| Cost per night | ¥3,500 per person |
| Check-in | 15:00 |
| Check-out | 22:00 |
| Contact | 014-3837-680 |
| Restaurant | No |
| Wi-fi | Yes |
| Notes | Hostel Bunk beds Shared bathroom & kitchen Parking available Bicycle rental |
| Location | The guesthouse is a 2 minute walk north from Noboribetsu train station. By car, it is off route 235. 〒059-0464 Hokkaido, Noboribetsu, Noboribetsuhigashicho, 2 Chome−3−2 2-3-2, Higashicho |
If you are traveling on a budget, the Noboribetsu Guest House is a good option. Noboribetsu is famous for its hot springs and nearly all the hotels in the area are hot spring hotels. This makes them more on the pricey side. This guest house is one of the only cheap places around, especially if you want a day or two sightseeing. It is not too far from everything and is a great access point. This hotel is clean, has everything you need and is well presented as a modern hostel. On the downside, if you are looking for some privacy, this IS a hostel, and the sleeping rooms have up to thirty bunk beds. They do have curtains across the bunk so there is some privacy.
[the_ad id=”4264″]
Noboribetsu Guest House has plenty of bunk beds so there is usually space available. The dorms here have mixed, female and private rooms. In the check-in area there is a comfortable living space. Here they have couches, chairs, tables, and most importantly power outlets for your devices. There is wifi here so you can access the internet. Other comfortable living items include a washing machine and share kitchen and share bathroom. These facilities are very clean, to make your stay more pleasant. The guest house also has bike rentals available. Inside the foyer, you can also find an ice cream shop, ‘Unmixed Soft Serve’. This is a great guesthouse if you are traveling on a budget, or traveling solo.
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ￥1000 - ¥1500 |
| Opening Hours | 11:00 - 17:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0143-84-2806 |
| Notes | Seating 30 Western Style Restaurant |
| Location / Getting There | 6 minute drive or 40 minute walk from Noboribetsu Hot Springs 174-9 Nakanoboribetsuchō, Noboribetsu-shi, Hokkaidō 059-0463 |
Yoshoku Keniya is a homely restaurant located in Noboribetsu, and is a six minute drive from the Noboribetsu Onsen area. It is especially nice during the cherry blossom season at the beginning of May, as the restaurant is on the road leading from the Noboribetsu Higashi Interchange also known as the ‘Flower Tunnel’ during the cherry blossom season. With thousands of cherry blossom trees along the road, Yoshoku Keniya is a good place for a spot of lunch. There is parking available.
[the_ad id=”4264″]
The name ‘Yoshoku’ means ‘western’ in Japanese, and this is the kind of food hungry customers can find on the menu! The menu has rice and omelette, cheese and hamburg steaks, spicy pork cutlets on rice, curry rice, and spaghetti to name a few. The food is very good and is a popular spot. The drink menu has beverages of tea, coffee, juice. Yoshoku Keniya, is also located near the Jigoku Hell Valley so there is a lot to see around this restaurant!
| Admission 入場料 | Free ※Parking 500yen/day 無料 ※駐車場１日５００円 |
| Opening Hours 営業時間 | - |
| Closed 定休日・休業期間 | - |
| Contact 問い合わせ | 0143-84-3311 |
| Notes 備考 | Numerous onsens in area Walking paths 温泉街 遊歩道あり |
| Location / Getting There 所在地・アクセス | 〒 059-0551 Hokkaido, Noboribetsu Onsen Town 〒059-0551 北海道登別市登別温泉町 |
Main walkway into the center
If you enjoy boiling sulfuric hot springs, volcanic steam plumes & hiking paths, then this is the place for you! As the name suggests, Jigokudanai, or better known as ‘Hell Valley’, is a 24-acre smoking crater of geothermal activity, created by a volcanic eruption 20,000 years ago. It is just a few minutes walk from the Noboribetsu Onsen district. Noboribetsu is also home to a shrine that is dedicated to Enma, the king of hell, which is an appropriate place for it. There is a chance to meet this formidable deity during the Jigoku Hell Festival during August.
[the_ad id=”4264″]
Okunoyu
Jigokudani can be explored via boardwalks and hiking trails that run through park. This eight kilometer network brings viewers to all areas of the valley. The sights will greet you, as well as the sulphur emanating the air, as you stroll along the boardwalks. Explore the sights, such as Tessen Pond (an 80° bubbling sulfur pool), or Okunoyu, and Oyunuma (small thermal lakes bubbling hot mud). Oyunuma flows into a warm volcanic river called Oyunumagawa, where visitors can place their feet along the trail. This river flows through the old forests making for some great sights.
| 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.
[the_ad id=”4264″]
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.
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.
