Jyozankei is a bit tricky to get to, so the complimentary bus was definitely a plus and the bus stop was just a few moments from our hotel in Sapporo - the Okura so very convenient. After a 45 minute journey we arrived at the Daiichi and were quickly shown to the room with all of the facilities explained in detail. The room we booked was large-ish (for a ryokan) and in good order. The bathroom was barely large enough to swing a very small cat but given that this is an onsen, you really won't be spending a lot of time in this bathroom anyway.

The booking we made came with two sessions in the hotel's more "exclusive" onsen - and they were both exceptional. Even though the hotel seemed very busy, we didn't encounter a single person in the larger onsen. I think this was out of bounds to day-trippers.

Our deal included both breakfast and dinner, and these were both really quite good. Dinner on both nights featured local dishes with four options on the main courses (fish or meat) and to tell the truth, I was less taken with these than the accompanying courses. A nabe each night - one crab, one white fish, a beautiful sashimi course and other dishes were all very good. We enjoyed a bottle of Tantakatan over the course of the two nights and this cost only a small mark up to what you would pay in the store. Lastly, the service in the restaurant was excellent and the staff were very friendly, asking about our day, what we planned to do tomorrow - and it wasn't like they weren't busy either.

All in all, a great retreat from the hustle and bustle of Sapporo. The town itself probably had its glory days some years ago, so they cling onto the mythical kappa with statues everywhere in various poses - even a female kappa complete with eyelashes. However, we weren't really in town for that. With the exception of maybe the Ainu Centre, just kick back and relax in the hotel for a few days before taking the return bus to Sapporo.