Noboribetsu Onsen
About This Destination
Location
Prefecture: Hokkaido
Address: Noboribetsu, Hokkaido, Japan
Nearest Station: Noboribetsu Station
Visitor Information
Credit Cards: Accepted
Food Options: Onsen town restaurants serve Hokkaido specialties including Jigoku Ramen (hell ramen), crab, and fresh seafood. Many ryokan offer elaborate kaiseki meals.
Access
Hokkaido, Japan
Get DirectionsFrequently Asked Questions
What's the deal with '9 spring types', and which baths should I try?
Japan officially recognizes 11 hot-spring water types (10 mineral classes plus simple thermal). **Noboribetsu has 9 of them within a 3 km² area**, more than any other Japanese onsen town. Each spring has different colors, smells, and claimed medicinal properties (sulfur is the loudest sensory experience here). **Day-use bath picks**: **Dai-ichi Takimotokan** (¥2,250, 35 different baths across 7 spring types, the famous one, 9:00 to 18:00, towels rentable; arguably the single best onsen day-trip experience in Japan); **Mahoroba** at Hotel Mahoroba (¥2,000, 31 baths across 5 spring types, more modern); **Sagiriyu** sento (¥500, simple but real local sulfur bath, 14:00 to 22:00, towels for sale only, so bring your own). Tattoo policy varies; Dai-ichi Takimotokan officially restricts visible tattoos but private rooms (kashikiriburo) at ryokan accommodate any guest. Cash required at most.
Is Jigokudani (Hell Valley) worth the walk, and what about the natural foot bath?
Yes, and it's free. **Jigokudani** is a 450 m diameter volcanic crater with steaming vents, bubbling pools, and the sulfur smell that defines Noboribetsu. A free boardwalk loop takes 15 to 20 min for the basic circuit. Extend the walk uphill ~20 minutes to **Oyunuma**, a 130 m diameter pond at 130 °C surface (don't touch). From there a 10-min walk down to the **Oyunumagawa Natural Foot Bath**, a hot-spring river where the entire stream is 40 to 43 °C. Free, open dawn to dusk, no facilities (no towels, no toilets, so bring a small towel and walk with dry shoes you can swap into). The combined Jigokudani + Oyunuma + foot bath loop takes 90 to 120 minutes, mostly easy paths but with one moderately steep section. Slippery in winter, so wear grippy boots Dec to Mar. The **Hell Valley Lantern Path illumination** runs nightly summer to autumn (~July to mid-Nov, ~18:30 to 21:30, free); the boardwalk is lit by ~70 lanterns with projection mapping on the rocks.
How do I get there, and should I combine with Lake Toya?
**From Sapporo**: JR Limited Express Suzuran or Hokuto from Sapporo Station to Noboribetsu Station (~70 to 80 min, ¥4,480 reserved, JR Pass eligible), then Donan Bus from station Stop #2 to Noboribetsu Onsen (~15 min, ¥350, every 30 min daytime). **From New Chitose Airport**: direct Donan Bus to Noboribetsu Onsen (~70 min, ¥1,500, ~10/day, the most efficient option from the airport). **Day-trip from Sapporo** is feasible but a stretch (5 to 6 h round trip leaves limited bath time); the experience is dramatically better with an overnight ryokan stay (¥18,000 to 40,000/person with kaiseki dinner + 2 bath sessions + breakfast). **Combining with Lake Toya**: yes, this is the classic 'Hokkaido onsen 2-nighter'. Direct Donan Bus Noboribetsu Onsen → Lake Toya Onsen (~95 min, ¥1,500, ~3/day in summer, fewer winter, so check the timetable). Lake Toya pairs well as the second night for caldera scenery, the Mount Usu volcano ropeway, and the Toya summer fireworks (nightly Apr 28 to Oct 31, free, ~20:45 to 21:05).
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