26 May 2026
After pampering ourselves in Jozankei Onsen, the next area to explore in our Hokkaido road trip was the Niseko resort area.
The Niseko area is the Japan’s most renowned ski destination, globally famous for its consistent, ultra-light powder snow. In late May, the ski season is over but there are still plenty to see and do in the area.
Three sizable towns are located around this area - Kutchan, Hirafu and Niseko. We will be driving to Kutchan to see some attractions located in this town before heading southwards to Hirafu and Niseko.
Kutchan is just about an hour’s drive from Jozankei Onsen via National Route 230 and 276. I had planned to make stops at Nakayama Pass, Aikawa Viewpoint and Fukidashi Park during this journey.
Nakayama Pass
Located about 30 minutes by car from Jozankei Onsen, Nakayama Pass is situated almost exactly in the middle of National Route 230, which crosses Shikotsu-Toya National Park.
From near the summit of this mountain pass, at an altitude of 836 metres, a magnificent panorama unfolds, including Mount Yotei.
Mount Yotei is a beautiful, 1,898 meter inactive volcano in Hokkaido and it looks a bit like Mount Fuji in Tokyo with its near-perfect conical shape. Hence, people call it "Ezo Fuji” which means "Hokkaido’s Fuji".
A good place to stop is at the Nakayama Pass Roadside Rest Area (michi-no-eki). Like any typical michi-no-eki, there are ample free parking, restrooms, restaurants and stores selling local food and products.
This roadside station was bustling with people. In there, there is a store selling the famous "ageimo" (fried potatoes). This famous store has sold their fried potato since 1968 and there is always a queue. We had to buy the ticket for the food from a machine before presenting it to the staff at the collection counter.
There is an eating corner with different condiments that we could add to our ageimo. We chose to eat it “as is” first before adding some spicy sauce.
The freshly cooked ageimo was crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Definitely a good, delicious snack on a road trip.
Aikawa Viewpoint
Shortly after passing through the small town of Kimobetsu, we drove along National Route 276. We were lucky to see Mount Yotei on this fairly clear day.
View of Mount Yotei from the car as we drove along National Route 276. The road along this highway seems to point directly at the mountain.
There is a small viewpoint parking along this highway where we made a brief stop to snap some photos. Google Map location here.
We saw some people risking their lives by standing in the middle of the highway to get the “perfect” shot. Not us.
Fukidashi Park
Scenic drive towards Kutchan.
Our last stop before arriving at Kutchan is Fukidashi Park, located at the foot of Mount Yotei. Admission is free of charge. This park is renowned for having one of the highest spring discharge rates in Japan with a daily flow of approximately 80,000 tons of water. Rain and snow from Mount Yotei, slowly filtering through layers of volcanic rock over many years, emerge as a gently purified spring of renowned water that is rich in minerals. 
The water can be freely drawn from various spring points within the park. Kept at a constant temperature of approximately 6.5°C all year round, the spring feels instantly refreshing.
We saw local residents with large plastic containers on a push-cart coming to collect nature’s gift.
After a relaxing stroll through Fukidashi Park and tasting the famous spring water, we continued on our drive to our next destination in Kutchan. The drive was very scenic, with views of Mount Yotei in the background.
Next Post: Exploring Niseko Area in late Spring – Mishasan’s Shibazakura Garden and Takahashi Diary Farm.