The 48th Noboribetsu Hell Festival

Noboribetsu is one of the most popular hot spring sites in Japan, and 11different kinds of hot springs are enjoyed here! That's why we call this resort "a department store of hot springs".

One of the famous attractions in the town is "Hell Valley" created with the volcanic eruption around 10,000 years ago↓

The whole of the hot spring area is designed like an enjoyable hell and some demon statues are displayed on the street like this↓

On the 27th to 28th of August, the Noboribetsu Hell Festival, the biggest event in this town, was held.

An old legend says that once every year, the lid to the Hell Valley's cauldron opens, and the Demon King name Enma, followed by a huge crowd of red demons and blue demons, appears in the hot spring town.

Look at the demon mikoshi (portable shrine) or floats!　Amazing, aren't they!!!

 Well, well, well, it was getting dark!

The festival was about to start soon! The Gokuraku Street, the main street in the hot spring area, became free of vehicles.

There are a lot of souvenir shops around here. For example, look at this shop! You can buy Ainu crafts here!
(*Ainu are indigenous people in Hokkaido and have unique culture, practice & their own language)

If you like ice cream and honey, I recommend this shop↓
(Want more information about this shop? Please refer to my previous post→click!)　

Some demons were walking on the street and we were so excited!!

First, the demons opened the lid to the Hell Valley's cauldron. The festival began!

We believe that this red demon is strongest demon in the hell. The local citizens were carrying the beautiful floats!!!

Look at the man on the demon mikoshi! Cool!!!

About 100 young men and women joined this mikoshi parade!

You can enjoy the Taiko Drumming, too!

The sound of the drum reminds Japanese people of the summer time!

One of the main events in the festival is the demon dance↓

The local citizens wore a demon mask, and danced to the tune of the festival music! As they really enjoyed dancing and looked fun, I joined them!!!

Some of them wore unique costumes like this↓

You want to meet the King of the Hell? This is Enma↓ ("Nice to meet you!!")
You can meet him on the Gokuraku Street any time. Hahaha!!!

Last but not least, we enjoyed more than 1,000 fireworks in the Hell Valley.

We really enjoyed the local festival♪♪

"Hell Festival" is held every summer!!

■Where is Noboribetsu hot spring area?

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■Tour guide information■

Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?

I'll guide you! Plz click here!

Sugi Youhouen （杉養蜂園） | Honey Specialty Shop | Noboribetsu

There is a popular ice cream shop at Gokuraku Street, the main street in Noboribetsu hot spring area.

"Sugi Youhouen" is a honey specialty store not only to sell honeys, but also to serve  delicious honey soft ice cream.

There are varieties of honeys including fruit honeys here.

Look at this! This raspberry & honey is effective for dieting!!! Actually I bought it!! Hahaha!!!

You can try some of the fruit honeys such as yuzu citrus honey, mango honey, and blueberry honey at the shop. Yummy x 2!!!

The honeys are delicious, but their ice cream is also very enjoyable!
They serve four kinds of soft ice cream,

and if you have never tried their ice cream, I recommend the most simple one; "honey soft ice cream"↓ Sounds very toothsome, doesn't it? They have their own beehouses and the quality of their honey is very high!!

This is blueberry honey soft ice cream↓ Sounds good for your eyes!

This is yuzu citrus soft ice cream↓ Very refreshing ice cream♪

This is maple honey soft ice cream↓ I love it! I love the great combination of maple syrup and soft ice cream!!!

When you come to Noboribetsu, why don't you drop in for ice cream at this honey shop!

■Where is "Sugi Youhouen"?

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■Tour guide information■

Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?

I'll guide you! Plz click here!

Soba no Sato "Kyoan （京庵）" | Soba Restaurant | Noboribetsu

If you want to eat delicious soba noodles in Noboribetsu, how about "Kyoan（京庵）"?

This restaurant is located in a mountainous area between the Noboribetsu Hot Spring and the Karurusu Hot Spring. It is surrounded with the nature and there's nothing but "Kyoan" around here.

As the sign says, kids under elementary school age are not allowed to enter the restaurant. The lady owner places importance on peaceful and relaxing atmosphere for adult soba lovers. How neat!

Let's enter the restaurant!

This is a very comfortable restaurant, with a Japanese fireplace named "irori" like this↓ The edge of irori is used as a table.

We ordered cold itasoba (buckwheat noodles), and the soba sauce and condiments such as minced naganegi onion and grated wasabi were served first.

The box has two kinds of soba. The darker one is made of milled buckwheat with the shells.

I recommend you to compare both soba without the soup first and then eat them with the soup so that you can tell the difference clearly!

This whiter soba tastes sweeter and lighter, and

the darker one is more elastic and tastes heavier. Yummy x 2!!

After eating soba, please enjoy soba-yu（そば湯） or soba soup!

When you come to Noboribetsu, why don't you visit this small but cozy soba restaurant with a friendly okami (the lady owner)?

■Where is "Kyoan （京庵）"?

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■Tour guide information■

Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?

I'll guide you! Plz click here!

MILKISSIMO | Gelato Stand | Sapporo/ Hakodate

MILKISSIMO is a very famous and delicious gelato stand, whose main shop is in Hakodate, but the new branch has recently opened in Sapporo. We are so lucky because we don't have to go to Hakodate in order to eat it!!!

The stand is in "Yonchome  Plaza"a in downtown of Sapporo.
Look at the shop↓ Very colorful ice cream stand!!!

Constantly more than 20 flavors are served in the stand and regularly the kinds are changed so that we can enjoy many types of gelato :-)

First, choose the number of flavors.

I chose "sakura - cherry blossom" and

"murasakiimo - purple potato".

Voila!!!

The sakura includes salted cherry leaf and tastes very Japanese. The murasakiimo tastes very sweet potatoes! I love both of them :-)

Next, one of my tour guest chose "kabocha kuririn - pumpkin" and

"pineapple and basil".

We all thought this is a great combination of sweet and milky pumpkin & refreshing pineapple and basil. They use Hokkaido pumpkin. That's why it is delicious!!!

 The other guest chose a standard flavor, "cream cheese".

Everyone loved it! They use French and Hokkaido cheese for it!

The flavors are periodically changed. I'm sure I'll be back with my tour guests in the near future :-)

■Where are "MILKISSIMO" in Hakodate?

(The main one is in History Plaza of the Hakodate Bay area↓ and the other one is in Goryokaku Tower.)

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■Where is the branch in Sapporo?

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■Tour guide information■

Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?

I'll guide you! Plz click here!