Ishikari Onsen Hokkaido

Ishikari, at the mouth of the Ishikari River where it flows into the Sea of Japan north of Sapporo, is famous for its extraordinary Ishikari nabe — a warming salmon and vegetable miso hot pot unique to Hokkaido cuisine whose bold miso-and-butter broth, thick salmon chunks, and root vegetables create the definitive taste of Hokkaido winter comfort food enjoyed at the fishing village restaurants of the Ishikari rivermouth. Ishikari Onsen Hokkaido draws on chloride-rich coastal thermal waters from the marine geological formations of the Ishikari Bay coastline, offering warming maritime baths in a salmon fishing port community whose river delta culture, traditional Ainu settlement heritage along the Ishikari River, and the coastal scenery of the Sea of Japan create a flavorfully distinctive spa setting with a deeply Hokkaido character. The Ishikari salmon fishing heritage and nabe hot pot restaurant culture, the Ishikari River delta wetlands important for migratory birds, and the traditional Ainu cultural heritage of the Ishikari River basin — the longest river in Hokkaido and one of Japan's three great rivers — create a richly natural and culinarily distinctive spa destination on the Hokkaido Sea of Japan coast.