summertravel – Gutless Travel

We all have places we’ve been to before that we wish we could go back to. Jigokudani in Noboribetsu, Hokkaido, Japan is definitely one of mine. It was such a great break from the city life. Standing across the valley, staring into the smoking valley with its lush green scenery, I knew that exploring the world would be something I’d want to do for the rest of my life. I spent two days there. I went to Jigokudani, also known as Hell’s Valley, and Noboribetsu Marine Park Nixe.

Lodging

There are many hotels in Noboribetsu and near Jigokudani. I stayed at Noboribetsu Manseikaku in a single room with breakfast + dinner (both were buffets). They also have indoor and outdoor onsen. The outdoor onsen view was breathtaking. Tattoos are not allowed. Fortunately, the hotel sells tattoo cover ups (stickers to cover your tattoo), which I had to do.

For more information on the hotel, please visit:
https://noboribetsu.manseikakuhotels.com/en-us

Noboribetsu Manseikaku is a 10-15 minute walk to Jigokudani, and across the bus stop to go to the Marine Park Nixe. The hotel also coordinates a bus in the morning to go to Sapporo.

Spot all the demon statues

Throughout Noboribetsu, you can find different demon statutes, all with meanings to them. I was shocked to have seen such a tall demon statue on my way to the hotel. There are other tall demons standing and sitting on your walk to Jigokudani. But there are also small, cute demons for success in love, exams, and business.

By the way, I don’t think I found ALL of the demon statues. I didn’t know how many total were there. It would be a great little scavenger hunt of the place to spot them all.

JIGOKUDANI OR HELL’S VALLEY

Noboribetsu is famous for its hot springs, which come from Hell’s Valley. Above the valley are the Jigokudani-Oyunuma Walking trails. Be prepared to walk deep into the forest: wear sunscreen, bug repellant, and comfortable shoes; and bring a bottle of water.

If you have not seen my bee “attack” story, click here.

There are a few maps before entering any of the pathways so make sure to take a photo just in case.

OYUNUMA LAKE

After a hundred and more steps, I reached a part of the valley looking out to Oyunuma Lake.

I still had to walk towards the pond from the valley. To save some time, it is also possible to drive there. But a walk through the valley would definitely be a great experience. It’s almost like hiking. Well, I guess I’ll consider that a hike.

The walk back to my hotel was about 25-30 minute by foot (on my pace) along the road. It may have been shorter if I had walked through the valley again, but since it was almost dark I did not want to risk getting lost in the woods with no flashlight.

The trail to Oyunuma Foot Bath can also be accessed from the lake.

OYUNUMA BROOK NATURAL FOOT BATH

After my first failed attempt to go to the foot bath, I actually decided not to go anymore. However, after spending half the day at the Marine Park Nixe, I had some time to head there so I put on the direction on Google map and walked over from the hotel. When I got there, there were so many tourists with their shoes off and feet in the water. Do not worry about the water being dirty, the river flows. I had spent about 40 minutes there, with my foot on and off the hot water. Definitely relaxing!

Oyunuma Natural Foot Bath Scenery:

MARINE PARK NIXE

Getting to Marine Park Nixe was easy. There is a bus stop across Noboribetsu Manseikaku and there will be signs. Otherwise, you can also ask the friendly people there. Most likely you will meet another tourist who has been there or will be heading there.

They have seals, turtles, penguins, dolphins etc. Their main attraction is the Penguin Parade. The only reason I went to the park! My love for penguins have made me travel across the ocean to see them up close and out of their cage lol. Not kidding. The penguins will walk on a carpet and you can watch them waddle through.

Penguin Parade at Marine Park Nixe:

Thank you for reading my blog! I hope you enjoyed it.

Here are also other photos I’ve taken there:

Have a wonderful day and be safe!

A “late” post would be an understatement. It has been six months since my solo travel to Otaru and I have been in denial that I’m back to my reality. I’m half kidding.

The first time I heard of Otaru was in a famous Filipino romantic comedy movie called Kita Kita that came out in 2017. I was mesmerized by not only the plot of the movie, but also the places they explored – Otaru was one of them.

How to get to Otaru:

Regardless of where you begin, I’m sure you are bound to start your journey to Otaru from Sapporo Station. I stayed in an apartment near Asabu station, which is at the end of the Namboku line of the Sapporo Municipal Subway. This means I had a 15-minute subway/train ride to Sapporo Station.

ASABU STATION TO SAPPORO STATION
Length: approx. 15 minutes
Cost: ¥250 ($2-$3)

I purchased my own Sapica card from a ticket machine at the subway station on my first day and have been using this card everywhere. The Sapica card is valid only in Sapporo (subway, bus, and streetcars). My month-long stay in Hokkaido was meant to be spent mainly in Sapporo so I had purchased a Sapica card. If you are exploring places outside of Sapporo often (like to Otaru) I would not recommend getting a Sapica card. The card initially cost ¥2000 (¥500 deposit + ¥1500 initial balance you can use) or $18-$20.

Sapporo Station is enormous – it is not only a train station, but also a place to shop, explore, and dine. It is surrounded by massive shopping centers. You will get lost if you’re new to the area (like I was!), but just follow signs that say “JR Station” as there are multiple ways to get there.

Getting to Otaru from Sapporo Station is easy!

Because you can’t use your Sapica card for the JR line trains, you will need to get to a ticket machine. I purchased a ticket for ¥640 per the price on the board above. Another way is to use the IC cards (rechargeable cards) that are valid for JR lines. I found it easier to just purchase tickets from the machine so I chose not to get any other additional IC card. If you’re not sure, you can press a help button on the machine and someone will come by to help you.

Get on a train to Otaru and enjoy the hour-long view of the city and the ocean.

SAPPORO STATION —-> OTARU STATION
Length: approx. 1 hour and 4 minutes
Cost: ¥640 one way ($5-$7) with no seat reservation

I can’t remember exactly how much the fare was – but I know reserved seats will cost more. I was lucky enough to get seats without any reservation. Get in line at least 10 minutes prior to the departure of a train to increase your chances of having a seat. ** Other blogs will say that the fare is ¥750 ($6-8) & I assume this is with seat reservation.

Where to go and sites to see:

OTARU CANAL

Getting to Otaru Canal from Otaru Station is a 10-minute walk down the main road. Places you’ll see on the way are:

old railroad track (lots of people were taking pictures here)
souvenir shops
food shops/restaurants

Along the canal are warehouses turned into a spacious souvenir shop and somewhat of the high-end restaurants. These restaurants have seats right out by the canal so you can enjoy the view. There is also a boat-ride that goes along the canal while you learn about the history of Otaru (I didn’t do this because the line was always long so plan accordingly). Along the canal are vendors that sell different artworks – I bought a handmade postcard.

TIP! The right side of the canal are filled with people. If you go to the left of the canal, it’s pretty much empty. There are seats along the wall that you can sit and relax after a day of walking so much. OR you can also take photos (like I did)

SAKAIMACHI STREET

Sakaimachi street is a 10-minute walk from Otaru Station or a 15-minute walk from the Canal. The street is filled with shops where you will find souvenir, restaurants, cafes, and museums. Otaru is known for their glass products. You can spend half a day exploring (and eating in) this place.

My MUST GO TO are:

Music Box Museum (I bought an angel music box)
Japanese Maccha Sweets – literally everything they sell is matcha green tea.
Seafood restaurants – I can’t remember which restaurant I went in, but I had ordered sushi and an eel bowl.

TOMIOKA CATHOLIC CHURCH

This church did not have any English mass while I was there. I had come to pray inside. It’s a small church, but beautiful nevertheless. It was a 20-minute walk from Otaru Station and also away from Sakaimachi Street. I caught a glimpse of the residential homes there and many had flower gardens so the walk was worth it.

THERE’S MORE!

There are so many more sites to see, but because I only had a day and half in Otaru coming from Sapporo, I decided to take my time and explore Sakaimachi street and around Otaru Canal. I also had some time to write in my journal and absorb the experience around me.

Other places you can explore are Otaru Aquarium and the Tenguyama Ropeway. They are another bus ride away.

SURPRISE TWIST…

On a day I did not know where to go, I decided to go back to Otaru. So in total, I spent an entire day + half a day. I woke up after 10 AM and spent the rest of the morning doing my laundry and tidying up the apartment I was staying in. I ate lunch at Sapporo station before embarking on my hour-long train ride for Otaru.

When I arrived at Otaru, it was much more crowded than the first time I visited. As I got closer to the canal I realized that they were having a festival!

OTARU TIDE FESTIVAL

The tide festival is held at the end of July 2019. It was very festive… (pun intended). The streets were filled with food stands, there were group dance performances, and taiko-drums performance all throughout the day. I did not stay until the evening because the commute back to my apartment would take a little under 2-hours and I did not want to be in the sea of people heading back to Sapporo when the night was over.

Otaru is a great day trip from Sapporo. It is filled with beauty, culture, history, and definitely lots of food.

Thank you for reading about my adventure! 🙂

Tag: summertravel

Summer in Noboribetsu, Japan