I Looked Into Heiseikan Shiosaitei

This blog has mostly focused on campgrounds and day-use hot spring facilities, but for those days when I feel like 'forget camping, let's do a hokance (hotel + vacance) instead,' I've also been gradually looking into ryokan and hotels.

This time, what caught my interest was Heiseikan Shiosaitei, located in the Yunokawa Onsen area. Apparently you can enjoy two very different baths on an alternating men's/women's schedule - an observation bath overlooking the Tsugaru Strait and Mt. Hakodate, and a purely Japanese-style open-air bath surrounded by a rock garden. That point caught my attention, so I decided to organize what I found.

The Short Version

It's apparently a hot spring ryokan where you can enjoy two very different baths - an observation bath overlooking the Tsugaru Strait and Mt. Hakodate, and an open-air bath surrounded by a rock garden - both available on an alternating men's/women's schedule.
As for Rakuten Mobile signal, the official tool showed an AAA rating, which was a good result.

I've put together the details below.

What Kind of Ryokan Is Shiosaitei?

It's a ryokan in the Yunokawa Onsen area of Hakodate, apparently operated by the Toho Resort Group. Sister properties in the same group - one called Kaiyotei and another that's an annex of Shiosaitei called Kagetsu (the name is written slightly differently across sources) - also seem to be located in the Hakodate area.

Reservations are apparently accepted through an online booking form or by phone. I couldn't find specific pricing on the official website - it seems you need to check through the reservation form itself. The specific check-in and check-out times also didn't appear to be clearly stated on the official website.

Komorin

I occasionally come across places like this where pricing isn't shown on the site - it's a little nerve-wracking not knowing until you get to the booking screen. For an indoor type like me, having the option to book by phone is a nice relief too.

The Two Baths and How to Enjoy Each One

The first thing that stood out to me about this ryokan was, of course, the fact that there are two types of baths. On the 7th floor, there's apparently an observation bath overlooking the Tsugaru Strait and Mt. Hakodate, and on the 4th floor there's a purely Japanese-style large bath overlooking a Japanese garden, along with an open-air bath surrounded by a rock garden. It's set up on an alternating men's/women's system, where which bath you can use changes depending on the time of day.

Observation bath (7th floor): apparently men from 2:00 PM to 3:00 AM, women from 4:00 AM to 9:30 AM
Large bath / open-air bath (4th floor): apparently men early morning from 4:00 AM to 9:30 AM, women from 2:00 PM to 3:00 AM
It seems both baths are closed for cleaning between 3:00 AM and 4:00 AM

The water quality is apparently a sodium-calcium chloride spring, using a combination of source-fed flow-through and circulation. It's said to have benefits for nervous conditions, muscle pain, and poor circulation, though I couldn't find any mention on the official website of whether there's a sauna or whether day-use bathing is available. It might be reassuring to confirm this by phone beforehand if it matters to you.

Guest Rooms and Facilities That Caught My Indoor-Type Attention

There appear to be three types of guest rooms available: a Japanese-style room with its own open-air bath, a Japanese-style room with an ocean view, and a relaxing Western-style room. It seems like you could choose based on whether you prioritize the view or want to relax with a bath in your own room.

There's a lobby lounge on the 1st floor, apparently a space overlooking the vast ocean (open from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM). There's also a gift shop / convenience store on the 1st floor, with hours that seem to change between summer and winter. There's also a meeting and banquet hall called Hakuyo that can hold up to 40 people, which gives the impression it could be used for small gatherings as well as travel.

Wi-Fi: apparently available throughout the building
Rental services: wheelchairs (reservation required), free trouser presses, and paid rentals of go, shogi, and mahjong sets seem to be available
Parking: apparently free, with space for 70 vehicles

I couldn't find details about smoking areas on the official website either, so it seems worth confirming in advance if that matters to you.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

I checked this facility's location using the official "My Area Coverage Simulation" tool, and the overall rating came back as "AAA." I'm sharing this as-is, based on the actual result I got from using the tool.

Since the Yunokawa Onsen area seems to be located close to the city center, this result felt natural to me. It gives the impression that things like staying in touch during your stay or watching a bit of video should work without any issues.

Komorin

When I see an AAA rating come up, it puts my own mind at ease too. Not having to worry about signal while traveling is, in a quiet way, a pretty big source of reassurance, I think.

See Rakuten Mobile Details

Wrapping Up

To sum it all up, my impression of Heiseikan Shiosaitei is that it's a hot spring ryokan where you can enjoy two very different baths on an alternating men's/women's schedule - an observation bath overlooking the Tsugaru Strait and Mt. Hakodate, and an open-air bath surrounded by a rock garden. There also appear to be three types of guest rooms to choose from, so there seem to be options whether you prioritize the view or want to relax and take it easy in your room. There were some things I couldn't figure out from the official website alone, like whether there's a sauna, whether day-use bathing is available, and roughly how much it costs, so if these matter to you, it's probably best to contact them directly by phone. As for Rakuten Mobile signal conditions, the result was an AAA rating, so it might be reassuring to check with the official tool before you head out, if needed.

Check Out Rakuten Mobile

This article includes a referral link for Rakuten Mobile's employee referral campaign. For details, please see our Disclaimer & Advertising Notice.