A great place to break for the night is this attractive log house with a hammock on the front porch and cosy sofas around a wood stove in the lounge. The meals, cooked from scratch with no additives, are fantastic. It's near Tokachi-gawa Onsen, a cluster of resort-style onsen and hotels along the Tokachi-gawa, a 15-minute drive east of Obihiro.
If you're coming by public transport, it's a little trickier: take bus 45 for Tokachi-gawa Onsen from stop 6 in front of JR Obihiro Station, alighting at Shimoshihoro Shōgakō (下士幌小学校前; 20 minutes). If you ring ahead, the hostel owners will pick you up at the bus stop. Note that buses only run eight times a day.