Noboribetsu is well known for having the best onsen in Hokkaido when Hokkaido is supposed to be the best place in Japan for the hot springs. The city is located in the south of the island about 1hour30 from Sapporo.
I did this trip over a weekend. I spent the night in a pretty nice hotel. I had access to the spa which had 2 hot baths, 1 cold one and a sauna.
I spent a very pleasant and relaxing evening in this hotel.
The day after I went to Noboribetsu Onsen. There are many hotels and ryokan in this town. A ryokan is traditional Japanese inn with an onsen within it. I would have loved to spend a night in a ryokan in Noboribetsu Onsen unfortunately it is quite expensive (at least 100€ per person and per night).
The town is also popular for its Hell Valley.
The Hell Valley and its demons
The Hell Valley is a geothermal crater that appear 20000 years ago when Mount Kuttara erupted. It is the source of Noboribetsu’s hot springs.
Out of the woods takes place this gigantic yellow, orange and silver area. Some smoke comes out of everywhere. There’s the smell of sulfur but it wasn’t as strong as it was when I went to Mount Io. A steaming stream runs through it.
You can walk up to the centre of the Hell Valley on a woodenpath that leads to a geyser. Unfortunately I didn’t see the geyser in activity. It looked more like slightly bubbly puddle. Actually I don’t think that the geyser ever « explode » because of the safety distance around it. You can literally lean your head over it. If it wakes up one day and starts to throw burning water jets into the air, your head would get shortened a little bit. However if you want to see an active and powerful geyser, there is one in the centre of Noboribetsu Onsen town. It throws water every 3 hours up to eight metres high (but it’s covered) and this time it is not possible to approach it.
I felt little surrounded by all these smoking hills where no vegetation grows. I think that it must be even more beautiful with the red and brown leaves in Autumn. It must really seem like going on a trip to Hell.
The Hell Valley used to be exploited for its sulfur to make gunpowder. One day a mine worker who had an eye condition washed off his eyes with the valley’s hot spring water. And it miraculously healed the man. Since then, the Valley of Hell was enshrined. A little shrine with Medecine Buddha was built there. This place is actually a « power spot » of Noboribetsu.
The second spot is the geyser in the town centre and the thris one is the geyser at the end of the woodenpath. It is said that spiritual forces and specific energy heal and refresh the soul.
Noboribetsu and its hot springs are located in hell so it makes sense that they are protected by demons. No less than nine of them protect the Hell Valley (nine as the number of the different kinds of onsen in Noboribetsu). These kind demons are called Yukijin and all own a kind of colourful club : gold, black, brown, blue, green, purple, yellow, red and white. Each club has a specificity. The gold one brings fulfillment, black faith, brown cleverness, blue strong health, green luck, purple ambition, yellow passion, red prosperity and white protects hearts from jealousy. You can see the clubs standing in circle in Sengen park where the active geyser is as well.
Eleven Yukijin giants are spread between Noboribetsu station and the Hell Valley. Beside the Yukijin, there are a few little demons called Oni here to help protect the Valley.
The Yukijins and Onis aren’t alone in Noboribetsu. There’s King Enma, the king of Hell, who reign upon the valley. His temple is in Noboribetsu Onsen shopping street. He usually looks calm and smiley but when the judgment of the dead comes he becomes a terrifying creature. He’s personified by a traditional Japanese automaton doll call Karakuri Ningyo. His face turns red during the show. He is so scary that he made a child cry in the audience. Boom!
Oyunuma and Okunoyu
Further up in the forest, 20-30 minutes from the Hell Valley, is located Oyunuma pond. Its specificity is to be a hot spring pound. Its temperature is 130° 22metres deep and 50° on the surface. It is strongly advised to not go for a swim. The pond is so hot that the water on the surface is steaming and the mud is bubbling. When you look up the hill, you can see the top of the active volcano Mount Hiyori where smoke comes out from.
A few metres away from Oyunuma, there’s a mud pond, Okunoyu, smaller but hotter. The temperature on the surface is around 85°.
It was pretty cruious to see this steaming water. I didn’t see many fishes… The disappointed part of it is that you can not touch the water to make sure it is actually hot and so that you should’nt have touched it. You know like when it’s written ‘caution wet paint », you want to touch and make sure it’s really wet. The same!
Fortunately the desire is satisfied a few hundred metres away.
Oyunumagawa
From Oyunuma pond runs a river. A hot spring river. That’s where I had the best time of my day.
In the woods, the banks of the river are arranged so that visitors can sit and enjoy a well deserved good hot footbath. The place was crowded but I was lucky enough to take the seat of people leaving. I didn’t have any problem to sit and enjoy the heat of the water. Even though I hadn’t walked for hours and hours, plunging my feet in the river was relaxing. I made this moment last as long as possible.
I don’t have much to say about this except that it was incredibly good. A perfect way to end the day.
At the end, Hell is a very relaxing place. Don’t believe everything you read…
Au gré du vent 
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