Ryokan (inn) · Open
Yumoto Orofure-so
- Day-use bathing
- Unconfirmed
- Fee
- Unconfirmedno check date
- Hours
- Unconfirmedchecked 2026-10-09
Photo information
Save to passport
Official classification
Spring type (therapeutic classes)
Official spring-type name (as recorded)Simple spring (hypotonic, neutral, high-temperature)
- Source temperature
- 48–68°C
- pH
- 7.2
- Flow rate
- 1,200 L/min
- Radon
- Unconfirmed
Appearance & feel
Water colour · Feel
Clear
Colour and feel are listed only where a source states them. They vary by day and by bath.
What makes it special
Named after a Bohemian spa, Karurusu was Hokkaido's first National Recuperation Hot Spring Area: a quiet, clear-water place for long stays.
Why?
Discovered in 1886 and opened in 1899, the spring was named after Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) in what was then Austria-Hungary because the water was thought similar. In 1957 it became Hokkaido's first and Japan's twelfth National Recuperation Hot Spring Area. A simple spring, 48–68°C, pH 7.2.[1]
Facilities in this area
Facilities come from the register (Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, official sites). Those marked "natural spring unconfirmed" are listed on the basis of their name only.
Ryokan (inn) · Open
Suzuki Ryokan
- Day-use bathing
- Unconfirmed
- Fee
- Unconfirmedno check date
- Hours
- Unconfirmedchecked 2026-10-09
Ryokan (inn) · Open
Mori-no-yu Sanseikan
- Day-use bathing
- Unconfirmed
- Fee
- Unconfirmedno check date
- Hours
- Unconfirmedchecked 2026-10-09
Getting there
Reachable by public transport
From JR Noboribetsu Station a Donan Bus takes about 20 minutes to the Karurusu stop. From Noboribetsu Onsen it is about 10 minutes by car.
- Getting there
- Noboribetsu Station · 20
- Through the year
- Winter restrictions apply on the Orofure Pass road
- Checked
- 2026-10-09
About the water
Karurusu's water is a simple spring: clear, with almost no smell or taste. 'Simple' means low total minerals, but it holds a fair amount of sodium sulfate, which is what reminded people of Carlsbad and gave the place its name. At pH 7.2 it is neutral and gentle, which is why it has served as a recuperation spa since the Meiji era. A popular Japanese bath salt called 'Karurusu' turns the water milky white; the real spring is clear. The tourism association lists high blood pressure and skin conditions as posted indications.
Indications (as posted on the analysis)
As posted by the tourism association: high blood pressure, skin conditions
Indications are an official statement based on the water analysis, not a guarantee of treatment. They are kept separate from opinions.
| Source | Source temperature | pH | Radon | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karurusu spring group | Unconfirmed | 7.2 | Unconfirmed | no check date |
Three things not to miss
Photo information
The clear simple spring
Every inn in the village A colourless, odourless simple spring unusually rich in sodium sulfate. Source 48–68°C, pH 7.2, flow 1,200 litres a minute — the quiet opposite of neighbouring Noboribetsu's showy waters.
After Noboribetsu's nine kinds of water, you learn what a plain spring is good for.[1][2]
Yumoto Orofure-so
7 Karurusu-cho, centre of the village The spring's 'head source' inn, descended from the communal bathhouse of 1899, with its own source.
Where Karurusu's water first came out of the ground for bathers.[1]
Lake Tachibana and the Orofure Pass
Around the village Lake Tachibana is said to be Japan's only privately owned lake; the Orofure Pass road climbs over to Lake Toya, and the Sunlaiva ski slope opens in winter.
Walks to fill the days between baths.[1]
The story
Found by a settlement surveyor
In 1886 Hino Yoshiki, surveying land for militia settlers, came across the spring in the mountains. His adopted son Hino Kyukitsu rediscovered it in 1889 and, finding his chronic stomach trouble eased, resolved to develop it. The spa opened in 1899 with one communal bathhouse and one inn — the ancestors of today's Orofure-so and Suzuki Ryokan.[1]
The name of Carlsbad
The Ainu called the spring Penke-yu; its developers borrowed the name of Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) in Austria-Hungary because the water was judged similar. In 1905 Karurusu and Noboribetsu were made recuperation sites for soldiers wounded in the Russo-Japanese War, and in 1957 Karurusu became Hokkaido's first National Recuperation Hot Spring Area. Its clear water is nothing like the milky bath salt that later borrowed the name.[1]
The quiet side of Noboribetsu
Noboribetsu's tourism association presents Karurusu's simple spring as the 'tenth water' alongside the nine types of Hell Valley: 48–74°C, colourless, tasteless and odourless. Six inns sit in a mountain fold ten minutes by car from the busy resort, and the village still keeps the air of a toji retreat.[2][1]
Going solo
Solo stay unconfirmedUnconfirmed
Weekend / peak restrictionsUnconfirmed
Where to eat dinnerAlmost no restaurants; meals are at the inns
Private bathUnconfirmed
checked 2026-10-09
Through the year
Recommended months
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Months open
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
"Recommended" and "open" are recorded separately. Check the season for seasonal springs.
Dec · Jan · Feb · Mar — Sunlaiva ski slope open; snowbound toji
Oct — Autumn colours on the Orofure Pass
Sep · Oct — Karurusu Onsen culture festival and LOPPIS market (announced by the tourism association for 2026)
Food, culture & experiences
Orofure Pass viewpoint
Views over Lake Toya and the Pacific; restricted in winter[1]
About 15 min by car from the villageKarurusu Onsen Sunlaiva ski area
A small ski slope right beside the village[1]
Walking distance from the innsNoboribetsu Onsen and Jigokudani
The neighbouring resort with nine spring types — a good day trip to compare waters[2]
About 10 min by carEditors' guide
The day after Noboribetsu's nine waters, go up to Karurusu by bus or car. Take a long, slow soak in the clear simple spring, then walk to Lake Tachibana or the Orofure Pass. Phone the inns for day-use hours and fees before you go.
The "editors' guide" above is written by the editors from sources; it is not a visitor's opinion.
Photo gallery
Visitor reviews
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Overview
カルルス温泉（カルルスおんせん）は、北海道登別市にある温泉。「登別カルルス温泉」とも言われる。「国民保養温泉地」に指定されており、「名湯百選」にも選定されている。
This overview is based on the lead section of the Japanese Wikipedia article "カルルス温泉" (CC BY-SA 4.0). View original page
Unconfirmed & notes
- Inn websites could not be read; day-use fees, hours, single-occupancy and legal water notices are all unconfirmed
- Donan Bus frequency not confirmed
Sources
- カルルス温泉 - Wikipedia(日本語版)Wikipedia · 2026-10-09
- 10の湯のものがたり(単純温泉・カルルス温泉)登別国際観光コンベンション協会 · 2026-10-09
- 国民保養温泉地 - 環境省環境省 · 2026-10-09
- トピックス(カルルス温泉文化祭&LOPPIS2026)登別国際観光コンベンション協会 · 2026-10-09
Register sources
- カルルス温泉 - Wikipedia(日本語版)Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-10-09
- Wikidata Q11295183Wikidata · CC0 · 2026-10-09
Data status
Name & locationPublishedCoordinatesPublishedSpring typePublishedPhotosPublishedFacilitiesPublishedVisiting info (dated)PublishedEditorial articlePublished
Updated 2026-10-09
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