Journal | 2026.08.26
If you are booking a room in Hokkaido and searching for a hot spring, this note is worth reading first. Mori no Auberge Mitsu is not a hot spring, and here we explain the private bath you will find in its place.
It takes three groups a night, in three rooms named Ki, Mi and Tsuki. Every room has its own goemon-style soaking tub in Shigaraki ceramic ware, and there is no shared bathhouse.
Below we explain why it is not a hot spring, how the private bath works if this is your first Japanese bath, the forest herbs, and how to spend the morning, so there is no surprise at check-in.
Heated water, and no shared bathhouse
Many people looking for a room in Japan search for a hot spring, and expect to find one. It helps to know, before you book, that Mori no Auberge Mitsu is not one.
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.
So there is no large public bath to walk to. The bath is inside your room, heated and ready, for your group alone.
A private tub, inside your own room
The tub sits inside the room, in Ki, Mi or Tsuki. It is yours for the stay, and not a space you share with other guests. You can read more on Rooms.
In their reviews, guests single out the private tub in the room, where no one can see you, and the time spent walking in the forest. You can read them on Reviews.
Your first Japanese soak: the timing is yours
If this is your first time in a Japanese bath, the private tub keeps it simple. There is no shared bathhouse here, so there are no public rules to follow, and no line to wait in.
You choose the time. The water is heated for you, and only your group uses it, so you can get in whenever it suits you.
Many guests soak in the evening, after dinner. Then, in the morning light, you can get into the water once more, looking out at the forest.
Forest herbs, and no television
You blend the forest herbs yourself, from kumazasa bamboo grass, chamomile and mint, and float them in the bath. The bath itself is described on The goemon-style bath.
Every room has the same things: the soaking tub, the forest herbs, a Bluetooth speaker, a room fragrance, Wi-Fi, and no television. The quiet is part of the stay.
Before you book: cashless, and by car
A few things surprise first-time guests at a Japanese inn. Here, payment is cashless only, so credit cards, electronic money and QR code payments are accepted, and cash is not.
There is no shuttle service, so you arrive by car. It is about 30 minutes from New Chitose Airport, and about 15 minutes from the Atsuma interchange on the Hidaka Expressway, with parking for 10 cars, free and needing no reservation. Pets cannot stay. See Facilities.
| Detail | Number |
|---|---|
| Check-in | 15:00–19:00 |
| Check-out | 10:00 |
| Rooms | 3 (Ki, Mi, Tsuki) |
Frequently asked questions
Does this Hokkaido inn have a hot spring or a public bath?
No. Mori no Auberge Mitsu is not a natural hot spring, and there is no shared bathhouse. Instead, every room has its own goemon-style soaking tub in Shigaraki ceramic ware, filled with heated water.
Is the bath private, or do I share it?
It is private. The tub is inside your room, in Ki, Mi or Tsuki, and only your group uses it. In their reviews, guests single out the private tub where no one can see you.
It is my first Japanese bath. Is there anything I need to do?
Because the bath is in your room, there are no public-bath rules to follow and no line to wait in. You choose the time, and you can blend the forest herbs, from kumazasa bamboo grass, chamomile and mint, to float in the water.
Can I use the bath in the morning?
Yes. In the morning light you can get into the water once more, looking out at the forest. Check-out is at 10:00.
Related: The goemon-style bath / Rooms / Reviews / Facilities | Back to the journal