Jozankei Onsen was about a 60-minute drive from central Sapporo.
Its easy access has brought considerable tourism development, including attractive cafés making the most of the scenery.
On this visit we stopped at a café called Rainy Days and Snowy Days in Jozankei.
In midwinter, snow piled up so deeply that the shop was hard to spot.
On a first visit, it would be easy to drive past before realizing where it was and have to turn back.
Inside the entrance was a cute umbrella rack.
The interior seemed to take falling raindrops as its theme.
The opposite wall had a chalkboard-like surface decorated with chalk snowflakes.
The menu included light meals and various ice creams, but gelato was the specialty.
At the counter, an interesting notice caught my eye.
On our visit, it offered free hot coffee on rainy or snowy days, and extra cheese with a pizza order.
There were different weather stamps too; the day’s weather was stamped onto each gelato cup.
It was a fun concept.
When I ordered a single gelato, I was told that on snowy days it became a double.
What a welcome surprise.
I chose Hokkaido milk and pumpkin, said to be the most popular flavors.
With light meals also on offer, Sapporo beer was available too.
The snow stopped, and we took a seat beside a sunny window.
Time for a cup of coffee as well.
Refills were free too—it felt like remarkably generous service.
After finishing, we returned our dishes and cups to the return station.
Hot coffee and ice cream might sound an odd pairing, but the sweet gelato went surprisingly well with it.
The pumpkin gelato was rich enough to contain little pieces of pumpkin.
We were told that most ingredients used at Rainy Days and Snowy Days came from Hokkaido.
Hokkaido is well known for its agricultural production within Japan.
Unfortunately for the weather-themed offer, the sky had cleared.
I looked back at the complimentary coffee station and it had already been put away.
New arrivals seemed unlikely to get coffee unless the rain or snow returned.
Outside, icicles hung everywhere.
I broke one off and coated it in snow, turning it into a little snow flower.
This was Rainy Days and Snowy Days in Jozankei Onsen.
I usually hope for clear weather on a trip; for this café, I found myself hoping for a little rain or snow.
Rainy Days and Snowy Days (雨の日と雪の日)
Address: 2-41 Jozankei Onsen Nishi, Minami-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido (北海道札幌市南区 定山渓温泉西2-41)
Phone: 011-596-9131