Yasou Ritto is a whole house you rent for yourselves in Jozankei Onsen, about 50 minutes by car from central Sapporo. The house was built about 60 years ago as a riverside villa for Suekichi Oba, of a Hokkaido forestry family, and was designed by Yoshiya Tanoue, an architect and disciple of Frank Lloyd Wright. The inn says it sits in Shikotsu-Toya National Park. Before you book, three things matter: the house bath is not a hot spring; there are no meal plans, so you cook or eat out; and staff are not on site all the time, so arrival and luggage need a little planning.
Yasou Ritto at a glance
| Item | Official information |
|---|---|
| Address | 336 Higashi 4-chome, Jozankei Onsen, Minami-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido |
| Type | One house, rented whole; up to 5 guests |
| Size | Building 139 m² on a 979 m² plot |
| Layout | 4 Japanese-style rooms, 1 bathroom, 2 toilets |
| Check-in / out | Until 20:00 / 11:00 |
| Bath | Bathtub and overhead shower; not a hot spring |
| Meals | No meal plans; full kitchen |
| Parking | Free, up to 3 cars |
| Contact | info@yasou-ritto.com |
From the official website and booking page, read October 13, 2026.
What is the house like inside?
The inn describes the house as a blend of Japanese and Western, light and shadow, with the forest and the river close enough to feel like your own garden. The name Ritto is a kanji radical meaning “knife,” which the inn reads as cutting away everything but the essentials. There are no clocks and no TV, and among the things to do the site lists records, books, tea in an iron kettle, letter writing with washi and a fountain pen, old Japanese toys, and a box to lock your phone away.
Where does everyone sleep?
The booking page sets out the bedding this way:
| Room | Bedding |
|---|---|
| 2nd floor, 8-mat Japanese room | 2 semi-double beds |
| 2nd floor, 9-mat Japanese room | 2 single futons |
| 1st floor, 8-mat Japanese room | 1 single futon |
From the official booking page, read October 13, 2026.
What is provided?
The site lists Wi-Fi, air conditioning, a hair dryer, a safe, a washer-dryer (in a laundry room upstairs, with detergent added automatically), a small flashlight, and toiletries including shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush sets, razors and slippers. There are no yukata or pajamas, so pack something to sleep in. The house is an old building with steps inside and is not barrier-free.
Cooking and meals at Yasou Ritto
Is there a kitchen?
Yes, a full one: an induction cooktop, dishwasher, refrigerator and freezer, microwave, rice cooker and kettle, plus pots, pans, knives and tableware for the group. The booking page says no plans include dinner or breakfast, so you buy Hokkaido food and cook, or eat out. A Seicomart and a Lawson are about 10 minutes on foot (2 minutes by car). There is no rock ice, so bring your own if you want it. For eating in the city, see our Sapporo food guide.
Can I order breakfast or dinner?
The website describes a Japanese breakfast built around onigiri, which you grill yourself over a hibachi, for 2,000 yen per person, served 8:00–10:00 at the café on the grounds and booked in advance. For dinner, it offers a set of seasonal Hokkaido ingredients, such as vegetables from Jozankei fields and beef and pork, to cook in an electric pot; this too is booked ahead, and the site does not yet show a price. The official pages say nothing about allergies or special diets, so ask the inn when you book.
The bath: what to expect
Is the bath a hot spring?
No. The booking page says plainly that the house bath is not a hot spring. It has a bathtub and an overhead shower, and the inn supplies a wild-herb bath powder. The inn also offers to point you to hot springs nearby.
Where can I bathe in a real hot spring?
The day-use bath next door, which the booking page calls Jozankei Onsen Yunohana, is about 1 minute on foot and open 10:00–21:00, last entry 20:30. The FAQ adds that the hot-spring town has several other day-use baths. Those baths set their own rules, including on tattoos; our tattoo and onsen guide explains what to ask.
Getting to Yasou Ritto in Jozankei
By bus from Sapporo Station
The access chart shows the Jotetsu bus from Sapporo Station to the Jozankei Shako-mae stop, about 60 minutes, then about 5 minutes on foot. From New Chitose Airport to Sapporo Station it shows about 35 minutes by JR or 60 minutes by bus. The official pages do not mention a pickup.
By car
The chart shows about 50 minutes by car from central Sapporo. Guests park free, up to three cars, in the lot of the neighboring day-use hot spring; tell the inn how many cars when you book.
Check-in, children and cancellation
How does check-in work?
Check-in is face to face with staff at Kissa Rekka, the café on the grounds, and closes at 20:00; checkout is 11:00. If you will arrive later, contact the inn beforehand. The phone number is not on the website; the booking page says it comes in your confirmation email, and the inn also answers at info@yasou-ritto.com. See our late arrival guide.
Can I leave luggage?
Because no staff are stationed at the house, email the inn before you drop bags off ahead of check-in. After checkout, it holds luggage for pickup until 15:00 that day. You can also send bags ahead, prepaid, by emailing first; it cannot accept fresh, frozen or chilled items or cash-on-delivery parcels.
What do children cost?
Children are welcome. Up to three children aged 6 and under who share bedding with an adult stay free and do not count toward the five-guest limit. A child of that age who needs their own bedding counts as one guest, and children aged 7 and over are included in the guest count. The booking page lists children aged 0 to 12 at 100 percent of the adult price when they are counted.
What is the cancellation policy?
The booking page lists 100 percent of the price, tax included, from 14 days before arrival. Read the rule on your booking screen before you pay, and see our hotel cancellation guide for how fees work in Japan.
What taxes are added?
Since April 1, 2026, every guest in Sapporo, children included, pays Hokkaido and Sapporo accommodation tax, collected at check-in. Per person per night, it is 300 yen when the room charge is under 20,000 yen, 400 yen from 20,000 to under 50,000 yen, and 1,000 yen from 50,000 yen, according to Sapporo City and Hokkaido.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Yasou Ritto
- The website has an English version, but some sections, including the history and dining text, are still in Japanese; the booking page also has an English version.
- The house sits in forest by the river, and the inn says small insects can come in from spring to autumn; keep windows closed and use the air conditioning, as it asks. It does not refund for natural conditions.
- The whole property, outdoors included, is non-smoking, including heated tobacco and e-cigarettes. No pets.
- Friends who are not staying can visit only by arrangement, for a day-use fee; email first.
- A private two-hour nature walk with a guide, on snowshoes in winter, costs 20,000 yen for up to two people, plus 10,000 yen for each extra person, booked in advance.
Frequently asked questions
Is the bath at Yasou Ritto a hot spring?
How many people can stay at Yasou Ritto?
Does Yasou Ritto serve meals?
What if I arrive after 20:00?
What is the cancellation policy at Yasou Ritto?
Bottom line (2026): Yasou Ritto is a quiet, self-catering house for up to five in Jozankei, in a villa designed by Yoshiya Tanoue, with no clocks or TV. Plan your meals, arrive by 20:00, use the hot spring next door for an onsen soak, and book on the official booking page.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Yasou Ritto’s official pages: home (Japanese), home (English), and the official booking page in Japanese and English, and from the accommodation tax pages of Sapporo City and Hokkaido. All were read on October 13, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.
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