One of Hokkaido's 179 towns
Noboribetsu登別市
Hell Valley steam and Hokkaido's most famous hot-spring town
Iburi region · Noboribetsu, Lake Toya and Upopoy: plan a trip through Iburi.
Hokkaido's most famous hot-spring town, fed by the boiling 'Hell Valley'. Eleven kinds of water, demon statues, and steam everywhere.
Noboribetsu is the hot-spring town most Japanese name first when they think of Hokkaido, and the reason sits just above the ryokan street: Jigokudani, a crater valley that steams and hisses and feeds the baths below with a rare range of different waters. The town itself runs down to the Pacific coast, where the JR station and the older port district are, but almost every visitor heads straight up the hill. It suits first-time visitors, families and anyone who wants a proper onsen night between Sapporo and Hakodate.
- Region
- Iburi (胆振)
- From New Chitose Airport
- ~74 km · 1.1 h summer / 1.3 h winter
- From Sapporo
- ~89 km · 1.4 h summer / 1.6 h winter
- Best season in Iburi
- Hot springs work across the seasons. Check current event dates for Lake Toya fireworks and allow more time for winter transfers; outdoor paths and transport can be affected by weather.
Noboribetsu at a glance
Drive estimates: straight-line × 1.35, at 65 km/h (summer) / 55 km/h (winter). How we calculate
What to see in Noboribetsu
Jigokudani (Hell Valley)
登別地獄谷
A bare, sulfur-stained crater at the top of the onsen street where hot water and steam vent from dozens of points. Boardwalks lead to the central spring. It is the source of the town's baths and its whole identity.
Oyunuma and the natural footbath
大湯沼と天然足湯
Beyond the valley, a walking trail reaches Oyunuma, a grey, steaming crater pond below Mt. Hiyori, and its hot outflow stream, where you can sit on the bank in the forest and soak your feet.
Noboribetsu's many waters
泉質の多さ
The town has nine or more distinct spring types, from sulfur to iron to salt, and the big bathhouses line them up side by side so you can compare in one visit. Few onsen towns anywhere offer this variety on a single street.
Karurusu Onsen
カルルス温泉
A small, quiet hot-spring hamlet in the hills above the main town, named after the Czech spa of Karlovy Vary for its similar soft, clear water. A few inns, a river and a small ski slope in winter, with none of the crowds.
Getting to Noboribetsu
Noboribetsu station on the JR Muroran Main Line is a stop for the Hokuto and Suzuran limited expresses, about 70 minutes from Sapporo; buses climb from the station to the onsen in about 15 minutes. By car, New Chitose Airport is roughly an hour on the Do-o Expressway via the Noboribetsu-Higashi exit, and Route 36 follows the coast through town.
Iburi region: Plan rail journeys to Shiraoi, Noboribetsu or Toya, then check the final local connection. Noboribetsu Station is not in the hot-spring town, and Toya Station is not on the Toyako Onsen lakefront. Check bus or hotel pickup times before booking accommodation; a rail journey alone does not get you to the ryokan door.
When to visit Noboribetsu
Any month works for the baths, which is the point. October brings autumn colour to the valley and the Oyunuma trail; deep winter turns the steam into towering white plumes against snow. August has the Hell Festival, when demon floats parade the onsen street.
What to eat in Noboribetsu
This is a ryokan-dinner town, and the kaiseki spreads lean on the Pacific coast below: crab, scallops, salmon and flounder from local ports. The town's own dish is Enma yakisoba, a spicy stir-fried noodle named after the king of hell. Demon-shaped sweets and local dairy round it out.
Noboribetsu in context: the Iburi region
Click a town to open its page
Iburi is a region of southwestern Hokkaido, not a single town. It includes Noboribetsu, Lake Toya, Shiraoi, Muroran and Tomakomai. Use it as the part of your Hokkaido trip for hot springs, volcanic scenery and learning about Ainu culture at Upopoy in Shiraoi.
Towns near Noboribetsu
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