Noboribetsu is a renowned hot spring resort town in Hokkaido celebrated for its healing onsen waters and dramatic volcanic landscapes. The highlight of the area is Jigokudani, or "Hell Valley," a steaming, otherworldly geothermal area with bubbling sulfuric springs and fumaroles. Visitors can relax in the town's many ryokan (traditional inns) and enjoy the therapeutic hot springs fed by Noboribetsu’s nine unique mineral-rich waters. The nearby Noboribetsu Bear Park and lush forests of the surrounding region add to the charm, making it a popular destination for nature lovers and those seeking relaxation.
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Also named Noboribetsu Date Jidaimura, this historical theme park features a life-size replica of a traditional Edo period town, including gate, merchant street, fire watchtower, houses and shrine. If you wish, you may rent a costume and dress up as a peasant, ninja or oiran and stroll along the townscape for a themed photoshoot.
Translating into ‘Hell Valley,’ this park filled with thermal vents is the main source of Noboribetsu’s various different hot spring waters. The park is located just a few minutes walk uphill north of the town and visitors can easily navigate the valley’s landscape via a series of wooden walkways. Marvel at the otherworldly landscape of yellow and orange volcanic rock, steaming craters and vents, hot-water streams and other plainly visible signs of volcanic activity bubbling just below the surface.
This small theme park in the mountains allow for visitors to see and learn about Hokkaido’s iconic brown bears. Home to around 70 Exo brown bears, the park features two large bear enclosures where the animals roam freely within, and a third where visitors can see the bears up close. The park also provides educational exhibits and interactive experiences such as feeding the bears.
Above the town and deep into the forested hills along winding walking trails is Oyunuma Pond, a sulphurous hot-water pond with milky-blue water that has a surface temperature of around 50c/122f. From the pond, Oyunuma River is a hot-water river that meanders through the forest with a purpose-built walkway for hikers to follow along. Hikers can enjoy a foot bath in the warm, mineral-rich waters of the river.
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Travel from snowy ski slopes to steaming hotsprings on this magical 9-day luxury journey through southern Hokkaido. You’ll spend time in one of the world’s best ski resorts, meander through Sapporo’s Christmas market, and see the region on ski, snowmobile, or perhaps even horseback, while staying at luxury hotels.
This contemporary hotel has a relaxed-yet-refined feel to it, with simple, sleek rooms, featuring their own panoramic baths that provide incredible views of the lush surroundings. Lavish extras like organic shampoos provide an additional touch of class. Guests will also enjoy the hotel’s Grand Bath, filled with the milky white waters of a hydrofluoric hot spring. Private dining suites are standard fare here, where guests can sample seasonal Hokkaido delicacies and contemporary kaiseki-ryori for dinner. Western and Japanese meals are served for breakfast. Bar and lounge areas are available for guests’ use, ideal for socializing, or curling up with a good book. Guests will find the hotel’s staff friendly and extremely hospitable. The hotel is an hour’s drive from Chitose Airport, and a 20-minute drive from JR Noboribetsu Station.
Takinoya onsen ryokan is easily one of Hokkaido’s best hotels, and it never fails to impress visitors. Sitting atop 11 kinds of Hokkaido’s highest quality hot springs, this 150-year-old ryokan effortlessly melds Japanese traditional hospitality with high international resort standards. Guests can look forward to local Noboribetsu vegetables and freshly-caught seafood to add to the healthy onsen experience, and an easy sleep with the soothing sound of waterfalls in the background. An on-site bar stays open until midnight. The hotel is located an hour’s drive away from Chitose Airport, and 15 minutes from the JR Muroran Honsen Line. Check in time is nice and early, at 2pm, and guests can choose from the hotel’s 30 rooms. An on-site sauna is available for guests’ use in addition to the outdoor onsen baths.
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