Jozankei Autumn Leaves 2026: Sapporo Day Trip and What to Wear

Jozankei (定山渓) is a hot-spring town set into a river gorge about an hour by road from central Sapporo. Locals call it Sapporo's backyard retreat (奥座敷 / oku-zashiki). Autumn arrives early in Hokkaido, and the leaves here usually start changing color in early October, weeks ahead of Kyoto or Tokyo.

This guide is for anyone planning a fall day trip: when the leaves peak, whether you need a car, how to reach the town from Sapporo, and what to pack for a Hokkaido October. If you're mapping out several spots, our Japan Autumn Leaves 2026 guide lays out the wider foliage calendar.

You can cover the town on foot: Futami Suspension Bridge and the evening Natsu-touro lanterns. Hoheikyo Dam and Lake Sapporo, though, need a car to reach the trailhead.

Peak color: early to mid-October

Around the hot-spring town, the leaves usually start turning in early October and peak from early to mid-October, then drop through the end of the month. Alongside maples you'll see katsura, wild grapevine, and other trees that give Hokkaido its particular autumn palette.

Higher ground turns first. Fall color around Hoheikyo Dam (豊平峡ダム) and on the ski slopes above town tends to peak from late September into mid-October. Visit the higher spots first and the town afterward to catch a wider range of color in a single trip.

Timing shifts a week or two each year with the weather. Before you go, check the live camera and the daily photos on the Jozankei Tourism Association's site and X (formerly Twitter) so you're chasing color that's actually there.

Getting there from Sapporo

Everything starts at Sapporo Station. The simplest option is Jotetsu's direct Kappa Liner bus. Every run requires a reservation, though seats aren't assigned; it leaves from stop 27 at the Sapporo Station terminal, reaches Jozankei Onsen in about 60 minutes, and costs ¥1,700 (¥1,460 if you book online).

Reservations close at 17:00 the day before, so you can't book same-day. If you're going on impulse, take the no-reservation local bus instead.

One thing to plan around: the Kappa Liner and local buses serve the town, where you can walk to Futami Suspension Bridge and the Natsu-touro lanterns. For Hoheikyo Dam and Lake Sapporo, plan on a car, since bus service to those trailheads is minimal. There's no direct public transit from New Chitose Airport, so you take an airport bus or JR to Sapporo Station and transfer there.

The Kappa Liner's last run back leaves in the late afternoon, before the lanterns begin, so if you stay for Natsu-touro you'll head back on the local bus instead. Check its last departure to Sapporo before you settle in.

Official site:

Hoheikyo Dam: drive to the trailhead, then bus or walk

Hoheikyo Dam is the showpiece of the area, with color spilling down a steep gorge. Here's the catch: you drive to a free trailhead parking area, but the last stretch up to the dam is closed to private cars and bikes. From there you either ride the electric bus or walk in. If you're coming by Kappa Liner or local bus, this dam is effectively out of reach.

The electric bus is a small BYD model and takes roughly 7–8 minutes each way. On foot it's about 2 km (20–30 minutes) uphill. Parking at the trailhead has about 250 spaces.

October falls in the peak-fare window. There are one-way tickets, too, so many people ride up and walk back down through the gorge. The bus can pause for maintenance on some days, so check the day's status on the Hoheikyo Dam site before you set out.

Official site:

Jozankei Dam and Lake Sapporo: lookouts you reach by car

Farther up the valley sit Jozankei Dam and its reservoir, Lake Sapporo (さっぽろ湖). Four numbered lookouts line the lakeside road (the Jozankei Lake Line), each framing the water against the colored hills. This area is best reached by car, as bus service is sparse.

The dam also has a small visitor center. In 2026 the Jozankei Dam Museum is open April 25 to November 3, from 9:30 to 16:00. It closes on Mondays (or the next weekday after a holiday), but stays open every day from October 1 to November 3, the heart of the foliage season.

You can also walk inside the dam wall through the Cross Gallery (クロスギャラリー), open daily 10:00–16:00 during the season. It's a good rainy-day stop that offers an up-close look at the dam's structure.

Official site:

Futami Suspension Bridge: the free walk in town

If you'd rather skip the car, Futami Park (二見公園) sits within walking distance of the town center. The vermilion Futami Suspension Bridge (二見吊橋) and the trail on the far bank are free and open, with the river, the leaves, and Jozankei's kappa mascot statue all in one spot.

From the middle of the hot-spring town, the bridge is roughly a 10–15 minute walk, depending on where you're staying.

The park is currently under renovation. Some sections may be closed, so if the bridge walk is your goal, check the latest with the Jozankei Tourism Association (011-598-2012) before you go.

The "Natsu-touro" lanterns at night, not a foliage display

If you're searching for a "Jozankei autumn illumination," here's the honest answer: there is no light-up of the foliage itself. What runs instead is Natsu-touro (夏灯路), an evening event that lines the town with lanterns through October 31, 2026.

The route connects spots like Jozan Gensen Park (定山源泉公園) and Iwato Kannon-do (岩戸観音堂), lit by paper lanterns and upright andon lanterns. The event runs through October 31, and in September and October the lights are on from 18:00 to 21:30 (last entry 21:15).

Entry is free, and the in-town venues are open to day visitors. The one exception is the Jozankei Shrine venue, which is open only to overnight guests, who get an entry ticket from their inn. You can pair a daytime stroll among the leaves with the lantern walk on the same day.

What to wear in a Hokkaido October

Pack for the cold. In an average October, Sapporo sees highs near 16.4°C and lows near 8.0°C, and valley-set Jozankei runs colder still, especially in the morning and evening.

Around the mid-October foliage peak, morning temperatures are often in the single digits, and frost isn't unusual. A light jacket by day and a proper warm layer for the morning and evening will keep you comfortable, especially if you stay out for the lanterns after dark.

If you're pairing Jozankei with higher mountains, our Daisetsuzan Autumn Leaves 2026 guide covers Asahidake and Sounkyo, which turn even earlier.