Noboribetsu Onsen is one of Hokkaido’s most famous hot spring resorts. The small resort community, which is situated in a narrow valley that is about a 15-minute bus or tax ride from JR Noboribetsu Station, has a number of large hotels, public bathhouses and souvenir shops. It is widely enjoyed for bathing on both overnight and day trips. Why not head out for a walk, too? The area surrounding the resort offers trails around Lake Oyunuma and Jigokudani (Hell Valley) where natural hot spring waters bubble to the surface. At various points along the trails you can see gurgling hot springs and geysers that spray out water periodically. A must-visit is the natural footbath at the Oyunuma River, which is a hot spring river that flows from Lake Oyunuma. The water is just the right temperature, and it collects at the footbath located at a small depression in the river. Dipping your feet in the water here stirs up the mineral-rich deposits along the river’s bottom.