Noboribetsu in southwestern Hokkaido has a rich variety of scenery including forests, lakes and marshes. It has been designated a part of Shikotsu-Toya National Park.

The Noboribetsu-onsen is one of Hokkaido’s best-known hot springs, and is surrounded by a virgin forest 200 meters above sea level. It has nine different kinds of water, containing minerals such as hydrogen sulfide, salt, and iron. The quality of these minerals results in the spa being ranked among the world’s most exceptional hot springs.

The most impressive scene at the hot spring is the Jigoku Valley (hell valley), where yellow gray volcanic gas seeps from the surface of the rocks. This makes the whole place smell strongly of sulfur, and gives it an image like that of hell. The valley is a 450-meter-diameter mouth of a volcano, which produces 3,000 liters of hot water per minute.

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