Journal | 2026.09.09
This journal is about how to use Mori no Auberge Mitsu on the day you drive from New Chitose Airport toward Hidaka and Mukawa.
Auberge Mitsu stands in Atsuma, about 15 minutes from the Atsuma interchange on the Hidaka Expressway. It falls neatly on the way once you leave the airport and head inland.
The anchor of the trip is the Hobetsu Museum in Mukawa, known for a full dinosaur skeleton. Here is the drive to it, and how a quiet night at Mitsu fits around the day.
From New Chitose Airport toward Hidaka
New Chitose Airport is about 30 minutes away by car, and the Atsuma interchange on the Hidaka Expressway is about 15 minutes. Mitsu stands in the forest of Atsuma, in Hokkaido.
For other bearings, the Tomakomai ferry terminal at the east port is about 18 minutes by car, Hayakita station about 16 minutes, and central Sapporo about 75 minutes. From the airport it makes an easy start to a day heading toward Hidaka.
| Leg | Time by car |
|---|---|
| From New Chitose Airport | about 30 min |
| From the Atsuma interchange | about 15 min |
| To the Hobetsu Museum, Mukawa | about 1 hour |
| To Michi-no-Eki Abira D51 Station | about 30 min |
The full route is set out on the Access page and on 30 minutes from New Chitose Airport.
The Hobetsu Museum, about an hour away
The anchor of the day is the Hobetsu Museum in Mukawa. It displays the full skeleton of Kamuysaurus japonicus, a dinosaur new to science.
At about 8 metres it is one of the largest dinosaur fossils found in Japan. It is about an hour by car from Mitsu, so you can set out after breakfast and be back for dinner.
Opening days and hours can change, so please check before you go. You will find more nearby spots on the Around page.
Abira D51 Station on the way
Easy to fold into the drive is Michi-no-Eki Abira D51 Station, in the neighbouring town of Abira. It keeps and displays the D51 steam locomotive once based at the Oiwake depot.
It is about 30 minutes by car from Mitsu. A dinosaur and a locomotive make two destinations, one for grown-ups and one for children, that you can link in a single day.
A quiet night after the dinosaurs
Mitsu takes three groups a night, in three rooms only. They are named Ki, Mi and Tsuki, and the nights are very quiet.
Every room has its own goemon-style soaking tub in Shigaraki ceramic ware. It is not a natural hot spring but heated water, and there is no shared bathhouse.
The building is a 120-year-old farmhouse, raised again here in the traditional style of Toyama. Its thick central pillar and beams are joined without metal fittings.
There is no television in the rooms, and Wi-Fi is available in every one. You can close a day of dinosaurs in the quiet.
Dinner in the Hokkaido season
Dinner is an omakase kaiseki course that follows the Hokkaido season. Breakfast is served too, except on room-only plans.
The meat dish uses Mailabuta pork from Atsuma, or beef from Biratori. The plate leans on what the land gives that day.
The guide price is from about 28,000 yen per person with dinner and breakfast, based on two people sharing a room. It changes with the room and the season. Rates are subject to change; please check the booking site before you travel.
Check-in, parking and payment
Check-in is from 15:00 to 19:00, and check-out is at 10:00. There is no shuttle service, and pets cannot stay.
There is parking for 10 cars, free of charge and with no reservation needed. There is no valet service.
Payment is cashless only. Credit cards, electronic money and QR code payments are accepted, and cash is not.
You can read more about staying in the area on the Staying in Atsuma page. For bookings and questions, you can also call 0145-27-2081.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Mitsu to Mukawa's dinosaur museum?
The Hobetsu Museum in Mukawa is about an hour by car. It shows the full skeleton of Kamuysaurus japonicus, about 8 metres long and one of the largest dinosaur fossils found in Japan.
How do I get to Mitsu from New Chitose Airport?
It is about 30 minutes by car from New Chitose Airport, and about 15 minutes from the Atsuma interchange on the Hidaka Expressway. There is no shuttle service, so please come by car.
Is there anywhere to stop on the way to or from the museum?
Michi-no-Eki Abira D51 Station is in the neighbouring town of Abira, about 30 minutes by car from Mitsu. It keeps the D51 steam locomotive once based at the Oiwake depot.
We are coming by car. What about parking and payment?
There is parking for 10 cars, free of charge and with no reservation needed. Payment is cashless only, with credit cards, electronic money and QR code payments accepted and no cash.
Related: Around / Access / Staying in Atsuma / 30 minutes from New Chitose Airport | Back to the journal