Noboribetsu Onsen(Hot springs)

Noboribetsu Onsen (Hot springs) is where 9 different hot springs where 10,000 tons of water gush out in a day. It all began when an Edo carpenter Kinzo Takimoto started this hot spring in Noboribetsu to help cure his wife`s skin diseases. The name Noboribetsu comes from the Ainu language "Nupurupe," meaning "a river with a deep color.” It is believed that Ainu called the river this because it became cloudy due to the hot springs. The hot springs town is lined with eateries and souvenir shops along its main street, Gokuraku-dori. After going through " Sengen Park," where a magnificent geyser blows, it continues all the way out to Jigokudani (Hell Valley). In Noboribetsu, there is a legend that the guardian God of Hot Water, Yukijin, lives in Jigokudani. Yukijin has protected this hot springs which resembles an Oni demon; because of that, there are many Oni statues in these areas. Among them, the judge of the afterlife "Enma Daiou" is a famous figure in this hot springs town. It is a moving doll that passes divine judgement in a disturbing manner when the time of "Hell’s Judgment" strikes, six times a day. This Enma and the huge red Akaoni in front of the JR Noboribetsu station are carried to the summer "Noboribetsu Hell Festival" in a mikoshi, or portable shrine, and parades through the town. Meanwhile, the real thrill of this unique hot springs town is visiting the many hot springs, starting from the famous public bath “Yumoto Sagiriyu” and almost every other facility. One-day entries are available almost everywhere for you to enjoy the bathing experience here.