Geothermal Spring!

R&O absolutely love hot springs! The Niseko area has a lot of very fancy onsen in hotels and ryokan, given it is a ski resort in winter.  So we have been enjoying some rather plush surroundings.  Many of  these baths use natural spring water from the mountains that is then heated.  But Japan has thousands of geothermal springs where the water comes bubbling out of the earth already hot.  On a drive up the mountain at the weekend, Rit spied some steam rising from the ground, and with our windows down, we all took in the stinky sulphur smell - a natural onsen.   

A lake of bubbling sulphur water.  Too hot to go in though.

A couple of honey shots - just because.

Further up the mountain, we came to this place. Niseko Goshiki Onsen.
To be honest - a little bit spooky.

Like the kind of place they use in horror movies.

When we got there the fog closed in on us and I was getting freaked. But the lure of a nice bath pulled us in.

So no pictures of the inside onsen, I'm afraid. But they were amazing.  Our skin felt very tsuru tsuru (silky smooth and slippery) afterwards.

Here are some pictures we took of one of the rotenburo (outdoor baths).  Very rustic! But wonderful.