Noboribetsu Onsen – The Town of Hell

Noboribetsu Onsen is a small town with a handful of shops. We covered the whole town on foot within 20 mins. There are numerous demon statues scattered around Noboribetsu Onsen, each has its prosperity symbols. Due to the volcanic eruption on the nearby Mt Hiyoriyama some 20,000 years ago, a volcanic caldera was formed. Along with it the formation of blowholes that constantly emitting powerful jets of steam, resembling the scenes of Hell. The mascot of Noboribetsu Onsen is demons. The locals believed that not all demons are evil, those that were represented in Noboribetsu Onsen are actually good demons, who prays for the fortune for people and takes away their bad luck.

Onboard the bus heading towards Noboribetsu Onsen from New Chitose Airport

Everything covered in snow is just beautiful

It was snowing when we arrived at Noboribetsu Onsen Bus Terminal

View of Noboribetsu Onsen from our room

After settling our luggage in our room, my friend and I explored Noboribetsu Onsen at the same time look for lunch. It started to snow as we made our way into the town. The snow was a welcomed sight to us and did not bother us much. As we were walking along Gokuraku Shopping Street, the main street of Noboribetsu Onsen, there seem to be only a handful of restaurants for our choice for lunch. We settled lunch at a restaurant that seems open. As we were making our way to Jigokudani after lunch, we passed the Enma-Do shrine, a temple with a huge statue of the King of Hell (Enma) with animated performances at fixed timings located near to the entrance of Jigokudani affectionately known as Hell Valley. We managed to catch the animated performance where Enma come to live, after chanting some phrases in Japanese, the statue changed face from the kind-look to the angry red face.

Me posing in front of the hotel – Daiichi Takimotokan we are staying for the next 2 nights. Just love the snow

Gokuraku Shopping Street, the main street in Noboribetsu Onsen from the entrance of Daiichi Takimotokan

My friend and I taking a wefie in the snow outside the hotel in Noboribetsu Onsen

Snow-covered Gokuraku Shopping Street in Noboribetsu Onsen

We found a couple of owl statues sitting quietly in the snow on Gokuraku Shopping Street in Noboribetsu Onsen

And a couple of horse statues too

We ride on the horse in the snow

My friend posing with a huge demon mace on Gokuraku Shopping Street in Noboribetsu Onsen

These are the Romance Demons, who are believed to bless the relationships for couples

The study demon, who is believed to bring good luck to those who need to pass exams

My friend and I posing with the study demon

King Enma, the King of Hell in this kinder face sitting inside his shrine. The snow is starting to get heavier

King Enma changed to his red fierce face during the scheduled performance. We were lucky to have seen the performance without waiting

The demon of Business Prosperity who is believed to bring good luck for business owners

Sengen Park opposite the hotel we were staying. The highlight of this park is the geysers, which constantly emitting steam. It looks extra charming in the snowy conditions

My friend ordered the Abalone Sashimi rice set for lunch. The Abalone is so fresh that there is a small worm wriggling on it

I got the Uni (Sea Urchin) Rice Set with Egg. There is a generous serving of Unis on a bed of egg. It tasted very fresh and yummy

After the performance, my friend and I headed over to Jigokudani as I thought the Hell Valley would look nice bathing in night lights scattering along the walkways of Jigokudani. At this point, the snow seems to get heavier. We came across a traditional red Japanese wooden arch beneath a flight of stairs, leading to Yuzawa Shrine which sits on a flat plot of land on the side of the mountain. As we were walking up the flight of stairs leading to Yuzawa Shrine, I was mesmerised by the snowscape. The snowing weather further adds a sense of zen here. At the top of the stairs, lies a dark brown wooden building sitting on slits. This is Yuzawa Shrine. The shrine immediately stood out from the surroundings due to its colour, contrasting against the white snowy scene and a couple of beige coloured buildings. It is closed at the time of our visit, nonetheless, it made a great spot for selfies. As there wasn’t anyone else here, the grounds of Yuzawa Shrine felt especially tranquil. It is highly recommended for visitors to pop by this small shrine before heading to Jigokudani (since it is on the way).

My friend at the entrance of Yuzawa Shrine. The shrine is located opposite our hotel, Daiichi Takimotokan, at the entrance to Jigokudani

My friend and I taking a wefie on the stairs that leads to Yuzawa Shrine. The snow is getting heavier at this point

An ordinary lamp looks beautiful when covered with snow

Yuzawa Shrine is the dark brown wooden building. It looks solemn and dignified sitting in the snow

My friend and I taking a wefie in front of Yuzawa Shrine in the snow

Yuzawa Shrine up close

Me in the small compound in front of Yuzawa Shrine

Snow snow everywhere

Taking a wefie at the base of the stairs that lead to Yuzawa Shrine. The snowing was so heavy that we were covered in snow. I think if we stand still for 30 mins, we will become snowmen

No idea what this building at the base of the shrine is for. Perhaps it sells offering items for visitors to Yuzawa Shrine

Fatigue Reliving in the Onsen

The hotel we stayed in has the largest onsen facilities in Noboribetsu Onsen, with 5 indoor and 2 outdoor onsens. The onsen water came from the nearby Jigokudani and has sulfuric in nature (and smell too), which is touted to have healing properties for various medical conditions such as bronchitis and eczema. My friend and I headed for the onsen in the hotel after dinner. Soaking in the onsen immediately relieves the fatigue of travelling. We headed for the outdoor onsen baths after dipping in some of the indoors. My friend and I still prefer the outdoor onsens, At the outdoor pool, we could catch a glimpse of Jigokudani. The cold winter wind neutralises the heat I felt from soaking in the onsen, making the soak very comfortable and relaxing. The onsen seems to promote the quality of sleep. I seem to be able to get a great night sleep after soaking in onsens. We headed back to our room and rest for the night, as we were determined to visit Jigokudani early the next morning before busloads of tourists arrive.

The restaurant in Daiichi Takimotokan where we had our dinner (included in the price of the room)

Dinner menu

We had the set menu, which features 2 hot pots, one for the soup and one for the rice

The rice hot pot which takes 30 mins to cook. There are scallops underneath the bed of rice. It was very tasty and well worth the wait

Japanese mash sweet potato for dessert and seasonal Japanese pickles

We each have a Red snapper simmered Japanese style. The Red snapper tasted very fresh

Vinegared Snow Crab, which tasted light and fresh

Japanese pickles and miso soup

We wore Yukata to dinner and to the onsen in the hotel

Entrance to the onsen

The male onsen

My friend in the changing area of the male onsen

Map of the massive onsen in the hotel

The tap on the left dispenses hot spring water and the one of the right just regular cold water

We took a walk at the souvenir shop inside the hotel after dinner

The garden within the hotel grounds