Sapporo to Hoheikyo Dam: three bus stages for an autumn visit
A bus marked Hoheikyo Onsen does not take you straight to Hoheikyo Dam. They are separate destinations. For a car-free autumn visit, split the journey into Sapporo to Jozankei, Jozankei to the dam parking area, then the electric bus to the dam. Your return needs the same three stages in reverse.
Start at Jozankei Tourist Information Centre
Jotetsu runs services from Sapporo to Jozankei, including the reservation-based Kappa Liner. The Sapporo Station stop is number 27 outside the Hokuren Building on the south side. For the seasonal Dam Liner, get off at Jozankei Jinja-mae and go to the tourist information centre opposite.
Kappa Liner bookings open one month before travel and close at 5pm the previous day. Walk-up passengers can board only if seats remain. Use Jotetsu’s booking information to select your actual stops. Avoid a tight connection in Jozankei: autumn road traffic can use up the gap between the two buses.
The 2026 Dam Liner runs October 3–25
This seasonal service links the tourist information centre with the dam parking area. Registration is first-come, first-served on the day, and each outward departure has a specific return bus:
- First pair: leave the information centre at 9:30am, arrive at 9:45am; leave the parking area at 11:30am, back at 11:45am.
- Second pair: 11am outward, arriving 11:15am; 12:45pm return, arriving 1pm.
- Third pair: noon outward, arriving 12:15pm; 2pm return, arriving 2:15pm.
You cannot take an early outward bus and choose any later return. Plan the electric-bus rides and your walk around the pair assigned to you. The Dam Liner does not stop at Hoheikyo Onsen.
The parking area is a transfer, not the dam
From the parking area, the dam is about 2km farther along a road closed to general private vehicles. Take the electric bus, then explore around the dam and the surrounding mountain views.
On the way back, ride the electric bus to the parking area before catching your assigned liner. The liner’s return time is its departure from the parking area, not from the dam. Leave time to wait for and ride the electric bus rather than using the entire interval for photographs.
Budget for three separate legs
The Dam Liner return fare is ¥1,000 for adults and elementary-school children. The electric bus return fare is ¥1,200 for adults and ¥600 for elementary-school children. Together, the two local services cost ¥2,200 per adult or ¥1,600 per elementary-school child. Travel between Sapporo and Jozankei is additional. Both local services list preschool children as free.
A ticket to Hoheikyo Onsen is not automatically a combined ticket for the dam services. Compare the covered route, not just the similar destination names, before buying.
Adding an onsen changes the journey home
If you want a bath afterwards, plan the transfer from Jozankei to the onsen and the onward bus to Sapporo separately. Having the dam return sorted does not settle the evening journey back to the city.
Check Jozankei’s autumn transport notice alongside Hoheikyo’s electric-bus information before leaving: road conditions and weather can affect the services independently. Our local bus guide covers boarding and payment if this is your first bus trip in Japan.
Official information
Information checked: October 10, 2026.
