Family of 4 try SUP for the first time. Even our 4-year old daughter had a blast paddling through the hot spring waters gushing out of the mountain! (Written by Isis Berns)
You’re in Sapporo, and you want to try Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP) for the first time. Is it hard? Is it on the ocean, where you have to battle the waves and swim out first? Maybe you’re not sporty, or feel like you don’t have such good balance, and you’re having second thoughts. Maybe you have toddlers and you think you need to put all of that adventure stuff on hold until the kids are old enough to join you. Well, we are happy to say, you don’t need to worry about all of that! We have the perfect place for you and your whole family to try your very first SUP experience right in Sapporo city. Imagine yourself on a calm, easy-going river located in the famous natural hot spring resort, Jozankei.
What is SUP? Many locals in Hokkaido are suddenly raving over SUP, aka Stand Up Paddle Boarding, all over this ocean-surrounded island. SUP originated in Hawaii, what a nice island connection! In this water sport, riders stand and balance on one side of the board, and use a paddle to maneuver around. It’s kind of like canoeing or kayaking, but there are no boat walls around you, and you’re supposed to stand up! Actually, beginners are thrilled to know that you can even sit and relax comfortably on a SUP board, too. What’s the difference between a paddle board and surf board? Paddle boards are thicker, wider, and the best part, some are even inflatable, making it compact and easy to carry around. You can ride the ocean waves or you can ease through calm waters. In the right location for your first SUP trip, after a few minutes of practice and balancing, anyone can feel like a SUP pro.
Sapporo is the largest city in Hokkaido (the northernmost island of Japan), but it is well known for co-existing with nature. In just 20 minutes, you could drive from the luxury of your cozy hotel to do plenty of outdoor adventure activities surrounded by mountains, trees and wild animals. Hokkaido is most famous for its snowy-white winters, but many people from mainland Japan escape to Sapporo for the cooler summers, with fresh seasonal seafood, delicious vegetables, and lush-green outdoor activities. In any season, Hokkaido is a paradise to satisfy your outdoor adventure cravings. By escaping the hustle and bustle of everyday city life and spending a few hours outdoors, you can feel your body, mind and soul rejuvenate in the vast beauty of what nature has to offer.
My family of 4, with two daughters 6 and 4 years old, love the outdoors of Hokkaido. We try to make a habit of going out any chance we get, even in the freezing cold days of winter, we enjoy it! I’m originally from Toronto, Canada, and now living in Hokkaido for over 15 years. I met my husband from Germany (born in Japan) here in Sapporo, and we’ve been enjoying the nature here for years. I’ve had the chance to be part of tv shows that travel around Hokkaido, visit local towns, meet local people, eat amazing food… I could write for hours about what I love about this northern island of Japan. But long story short, nature makes perfect playgrounds for any family to enjoy.
Ever notice that the longer kids are indoors, the more they fight? The best part about stepping outside (besides the fresh air and vitamin D from sunlight) is seeing the siblings stop fighting and turn into a team to explore and enjoy their surroundings instead. Of course, then parents can finally get a break too. Another bonus is doing activities that both parents and the kids enjoy together. Canoeing, hiking, and beach-going are on our list of summer fun day trips, but we wanted to get more adventurous. Are toddlers too young to do SUP? We found out on this trip, definitely not!
We took a short drive to the south of Sapporo city, through the maze of hotels for the Jozankei hot springs, and after turning a corner and briefly thinking “there’s nothing but forest here,” we suddenly found what felt like a secret cove for outdoor and camping lovers. The space is called “埜のてらす” pronounced “No no Terrace” and the Chinese character “埜” means wide flat grassland or outdoors. A massive wooden tipi made of long logs and an artistic rock garden with young trees are intertwined with a wide variety of stylish camping chairs: what a welcoming sight! Our daughters shrieked with joy when they saw a fire pit to roast marshmallows. I immediately sank down in what looked like a pillowed dome chair, and grinned while swinging from side to side, feeling like a kid again myself.
This activity hub in Jozankei is called “FRILUFSLIV,” which is Norwegian for the concept of “outdoor life.” Located about a 50 min drive from central Sapporo station, this southern area of Hokkaido’s largest city Sapporo doesn’t feel like a city at all, which is why people love it. Escape the buzz of the city to the quiet breeze, fresh hot springs, and birds chirping in Jozankei. FRILUFSLIV offers activities all year round. You can check their official website in English for a list of 21+ activities you can enjoy in the Jozankei area.
My husband was excited to see the electric mountain bikes lined up at the entrance, and was impressed by the detailed display of maps and introduction to the nature and animals of the Jozankei area inside. The smell of wood another welcoming, calming accent. We came for SUP but we were excited to find a lot of activities that would draw us back here again already.
Our first question was, can the kids do SUP? The staff gently but with a big grin nodded and said, “Of course!” All ages are welcome here to do SUP, from the ripe young age of 3! Start them young, as they say!
The young staff asked us a question next. “Do your kids like to play in rivers, and jump around in the water?” My husband and I looked at each other and knew immediately that our energetic 4 year old would do that. The staff gave us two adorable mini wet suits perfect for toddler size and explained to us that, even in the hot summer, it’s best to wear a wet suit so you won’t get cold after you get out of the water. They also offered us “wet shoes” or “water shoes” because we would be walking in the water and through some slippery. Wearing wet shoes, you no longer mind getting your feet wet, and we were glad to keep our own shoes dry too. We had brought our summer sandals but the wet shoes looked much more sturdy. Although we were worried whether or not they had our sizes, the smallest and biggest shoes of all sizes were well-kept neatly, and available to borrow. We had already dressed into our bathing suits before arriving, ready to get wet if we were to fall in, and ready with a change of clothes for afterward.
After putting on our life jackets, we were set to take another quick drive to the river. “If you don’t mind getting your car wet, you can take your own car, or you can come in our van here.” Again, happy to keep more things dry, we took their offer. The staff kindly guided us into their car, with a nice water-repellent sheet over the car seats. “Ready?” We drove down, and even further down, into a wide area that looked like a parking lot made out of rocks. SUP boats and rafts were piled up in a corner. In less than 5 minutes we had arrived.
Our two daughters were happy to skip along the road with our guide (Denpou-san), a young “onii-san” to them, which translates to older brother. He laughed, full of energy, very relaxed. They took a quick liking to him, and he was kind enough to allow our girls to hold both of his hands, one on each side. They already forgot any fears they had about the SUP adventure ahead.
We reached a rock beach along the Toyohira River. A gorgeous river in a valley, with green surrounding you in all directions. A look up to one side and you can see the edge of hot spring hotels, just beneath them the sound of rushing water through a mini waterfall, flowing down towards the rock beach. A glance in the other direction revealed a calm stream weaving down further through the valley made up of rock walls and topped with tall, towering trees filling up half of the sky. Only two other local groups were there: two girls having an outdoor bbq, tanning in their swimsuits and chatting while cooking some yakitori skewers. They looked at us and smiled. The other group was two young men undressing from their own wetsuits beside their car. They had brought their own paddle boards and grinned with a wave to us as if they knew how much fun we’d have. This location is open for locals to use freely, but it wasn’t busy and loud; it was peaceful and calm. The only other structure on that mini private rock beach was a black sauna tent, another attraction available to book with our guide.
SUP boards were lined along the shore, and the simple and easy instructions for how to stand up paddle board commenced. First, our guide asked us to split into twos. We could ride as a pair, one parent and one child on each board.
“Be sure to move the board off the shore before you get on it, otherwise it could snap and break the board.” Our guide walked into the shallow knee deep river and pulled his board away from the rocks. He climbed onto it with his knees first. “You can get on with your knees. One person can be closer to the back end, and your daughters can sit up front.”
He then stood only halfway, on his knees. “If you’re scared to stand, you can always just stay on your knees and paddle, like this.” He comfortably moved forward with a quick dip of his paddle into the water beside him, pushing the water behind. “To paddle on your left side while on your knees, put your right hand closer to the top of the paddle, and you’re left at a lower position, about shoulder width apart from the top. You don’t need to hold the top grip while on your knees as the paddle might be too long. It’s up to you.” He then switched hands on the paddle. “When you want to paddle on your right, do the opposite: left hand up top, and right a bit lower close to your middle.”
“Next, how do you stand up on a paddle board?” Our guide got on all fours, with his paddle placed horizontally in front of him on the board, both hands over the shaft, holding it steady. “To stand up, get in a dog position like this, on your knees and on your hands.” He lifted one foot up to replace where his knee was on the board. “Then, one foot at a time, you can slowly stand up. Once you stand, hold the paddle up and try paddling on both sides.”
Our daughters rushed to try it themselves. “Wait until we get the boards off the shore first!” We had to remind them as we pulled the boards to the center of the calm river water.
Before we even said “it’s okay now,” our youngest threw herself easily onto the front of one board. I climbed on with her, surprised at how sturdy it was. As soon as my daughter sat still on her knees, we weren’t wobbling at all! The calm flow of the river didn’t add any waves to the board, making it a perfect place for beginners to stand up paddle board.
“It can be quite shallow in some parts of the river, so I recommend staying on your knees for now until we get deeper.” Denpou-san said. I was relieved to hear that. “If you’re standing when your board hits any of the rocks below in these shallow parts, you could easily lose your balance.” He explained.
Half-standing comfortably on my knees, I started to paddle first on the right, then on the left. Our girls were still a bit nervous to grab a paddle, so they just jumped on to sit and relax first. Shrieking any time the paddler moves too suddenly, but grinning and giggling all the while. “When you want to go straight, be sure to keep paddling on both sides, left-right-left-right.” The guide instructed us from his boat. “When you want to go left, paddle on the right. When you want to go right, paddle on the left. There! You already got it.” We’ve been canoeing before, so we understood the gist of it; but the stability and ease of paddling without the walls of the canoe to obstruct each stroke felt a lot smoother.
“Want to try standing already?” I repeated one of my new favorite movie lines, “Don’t think, just do” and stood up quickly from the dog position. My daughter didn’t even notice I was standing. My knees started to shake, not used to this new balancing act. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but felt almost ticklish. “My knees are shaking!” I called out to my husband. He was also standing and replied, “Yeah, me too.” We sat back down to our knees, both grinning. Standing or on the knees, either way is perfectly fine to enjoy the SUP activity together as a family. In just 5 minutes, we learned how to do stand up paddle board comfortably, and peacefully.
Being on board yet so close to the water, our youngest daughter immediately asked “Can I touch the water?” The river water was so crisp and clear, we could see every rock and green algae clearly below. “Of course,” I smiled. Her leaning over put us off balance only a little, and she gleefully felt the stream through her tiny fingers as we glided along to the first curve.
Up ahead was a bit of a dip through a tight bend around rocks. “How do we do this?” I watched our guide maneuver left, then right to avoid hitting the rock wall. He allowed himself to just go with the flow, so I decided to just wing it too. Not once did we fall, or feel afraid. If anything, it was a tiny thrill of “this feels like a mini rollercoaster!” “Wee!” Shouted our youngest. “Be careful!” Shouted our eldest. Us parents laughed and rejoiced at how smooth maneuvering the SUP was.
The view from a SUP board in Toyohira River, Jozankei, is absolutely spectacular. The river is just a few meters wide, and flows through a towering rock valley. It’s not so windy, but does have curves bending around to keep things interesting, and each curve is mostly slight and gentle, with hardly any rushing waters. The water grew dark, which meant it was deeper, so we tried standing up again. The sight from standing on a paddle board felt almost as if you were flying low and close to the water. You hardly see your own board when you look up into the trees or up ahead along the river. There’s no sound of an engine, not even sounds of the hot spring town around you. Just the gentle flow of the stream, a brush of the wind flowing through trees, and some birds singing in the distance. A Great Blue Heron stood in the water ahead of us, and soared gracefully high above the trees and into the skies before we got too close, squawking loudly as he flew.
“Look at that!” A large bright red bridge appeared before us. It was so high up we hardly heard the cars driving over it. The solid red bridge was almost being overtaken by the surrounding trees. It stood peacefully as if comfortably one with nature, and made for some great photo shots.
After two more tries standing up and half-standing on my knees, my legs stopped shaking, and I could start posing for some family photos. Even my daughter started to balance and stand with me. Within ten minutes, she even asked for a paddle to stand and paddle, too. Each time she stood, I tried to get on my knees to keep a steadier balance. But once she got better holding her own, I could even stand together with her!
Mama, can I jump into the water like him?” Our guide often stepped into the water to re-arrange the SUP boards for photos. It was shallow enough to just reach his knees in some areas, so it would be no problem for our daughters, too. “Yeah, I think it’s okay-!” Before I could finish my sentence, she jumped in. She laughed and splashed, all the while holding on to the SUP board to stay close.
“There’s a place we can land up ahead.” Our guide led the way. Another rock beach with a few wild grass bushes welcomed us to dock. Our guide Denpou-san pulled out a small bag and produced a mini fire pit. He even had a few sticks already in his bag, and threw them in to burn. With a mini handheld torch, he set flame to the sticks within seconds, and pulled out two glass jars: one with marshmallows, and one with crackers. It was s’more time! What a great way to relax, sitting in the middle of nature, looking up to towering green from within the river valley. Taking a break to enjoy the moment and the view was perfect. SUP is calm on a river, but since we were beginners, it was also a thrilling ride. So docking and sitting to relax and recharge, worked wonders.
My husband started floating around again, even laying flat on his SUP board, floating on the calm river. What a great feeling of weightlessness! Watching him, our girls started to shout out how excited they were to get back onto the board too.
“Do you want to feel the natural hot spring waters gushing out here? There’s a spot right around the corner. We can traverse there with the SUP boards.” “Yes!!” Cried our girls, who love onsen. “Here, I’ll carry the two boards.” Denpou-san offered. “Is that okay, they’re not too heavy?” I asked. “For sure! They’re just filled with air, so it’s easy to carry.” He grabbed two SUP boards, one under each arm, and started walking. Our girls wanted to help, so they each held on to the front of each board on either side. Once they saw a pipe with water gushing out from one of the rock faces, they let go and started running.
“Is that it?!” “Yes, it’s warm hot spring water!” “Really?” It just looks like regular water at first glance. “Papa, you do it!” Nudged our girls. “Go, papa, go!” He grinned, “Yeah, I want to see that up close!” “It’s best to go behind the water falling, so you don’t get pushed away by the force of the water hitting the river surface.” Denpou-san suggested. “Okay.” My husband pushed his board off the shore and climbed on, but kept to his knees. He maneuvered as close to the rock wall as he could, parallel and aligning himself to it. He faced the hot spring water gushing out ahead of him. The strong force of the water hitting the river kept him away. He paddled hard, and pushed himself through the mini waterfall. The water struck him from above, but it didn’t look painful. He came out instantly soaked, with a grin.
“Yeah, it’s warm!” He called out, wiping the water out of his face, looking refreshed. “Cool!!!”Our girls rejoiced.
“I want to do it too!” Our 4 year old shouted out and ran into the river. “Okay, let’s try!”
The force of the water looks pretty intense when you get close to it, so our daughter was frightened when she got close. My husband had to stop or turn around several times to keep her calm. But she kept insisting on trying again. After a few more tries, she did it! Not fully under the full force of the gushing water (to avoid her being too shocked) but on the edge of it, and she was happily soaked. “Again! Again!” Even our eldest wanted to try more than once. We had to drag them away to head back to the car before it got too dark.
“Do you want to try jumping into the river from one of the rock walls?” Our guide surprised us with another thrill. “That sounds like fun!” My husband and I agreed. “There’s only one spot where it’s very deep, maybe 50 feet. We can do it there.” We parked our SUP boards on a sand beach along the river, a short swim away from the mini rock wall we could climb to jump off of. “Use the tree trunk there to hold on and lift yourself out of the water.” It was like nature itself made this an easy climb in a perfect location: tree trunks right at the river to grab on to, rocks easy to climb, and a perfect height over deep water. It was like nature made this small spot specifically for us humans to jump off of it. We couldn’t say no to that invite! Climbing up, our shoes were wet, so we had to be careful not to slip on the rocks. Making sure to hold on tight, we were surprised at how high the jump seemed to be. It was just about 111cm high, but enough to make your heart race a little faster looking down.
My husband jumped first. His life jacket made him resurface instantly. “That was awesome!” Immediately rejuvenated. I looked down again and hesitated. “Come on mama!” encouraged our girls. “Uhhh…” I used to jump like this a hundred times in Canada on our outdoor camping trips. But it’s been years since I tried it last, and both my body and mind knew it. “Do you want us to count down?” Asked my husband. “Yeah—” Our daughters already started counting before I could reply.“2—1—!” I couldn’t do it. “What?” My husband was teasing, surprised at my hesitation. “One more time!” They shouted. “3-2-1-Jump!”
I held my nose with my hand and leaped forward, away from the rocks, and screamed. What a wonderful thrill that was! My heart raced but as soon as I hit the water, I felt completely alive. As if the jump was a reset button, or recharge button. It was such a short jump, and felt like less than a millisecond, but I wanted to feel that thrill again and again. After a quick glance at my husband, I could see the excitement in his face. So without asking if we still had more time, we immediately swam back to climb the rocks and do it again. “Can we jump at the same time?” We asked. “You need to make sure you’re extremely careful not to hit each other…” Our guide warned. “Okay,” we pointed to where each of us would land, and both our daughters’ countdown started again.
“3-2-1-Jump!”
A quick push off the rocks, an instant in the cool, fresh air, and the immediate plunge into the lukewarm water. It was perfectly refreshing on a hot summer day. I felt a brush of my husband’s leg underwater, and we opened our eyes to each other grinning and laughing “I felt you!” Our daughters cheered and congratulated us.
We all felt closer together, taking on the challenge of learning new activities together as a family and also as a team. The calm flow of SUP along the river, the thrill of the natural hot springs gushing out over us, and even jumping off small rock cliffs… it all completely satisfied our outdoor adventure craving.
On the way back, our eldest daughter asked to paddle on her own while I sat and watched on the same board. She did amazing. She even stood up and paddled with great balance. When we reached our starting point, she even asked me to get off so she could do it alone. She stood, she paddled, and she conquered SUP. Our little one watched her older sister and shouted “me too!” She ran into the river and jumped onto the same paddle board with her sister. After a few fun screams until they found their balance, they both stood up together on one board. Wow. I nearly teared up watching them laughing and paddling around together, two sisters growing closer together through SUP. “Can we do this again?” My eldest daughter begged as she turned around against the current and parked perfectly onto the rock beach. “Can we buy a SUP board? Can I have my own? Please?” She looked at us with spark and hope in her eyes. “Let’s definitely do this again.” We agreed, smiles all around.
Looking for other summer outdoor activities to do with your family in or around Sapporo City? Here is a quick list of toddler-safe outdoor summer activities:
⁃ Canoeing
⁃ Fruit-picking (within Sapporo, Jozankei, Yoichi, and more!)
⁃ Fishing (equipment available on site)
⁃ Horseback trail rides (for beginners)
⁃ Tree climbing (and zip line!)
⁃ Hiking up Mt. Moiwa
⁃ Visit the beach (Zenibako)
Check out the details for these activities on the Hokkaido Treasure Island website. Click on the ’Contact Us’ button below to get started with your travel itinerary. Stay cool, and enjoy the summer season in Sapporo!
