Ban'ya no Yu (Hot spring) — Hotel in Ishikari

I was shocked and deeply saddened to see a single capybara kept in a glass enclosure at this onsen. While some people may think it's cute or a novelty, this setup is anything but humane. Capybaras are social animals—they live in groups in the wild, surrounded by grasslands, water, and freedom. Seeing one isolated, alone, and enclosed in a concrete and glass box with a tiny hot bath is distressing and unnatural.

There was no grass, no earth, no enrichment—just cold surfaces and an artificial space clearly designed for display, not for the animal’s wellbeing. Capybaras are intelligent, gentle animals that deserve space, companionship, and a natural environment. This was the opposite.

How would you feel being locked in a glass box for life, surrounded by people staring at you, with no way to live as nature intended? It’s not charming. It’s heartbreaking.

Keeping a single, social animal in captivity like this for entertainment is cruel and outdated. It’s time to end this kind of treatment and focus on ethical, animal-centered care.

Please, free the capybara. This is not what respect for...

Went for a day visit to the onsen and had a wonderful time! Tickets can be bought directly through the machine for 750 yen, and there are options to rent towels. I brought my own towels and toiletries, so not sure if they provide shampoo and soap as well.

There are multiple baths available, depending on what you prefer. I spent most of my time at the outdoor bath, which felt particularly great in the wintertime.

There are also some pretty interesting facilities: a restaurant, a shop selling souvenirs and fresh fruits, and there’s even a capybara that you can watch from 12:00-18:00...

The onsen is very nice and has stunning views. Capybaras are highly social animals that normally live together in packs of 10-20 animals. As far as I could see this female is kept alone. Maybe I am misjudging the situation because I could not read everything that was written (in japanese), but I was rather sad to see this cute animal...