Noboribetsu, Hokkaido, Japan (February 2025)

After we toured Sapporo City in the morning, we took a bus that went to a couple of onsen hotels in Noboribetsu. Noborbetsu is one of the top 5 onsen places in Japan.

I thought I booked at a Ryokan place, but it was my mistake. It was a hotel that had an onsen. We learned as the travel continued, that ryokan is a small-scale Japanese traditional inn. This was a hotel that had access to Onsen like many other hotels. Tourists pay the onsen tax for the right to use the onsen. There are men's areas and women's areas where you take a bath naked. The food was served in a buffet, not Kaiseki or a set menu. 

But, the hotel provided Yukata, a Japanese lightweight summer Kimono or bathrobe and it was fun.  

The next morning before we left for Hakodate, Jay and I visited the Hell Valley where you could see the onsen steam and smell the sulfur in the valley. It was unfortunate that the photos could not provide the smell and panoramic view of the place.

The surrounding mountain was covered with snow, drawing a picturesque scene.

The hotel closest to the Hell Valley was Takimotokan which is known for good Onsen water. I am not sure if there will be another opportunity to visit Noboribetsu, but if there is, I will try this hotel.

As a novice to Japanese Ryokan and Onsen, I was making mistakes in booking and making choices, but they still provided valuable learning opportunities. - Jeffrey