Kotan Hachiman Shrine

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Kotan Hachiman Shrine was founded in 1856 and was officially named a township shrine in 1875. It was listed as a local shrine on the 28th of April 1911. The purpose of the shrine is to follow the great principles of the deity, Hondawake no Mikoto. Hondawake no Mikoto is also more commonly known as the Emporer Ōjin. Read More ....

Otaru Canal Museum & Information Center

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Otaru City General Museum Canal Museum has an extensive collection that introduces the history of Otaru City including information on the natural environment. The exhibition includes 20,000 objects and materials in its collection. The museum is located by Otaru Canal and can be found in the 'former Otaru warehouse'. Read More ....

Tokai Lavender Fields

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On the Tokai Sapporo School campus the grounds really comes alive with lavender. It is said that the south district of Sapporo, where the campus is located, is known as the birthplace of lavender cultivation in Japan. Read More ....

Urahoro Shrine

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During the Meiji Era, as the town of Urahoro (on the south east coast of Hokkaido) was being developed, the pioneers called for the construction of a shrine to serve as a spiritual centre. On August 15, 1896, a small shrine was erected, enshrining Amaterasu (goddess of the sun and the universe). Read More ....

Onnenai Visitor Center

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The Kushiro Shitsugen National Park, also known as the Kushiro Marshland is a sprawling national park to the north of Kushiro. There are half a dozen observation decks, museums, and walking paths that surround the park. The Onnenai Visitor Center is one of these museums and can be found on the western side of the marshland. Read More ....

Kushiro Shitsugen National Park

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The Kushiro Shitsugen National park (better known as the Kushiro Marshland) is a national park, located to the north of Kushiro on the eastern side of Hokkaido. The park is known for its wetlands ecosystems. 'Shitsugen' translates to wetlands in English. It was designated as a national park on 31 July 1987. The massive park covers an area of 268.61 square kilometres on the Kushiro plain and is well known for its wildlife and vegetation. Read More ....

Kushiro Marsh Observatory

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Perched at the top of a large hill, overlooking Kushiro Marsh, you can find the Kushiro Marsh Observatory. This is one of the most interesting buildings in Hokkaido. The exterior, and especially the interior, has a strange and unique design and is reminiscent of a cool sci-fi movie. The central hall of the museum is definitely a place to get some photos. Read More ....

Obihiro Shrine

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In 1881, a man named Benzo Yoda and others from Shizuoka Prefecture organized a pioneer group called the "Bansei-sha". This group and settled inShimo-Obihiro Village and started pioneering. During this time, they started holding festivals and later built a small shrine, though the connection with the current Obihiro Shrine is still not well known. Read More ....

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Jigoku Festival (Hell Festival)

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Dates	Last weekend of August
Contact	phone 0143-84-3311
Notes	Free parking available Demon floats Taiko performance Demon costume parade Fireworks To stay overnight at Noboribetsu onsen , book early.
Location / Getting There	15 minute bus ride from JR Noboribetsu station 1 hour 30 minute drive from Sapporo

“Yukijin” masked demon

The town of Noboribetsu is famous for its hot spring waters. These waters spring from a rocky, barren, volcanic valley known as “Hell Valley” (Jigokudani) located just north of the onsens. This valley is said to be the gateway to hell and is inhabited by demons. Every summer the door to “hell” is opened with the Jigoku Festival. This festival was first held in 1964 and has continued annually ever since. This lively event, has a fantastic atmosphere and runs over the last weekend of August. At the Jigoku Festival witness the numerous demon floats, dances, the taiko drum performance, the fireworks and the array of costumes worn by locals and tourists alike. The festival sees Enma or Yama (the King of Hell), a giant blue and red ogre, and “yukijin”, masked demons who are the protective guardians of the hot springs, emerge to prowl the streets of Noboribetsu for one weekend.

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The iconic center piece of this festival is the giant Demon Mikoshi Gokuraku (shrine) which is a giant demon face upon which stands the demon king. As it proceeds down the street, smoke pours from its mouth and the eyes light up, as it spews forth golden ribbons. A truly impressive sight! Ogre shrines of ‘Enma’ precede the demon shrine and are carried by school kids. Masked ogres dance in groups in honour of the demon king’s visit and local folks perform for the crowds. A colorful fireworks show on the final night, bids the demon king’s farewell until the following year.

: Demon float

: Costume parade

: Local shrine member

The locals really get involved with this festival. There is a huge dance parade in the evening, not only for the locals but for the spectators to join in as well! If you can’t make it, you can still have a demonic encounter at the Demon’s Fireworks ceremony, which is held at Jigokudani Observatory every Thursday and Friday from 20:30. Masked demons carry handheld fireworks – 10-metre high erupting columns of fire reminiscent of Hell Valley’s erupting steam vents and geysers – along the town’s demon footpath.

To get to the festival, you can take the JR train to Noboribetsu. From there it’s a short bus ride to Noboribetsu hot spring. It’s about a 15 minute ride and costs ￥340. Buses run every 15 to 20 minutes, starting at 6:10 and run until 21:15. Trains from Sapporo to Noboribetsu take just over an hour and cost ￥4160 for a round trip. Trains from Sapporo run from 6:36 to 22:00. Trains from Noboribetsu to Sapporo run from 7:26 to 21:47. If you have access to transport, then it’s about a one and a half hour drive. Free parking is available.