Hokkaido · Noboribetsu, Hokkaido

♨ Noboribetsu (Jigokudani)

Walk 'Hell Valley' first, then soak in the sulphur springs.

Near Sapporo

Quick facts

Location: Noboribetsu, Hokkaido (Hokkaido region)
Water type: Several spring types (sulfur, chloride, iron)
Tattoos: Check ahead with each bath
Directions: Open in Google Maps

About Noboribetsu (Jigokudani)

Hokkaido's best-known onsen town, nicknamed an 'onsen department store' for its many types of spring water, sulphur included. Walk the free trails through steaming Jigokudani ('Hell Valley') and out to Oyunuma Pond, then soak at a ryokan. Many ryokan open their big baths to day visitors. Take the JR limited express from Sapporo to Noboribetsu Station (about 70 minutes), then a Donan bus for about 15 minutes.

The water

Nicknamed an 'onsen department store', it has nine spring types. Milky-white sulphur springs that smell like boiled eggs are the classic. There are also salty sodium springs and acidic iron (ferrous sulphate) springs that turn brown in the air. Each type is traditionally said to help with something different.

History

The explorer Takeshiro Matsuura wrote about Noboribetsu's springs around 1845. In 1858, Kinzo Takimoto built a bath here for his wife Sata to treat her skin disease. When she recovered, he opened an inn, the forerunner of today's Dai-ichi Takimotokan, and that is how the onsen town began.

Getting there

From: Sapporo
Route: JR Limited Express Hokuto or Suzuran to Noboribetsu, then Donan bus
Time: about 70 min by train, then about 15 min by bus
JR Pass: JR train covered; Donan bus not covered.

Check current timetables and fares before you travel.

Famous for (meibutsu)

Shiraoi beef (food): wagyu from the neighbouring town of Shiraoi
Hokkaido dairy (food): milk, butter and cheese sweets from the region

Plan your trip: tours & day trips near Noboribetsu

Find Noboribetsu tours on GetYourGuide

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