We enjoyed our time in Noboribetsu, although our feelings about the place were a bit mixed. Perhaps our expectations weren’t right from the outset as we’d hoped that Noboribetsu Onsen would be a cute little onsen town with boutique ryokans that offered a traditional Japanese experience. The town didn’t really feel very Japanese because there were lots of international Asian tourists there, and naturally we acknowledge that we were somewhat hypocritical being gaijin ourselves. Just getting a drink at 7-Eleven was crazy because it was packed with tourists trying to buy up big to hit the tax free threshold. Despite it being very touristy, Nobo offered some really nice experiences.

In addition to a soak in the onsen at our hotel, we visited the onsen at Dai-ichi Takimotokan. It was a massive onsen complex with lots of visitors, but as there were so many different baths it still provided a serene relaxing experience and the views across Hell Valley were nice.

A walk along the boardwalk of Hell Valley was also enjoyable. It was not quite at the status of Rotorua or Yellowstone, but it was quite picturesque and it was a good spectator sport to watch those in inappropriate footwear walking along the icy path.

We skied at Sunlaiva and enjoyed going for a hike on a sunny day (review here) and also visited the Date Jidaimura Village. It was nice to appreciate some of the history, but things got a bit cheesy when we watched a ninja show.

As we were looking for a quintessential Japanese experience, we probably didn’t pick quite the right hotel but it was well priced. We stayed at the Noboribetsu Manseikaku and our stay didn’t start too well with respect to omotenashi. We drove to the front of the hotel with our car and were yelled at by a staff member indicating that only buses were allowed there. He gestured that we needed to park up the hill behind the hotel. There was no back entrance into the hotel and we had to wheel our luggage down the long icy driveway. At reception we were also greeted with an icy welcome. Our washitsu room was lovely and it was spacious. The buffet meals were great and there was huge variety in the fare on offer, but the restaurant was a large hall and didn’t have any ambience. Most of the guests staying there were Chinese tour groups so it didn’t feel like the Japanese onsen hotel experience we were hoping for.
See our video here