the first of its kind in Japan to focus on original inhabitants and allows visitors to actually feel, touch and experience first-hand traditional Ainu craftworks(over 300 items) made by Ainu artisans.

3 hours • Admission Included

Jozankei Onsen

After leaving The Ainu Cultural Center, you will be heading (by bus) to the very nearby quaint little hot spring village known as Jozankei. Jozankei is located within the lush green Shikotsu-Toya National Park. This area is characterized by topography and phenomena created by hundreds of years of volcanic activity.Thus, this volcanic activity has created numerous natural hot springs that dot the entire area of Jozankei Village. Upon arrival, your guide will show you around the area and make sure you see all the popular sights that Jozankei offers. These will include both the Jozankei Shrine and Temple, Gesen Park and footbath, Futami Park and Futami Tsuribashi Suspension Bridge. This guided walking tour of Jozankei is breathtaking any season of the year.

2 hours • Admission Included

What‘s Included

All entry/admission tickets to each attraction/sightseeing spot

Transportation fee from Sapporo Station to all listed destinations and activities

English speaking tour guide

Lunch

Transportation prior and after the tour

Options

Full Day Indigenous Ainu of Hokkaido and Jozankei

Reviews

4.83

24 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Great Intro to the Ainu and the Region
Sayohatchi,,Nov 27, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This tour was great and easy to book. The guide met me at the Myomu sculpture and it was easy to get to the sites using public transportation. The cultural center was interactive, we got to touch many exhibits and reflect on how they made their different fabrics and tools. We even had a chance to play some traditional Ainu games. There is an opportunity to take pictures dressed in native Ainu dress and a modest gift cart from where you can pick up handmade Ainu omiyage. Scott was friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate about the subject and region. A true educator, he asked leading questions and engaged me in discussion about topics ranging from art to urban planning, indigenous culture to cross cultural communication. It was like spending a day with new friend. Learning about Jozankei was also interesting. I enjoyed seeing the outdoor public foot baths, the shrines and bridges. It was fascinating to see how the dam has truly shaped the region. The Shika No Yu Hotel was a great place for an onsen experience. There were three indoor bade pools and a wet sauna. There was one semi-outdoor/covered sauna that was especially great with the low temperature outside. I left with a new appreciation for the region and more knowledge about the Ainu peoples. All in all a great experience that I’d highly recommend for anyone interested in indigenous culture and have some time in Sapporo/Hokkaido to explore.
Good trip with some downsides
arturozapico,,Nov 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00
3.5/5 stars. Fun and informative trip learning about the Ainu and sightseeing Jozankei. Tour guide was very knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. Be prepared for the whole trip to be taken via public transportation. We initially thought it was private transport, so was caught by surprise there. Also, the onsen is NOT tattoo friendly and the booking description did not mention anything regarding tattoos, so we were disappointed to not able to enjoy the onsen portion (only the public open-air foot bath). Would recommend this trip for those without tattoos.
History, culture, nature and onsen!
richardsW6029OM,,Oct 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This full-day tour has a lot to offer! The Ainu Museum focuses on the history, art, tools, and clothing of the indigenous Ainu, and is well worth the visit. The trip to Jozankei Onsen includes a lovely walk through Futami Park and the Futami-Tsuribashi Suspension Bridge. The onsen experience is quite different from a mineral spring spa-day in most other countries, but your guide will walk you through the etiquette before you go in. Our guide Scott was very knowledgeable, friendly, and energetic. This trip utilizes a subway and local bus, but your guide will make the commute super easy. We visited in Autumn, and the leaves were amazing.
Beautiful mountains, but the trip content was not the same as expected.
Road09064867630,,Oct 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00
Did not know that we would be taking the public transportations. On the way there, the exhaust in the bus was so strong which made me sick and my husband's eyes felt burnt. I used the Google translate and complained to the bus driver, he simply waived me away rudely. Fortunately, Scott, our tour guide managed to open the window and we felt better. Be prepared for a lot of walking especially for elderly people who couldn't walk a lot. My husband and I were so looking forward to seeing the Ainu people and getting to know their culture, but we were disappointed that we learned it from visiting the museum and from Scott's sharing of his knowledge of Ainu people. Also, I wish that we could have gone to a better quality restaurant for the lunch. Overall, we enjoy the fresh air and the beautiful scenery. However, I would give Scott a rating of 5 because he was polite, friendly, thoughtful, and experienced!
Learned about the Ainu at the Ainu cultural centre then visited an Onsen. A great day out under the guidance of Scott
Derek W,,Oct 16, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
A great day out under the guidance of Scott. Loved the Ainu cultural centre and Jozenkei was beautiful. My first Onsen was an experience to remember
Very wonderful trip to Jozankei
Will T,,Oct 7, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Scott was a very considerate and experienced tour guide, making sure the group of 8 all had fun at every stop. He enriched our travel experience by making small addenda to the original itinerary, which everyone appreciated. Most importantly, he was able to remain flexible and conquer the problem of the hot spring hotel being full (last stop), and he was able to find a perfect alternative hot spring hotel for us all instantly.
Fantastic Tour of Ainu Museum and Jozankei Onsen experience
quarketry,,Oct 4, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
It helped that we had brilliant fall weather, and the crowds were minimal at these two must-see sites near Sapporo/Otaru. Regardless, this tour was well worth one full day out of 3 we had planned in Hokkaido. Scott was a fantastic guide: knowledgeable, personable, patient with our myriad questions, and always ready with a good “dad joke”. In Jozenkai, the first choice of hotel for onsen had a wait time, but there was another nearby that was ready for us immediately; Scott put the decision to a group vote, which was thoughtful, and I can’t imagine any better onsen experience at the first hotel. The lunch is out of pocket at a cafeteria style restaurant; it was inexpensive and the food was good. The tour is well planned - Scott had prepaid IC cards for the bus and metro we used (this was a plus for us personally vs being shuttled around in a van). Plan on considerable walking, and some light hiking on paths and stairways. HIGHLY recommended! Note: if you book through TripAdvisor, the link to the meeting place is very misleading. It takes you into a nearby hotel. Rather, simply enter the South Exit of JR Sapporo Station and the big stone with a hole in it is where you’ll join your group, and is right in front of you.
Hoheikyo dam and onsen
G1901HGaw,,Sep 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Beautiful scenery and views at the Hoheikyo dam near Jozankei topped off with a wonderful meal and bath at the Hoheikyo Onsen. I had a lovely time and our guide, Scott, smoothly orchestrated everything with public transport and patiently answered all my questions
Would recommend for culture and onsen
andreaandj2025,,Aug 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We had a great experience on the tour! The timing to coordinate between public transportation transfers was smooth. We enjoyed learning at the cultural center and our first onsen experience was great.
Thank you Scott
Sightseer44856259986,,Aug 21, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Fantastique day tour lead by our guide Scott who is a réal professionnel in the préparation of the trip and on the day itself. Couldn’t expect better.