Noboribetsu Onsen 登別温泉
Hot springs village in mountainous National Park
Hokkaidō’s best known hot springs town is in the mountains south of Sapporo.
Noboribetsu Onsen is in Shikotsu-Tōya National Park, which also features the large caldera lakes Tōya-ko and Shikotsu-ko, plus some marvellous views, such as of Mt Yōtei.
Noboribetsu Onsen has a number of hot spring baths in the township itself - plus a highlight in Jigokudani (Hell Valley), a steaming, gurgling volcanic valley to walk through just above town.
If you’ve got your own wheels, make sure to drive up to Lake Kuttara, a freakishly circular, clear caldera lake high above Noboribetsu Onsen township.