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Noboribetsu Onsen is said to be the largest hot springs resort in Hokkaido. It was here that I made a stopover off the Super Hokuto run from Sapporo to Hakodate — -actually a detour, since the town is a little over 5 km inland from the city of Noboribetsu, and not accessible by rail.

Essentially a one-street town, the many hot springs hotels and inns drive the local economy, along with a few shops and restaurants. The most well-known of these is the Dai-Ichi Takimotokan, which with its 30 large baths open 24 hours, claims to be the largest spa in Asia. [I stayed at a smaller place near the edge of town.] Other tourist attractions include a (from the pictures in the brochure, depressing) bear “farm,” and Jigokudani (which translates to “Hell Valley”).

Immediately after unpacking and familiarizing myself with the hotel facilities, I set out in the light snow for the half-hour walk, by way of the town center, to Jigokudani. With its many steam vents and sulphurous streams, it’s not hard to see how it got its name. Unfortunately, even though I knew that hot springs waterfalls and wadable hot springs streams were only a few hundred meters away, the ice-packed trails made it treacherous to hike further on. If I had entertained any thoughts of risking it, the increasingly heavy snowfall nixed that. [I suspect December, before the snow turns to ice, or the warmer months would be better times for hiking.] So, I made my way back to the hotel.

Visiting on a weekday while other tourists were in Sapporo for the Snow Festival or skiing in Niseko has advantages, as I had the baths all to myself. Sitting in the bath outdoors with the snow falling around me, the only way it would’ve been more cliché was if I had been sipping on beer or sake.