Hokkaido in northern Japan
Hokkaido is Japan’s northernmost region and the largest of its 47 prefectures by area.
Its vast landscape contains mountains, forests, and lakes, along with a long coastline. Much of Hokkaido is covered in snow during winter, and the scenery changes dramatically with the seasons.
Compare Hokkaido with northern parts of your own country and explore its hot springs with me.
Explore the hot springs of Hokkaido on the map
Select a ♨ marker to see information such as the hot spring or source name, recorded area, temperature at the time of investigation, pH, and sampling date.
You can also search by hot spring name, source name, or municipality using text, or use the microphone button to search by voice.
After looking at Hokkaido as a whole, zoom in on a place that interests you. You may find a hot spring record near a city you know or somewhere you would like to visit.
About the map data
The ♨ markers represent historical records included in AIST’s Hot Spring Chemical Analysis Data. They are not a list of hot spring facilities currently in operation, and the dates of investigation vary by location.
A place without a marker does not necessarily have no hot springs. Each marker shows an approximate location and does not indicate the exact site of a spring or the entrance to a facility.
The displayed temperature was measured at the source and may differ from the temperature of the water in a bathing pool. The pH value is only a guide to acidity or alkalinity. Temperature and pH alone cannot determine a hot spring’s type or therapeutic effects.
How many hot springs are there in Hokkaido?
According to the Ministry of the Environment, Hokkaido has 226 hot spring areas and 2,249 hot spring sources. Together, they discharge 189,888 liters of water per minute.
The number of hot spring areas and the number of sources are not the same. A single hot spring area may contain multiple sources.
The data card lets you compare Hokkaido’s number of hot spring areas, total number of sources, and discharge volume with the figures for Japan as a whole.
Keep Hokkaido’s size in mind as you look at the numbers.
What I noticed while making the map
The map reminded me just how large Hokkaido is.
The hot spring records appear to be concentrated along mountainous areas. However, this may reflect where investigations were carried out.
I had expected such a large region to have even more hot springs, so the figures on the data card surprised me a little.
How does this compare with a large region in your country?
Why not explore the map to find a hot spring in Hokkaido that you would like to visit?
Sources: Ministry of the Environment, Hot Spring Use in Fiscal 2024 (data as of March 31, 2025); Geological Survey of Japan, AIST, Geothermal Resources of Japan: Hot Spring Chemical Analysis Data (published in 2020)
The data card uses Ministry of the Environment statistics, while the ♨ markers use AIST’s historical analysis records. The scope, reference date, and counting method differ, so the figures are not expected to match. Before visiting, check the facility’s or local government’s official information for its current location and operating status.