Photo by Lawsonstu, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
🇯🇵 Japan · Hokkaido
♨ Temperature
95°C
⛰ Altitude
200 m
⚗ pH
1.8
💧 TDS
5400 mg/L
🌊 Flow rate
380 L/s
📅 Established
1858
✓ Verified on 2026-07-22
Noboribetsu is Hokkaido's premier thermal resort, centred on the dramatic Jigokudani (Hell Valley) — a volcanic caldera that erupts 10,000 tonnes of hot spring water daily in 11 different mineral compositions, making Noboribetsu the highest-volume natural onsen source in Japan. The valley's rust-red volcanic landscape, with boiling mud pools, sulphur vents, and steaming rivers, can be walked on an elevated boardwalk trail while the onsen town below draws the healing water to dozens of ryokan facilities. Each spring type — sulphurous, iron-rich, acidic, alkaline, saline, and more — has distinct therapeutic applications, making Noboribetsu unusual in its ability to offer visitors multiple spring types in a single visit.
| Sulphur | 320 mg/L |
| Iron | 850 mg/L |
| Chloride | 2800 mg/L |
| Sodium | 1950 mg/L |
| Sulphate | 1200 mg/L |
Noboribetsu's thermal development began in 1858 when a local Ainu guide led Japanese settlers to the springs. The Ainu people of Hokkaido had long been aware of the springs and used them for healing; the name 'Noboribetsu' derives from the Ainu word 'nupuri-pet' meaning 'turbid river.' The Jigokudani caldera has been a place of Ainu spiritual ceremony related to volcanic earth spirits, and the tradition of respecting the volcanic terrain as a living entity informs modern conservation practices.
Noboribetsu's volcanic drama has made it a major character in Japanese pop culture — the Hell Valley aesthetic appears regularly in manga, anime, and horror film settings. The annual Jigoku Matsuri (Hell Festival) each September celebrates the volcanic spring with demon processions and fire ceremonies, blending Ainu heritage with Buddhist folk religion. For Hokkaido residents, Noboribetsu represents the raw power of the northern island's volcanic nature.
Noboribetsu's spring system is part of Shikotsu-Toya National Park, Japan's most visited. The Jigokudani valley is off-limits to development; only the elevated boardwalk is permitted. The onsen town conducts biannual volcanic gas monitoring to ensure visitor safety and detect changes in underground volcanic activity. Spring water temperature and flow are measured continuously at 23 monitoring stations.
Phone+81 143-84-3311
Websitewww.noboribetsu-spa.jp/en/
AddressNoboribetsuhigashimachi, Noboribetsu, Hokkaido 059-0551, Japan