#8

Cycling Through Sounkyo's Divine Green Martin Meadows
Professor, Liberal Arts Department, Nayoro City University

Travelling by bicycle allows you to explore the enticing byways, taking in the sights and scenery at a more thoughtful and digestible pace. As I cycled closer to Sounkyo and the canyon walls closed in around me, I began to recognize places where, in winter, I had headed off on skis, loaded with gear to scale some of the frozen waterfalls that make Sounkyo an ice-climbing Mecca.

I cycled past Sounkyo resort to the Ginga and Ryusei waterfalls, then hiked up through a sunlit forest to the “Sobakudai” lookout on the north side of the valley for a panoramic view of these twin falls.
They were swollen by the melting snows of the high mountain. Plummeting violently down the cliffs, they presented a stark contrast to my mind’s image of the still, icy pillars of winter.

The slower pace of travel also gave me time to explore some of the relics from Sounkyo’s past.

Onsen resorts like Sounkyo were largely built up during the economic heyday of the Showa period, catering to busloads of tourists looking for a lively time spent eating, drinking, singing, and soaking. The bursting of the economic bubble in the early 90s, an aging and shrinking population and, more recently the COVID-19 pandemic, struck a death blow to some of the hotels built farther from the hot spring source, or poorly managed.

Some that I remember in the Sounkyo area are now gone, while others sit empty and abandoned. Getting off the bike and walking around these broken down relics of more prosperous times, it was hard to imagine they were once bustling with activity.

I was filled with mixed feelings of melancholy and awe, reminded how man’s fleeting constructs pale against the permanence of nature that changes only cyclically with the four seasons.

Hotels that have survived the economic booms and busts are those that have adapted to the changing times, and have maintained a high level of service and style.

The family-run Hotel Taisetsu caters to modern tastes across cultures, appealing equally to Japanese accustomed to hot-spring tradition but looking for new and unique takes on the familiar, and to the increasing number of foreign guests who seek a true Japanese experience.

On the recommendation of a friend, I decided to check in after my day of cycling. My wife joined me there. Our room was the Yukihotaru, a spacious and elegantly simple room with a mix of Japanese and Western styles. When staying at a Japanese hot spring, slipping into a yukata is always a special treat that makes me feel instantly relaxed.

With three baths to choose from, I headed first to the namesake Taisetsu-no-yu bath on the 7th floor for its magnificent views - of the valley from the large indoor bath on one side, and of Kuro-dake Mountain from the outdoor bath on the other side.

Muscle fatigue and saddle soreness vanished immediately in the soothing waters. I was now ready to eat and replenish the calories peddled away during my ride.

What a delight dinner was! We made our way to the inankur restaurant, where my friend joined us.

Our private dining room was modern and stylish and had a calming atmosphere that somehow made us feel we were alone under the evening stars.

Food was a fusion of Japanese and Western styles that made use of the finest Hokkaido ingredients. My favourite was a dish with grilled scallops and fish, but everything was fresh and delicious!

The calm and relaxed atmosphere induced a leisurely pace of eating, and our conversation was fueled with hotel-only specialties such as beer brewed from Hokkaido corn, and a smooth sake made in collaboration with the Taisetsu Sake Brewery based in Kamikawa town.

I am a wine drinker at heart, and I have a special love for white wine. There is an active, wine-making network in Hokkaido with an ever-increasing number of high quality varietal wines appearing on the market. My friend brought a bottle of Grace du Ranch from Sunagawa, which was a crisp and refreshing white wine with good acidity and the typically intense flavours of Sauvignon Blanc. Wonderful!

My evening ended with a soak in the Chinita-no-yu. This bath is the hottest of any of the hotel’s baths, and I had the feeling it also has the highest mineral content. Perhaps I am a little odd, but I love the smell of volcanic hot springs, and Chinita-no-yu satisfies in this regard. A short plunge in the high temperature bath, followed by a cool-down soak in a near body-temperature bath is my ideal nightcap.

After a good night’s sleep, the following day began with a fantastic buffet breakfast served in the Hinna dining hall. Here there were foods for every taste - Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Western. Hotel Taisetsu does an excellent job of catering to tourists from around the world.