Japan in Motion---Pro-web casting from across Japan.

Noboribetsu

About 18 kilometers east of Toyako, Hokkaido’s most celebrated onsen resort has it all. Mountain scenery, fantastic hot spring baths, and a close-up look at the geothermal forces that make the hot springs possible.

Jigoku Dani, which means Hell Valley, is a name you’ll find at several onsens throughout Japan, but for many visitors Noboribetsu’s Hell Valley is probably the most convincing. It will take you about a half hour to thoroughly explore this steaming, shattered expanse of hillside, laced with reeking sulfurous trickles and hissing vents shrouded in dense vapor. Be sure to stick to the marked paths, because a misstep here could bring your holiday to a memorable end. When you’ve finished, make your way to the trail up to Lake Oyunuma. A 20 to 30 minute hike along the beautiful mountain trail will bring you to an overlook above this relatively small crater lake. You can get closer, but be careful. The water here reaches 50 degrees Celsius (122 F.) at the surface, and the temperature rises sharply as the depth increases. Fortunately, the evil, seething look of Oyunuma generally deters even the most foolhardy. On your way back down the mountain, pause to soak your feet in the Oyunumagawa, a wonderfully pale blue stream flowing out of Lake Oyunuma that is the perfect temperature for a natural footbath.

After your close encounter with the volcanic forces that have shaped the area, it’s time to enjoy their one great benefit. The town of Noboribetsu has many onsen, but the undisputed king is the Dai-ichi Takimoto-kan, offering 29 bathing options including large pools, steam baths and a hot waterfall that will do wonders for any stiffness in your neck or shoulders. Just the thing to get you ready for a long night of karaoke.

>>Access
Shinchitose Airport====(45 min. by JR train)====JR Noboribetsu station====(15 min. by bus or car)====Noboribetsu Hotspring

Shinichitose Airport====(65 min. by bus or car)====Noboribetsu Hotspring

>>Website
Noboribetsu City (English, Chinese, Korean)

-Matt Mangham