PON-PONYU | Kushiro Wetlands Kayanuma Inn | Hot Springs in Kushiro Shitsugen

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Step out into
3,000 years of nature

The lowermost reaches of the Kushiro River in eastern Hokkaido meander
through Japan’s largest wetland, which stretches 25 km from east to west,
and 36 km from north to south. Fed by countless rivers and streams and
abundant rain and mist, Kushiro Shitsugen is home to about 2,000 species
and flora and fauna, and was once fringed by Ainu settlements.
Pon-Ponyu, which means “little hot spring” in Ainu, is the perfect base
for stepping out into the wetland. The architecture, hot springs, and
dining at the inn engage all your senses, putting you physically in touch
with this unique environment, and encouraging you to head out and
directly experience nature nurtured over three thousand years.

Looking out over the wetland

Beyond a distinctive facade of local oak slats that retain their natural edge
shapes, the hotel boasts a wonderful airiness that merges almost seamlessly with
the nature of the wetland framed in the floor-length windows of the lobby and
guest rooms. Artworks depicting the wetland’s topography and its flora and
fauna are scattered throughout the facility, infusing it with a sense of the world
that awaits outside.

Sedge tussock hot spring

Our large communal baths use only water that has seeped through strata of
aeons-old plant material. In addition to a sauna and three indoor baths offering
different temperatures, there is an open-air bath facing the lake, with backrests
modeled after sedge tussocks. Drop in for a quick dip or stay overnight for
a relaxing bath. The salty water will keep you extra warm and relieve stiffness
and chills.

Ranch-to-table and sea-to-table

Shibecha, a town famed for its sea mist, is situated on the Kushiro Plain, where
70,000 cattle graze. Culinary delights include fresh milk straight from the ranch,
kuroushi beef from cattle reared with the spring-fed water of Lake Mashu,
creamy uni nurtured by the plump kelp of Kushiro Bay, and crabs with meat
toned by the waves of the Pacific.

Enjoy the vast wetland

Canoe on the Kushiro River, hike through the 3,000-year-old topography,
and in winter, hook wakasagi through an ice hole.
Wear light clothing in summer or a dry suit in winter to venture into the heart of
the marsh and spot flowers and animals you have never seen before.