Hell Valley （地獄谷） & Tessen Pond （鉄泉池） etc | Noboribetsu

Noboribetsu, part of Shikotsu-Toya National Park, is one of the popular onsen (hot spring) towns in Japan.

There are a lot of attractions just above the onsen (hot spring) area, and I'll show you two typical walking trails for you; a short version and a long version.

If you have 30-minute to one-hour spare time, how about this course?

In front of "Noboribetsu Daiichitakimoto", one of the oldest hot spring hotel, you can easily find "Sengen Park （泉源公園）"↓

Every three hours, the geyser shoots out of the grand,

with great sound and steam!

On the way from the park to "Jigokudani (Hell Valley), you can find a shrine on your left!

"Oni Bokora （鬼祠"）, which are consist of a standing image of a red demon 3.5m and and a seated image of a blue demon 2.2m in height, are enshrined on either side of the shrine. This is a popular photo spot!

You cannot miss Jigokudani (Hell Vally) when you come to Noboribetsu! It displays hot steam vents, sulfurous streams and other volcanic activities.

It is designated not only as one of the "100 Selections of Fragrant & Beautiful Scenery" but also as "Hokkaido Heritage" site! The diameter is about 450m and the area is about 11ha. A huge caldera, isn't it?

It is a main source of Noboribetsu's hot spring waters.

Let's go downstairs from the main walking tail along the valley. You will find "Yakushi Nyorai Statue （薬師如来像） -- Buddha which can cure all diseases--". In the 19th century, a samurai rinsed his eyes with this sulfurous water near this statue and he was fully recovered from his eye troubles. Wow! Wow! Wow!

Near the statue, you can see the Hell Valley from the lower angles↓

Amazing, isn't it??
Let's go back to the main Hell Valley walking tail! At the end of the trail,

You will find "Tessen Pond （鉄泉池)".  Be careful of the gentle sloping trail especially during the winter. It is very slippery!!!!

Anyway, please enjoy steaming sulfurous streams, very natural hot springs, around the trail!  I really love Hell Valley in Noboribetsu!!!!

This is "Tessen Pond"↓
The water flows out here is 80 degrees Celsius warm.

I'm sure you must be impressed and satisfied with Noboribetsu hot spring area!

When you come to Noboribetsu in the fall (usually the end of September to October), you will enjoy the colorful leaves and Jigokudani (Hell Valley) all together!

Beautiful, isn't it???

Are you interested in the valley in the winter time?

It is also soooooo picturesque!

Which season do you think the best to come here? It must be really difficult to choose one!!

When you have two hour spare time, you can walk to ponds and a river filled with hot spring water. Actually you can enjoy soaking your foot into the natural hot spring river!!! I love it!

If you are interested in the long version of Noboribetsu walking trail, please refer to my next post→click here! I really recommend the longer walking trail, too!

■Where is "Jigokudani (Hell Valley) in Noboribetsu?

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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!

Kabato Seimenjyo （かばと製麺所）| Udon Noodle Bar | Tobetsu

If you like to eat very springy udon noodles, I recommend "Kabato Seimenjyo" in Tobetsu, about 30 min away from Sapporo.

They have no sign, but if you find this banner on Route 275,

there is an udon restaurant!
The noren, short curtain, doesn't have the name of the restaurant, neither. It's like a secret shop..... Hahaha!

Let's enter the bar!

First, please choose the style of udon that you want to eat.
↓
↓
1. Cool or hot noodles?
2. Soy sauce or bukkake (cold soup) or kake (hot soup)?
3. One or two or three portions of udon?
4. Any other tempura topping?

They serve varieties of tempura such as green pepper, maitake mushroom, eggplant, chikuwa (steamed fish paste), half-boiled egg, shungiku (chrysanthemum leaf), shrimp, squid, kashiwa (chicken), and dappi ebi (soft-shell shrimp). Almost all of the ingredients including wheat are produced here in Tobetsu! Perfect!

We ordered cold bukkake with torotama (grated yam and half-boiled egg) and syungiku & egg plant tempura!

Look at the shinny udon, which was freshly-kneaded and cut!

First, pour soy sauce,

beak the half-boiled egg, and mix altogether!

The owner has trained in a famous Sanuki udon restaurant in Kagawa prefecture, one of the popular udon areas in Japan.
That's why the udon here are very elastic and chewy!!! I really recommend this udon!

I love the tempura of local vegetables; shungiku (chrysanthemum leaf) & eggplant!

This is hot kake udon↓　The broth is (I guess) made of dried bonito chips and very delicious!

We also ordered chicken tempura, half-boiled egg tempura, and dappiebi (soft-shell shrimp) tempura↓

I dipped the egg tempura into the clear soup↓ Yummy x 2!!!!

Look at the dappiebi↓ I love the soft-shell shrimp!!!

Wow! It's HUGE!!! I love this kashiwa (chicken) tempura!!! We ate way too much and couldn't move! (Help me!!!!)

This restaurant is open every day until the early-November.

■Where is "Kabato Seimenjyo （かばと製麺所）"?

View Larger Map

■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!

Re'colte （レコルト） | French Restaurant | Sapporo

"Re'colte" is my favorite French restaurant in Teine area in Sapporo.

It is located in a residential area and a little bit difficult to find it, but really recommendable!! Please use a car navigation system :-)

This is a small bistro and the chef is very friendly. I enjoyed the conversation with him.

They serve two kinds of lunch sets; A set & B set.

A set includes today's hors d'oeuvre "or" vegetable soup, today's meat dish, bread, dessert and coffee, but I really wanted to eat both the hors d'oeuvre "and" the soup.
The chef kindly served an original A set for me to meet my request! How lucky I was!!

■Hors d'oeuvre
-- Home-made cold-smoked salmon --
As the salmon was smoked at a low temperature, it was very juicy! I love it!

■Home-made bread
I was soooooooooo happy to eat freshly-baked bread. As it tasted wonderful, I ate "six" pieces of bread. Hahaha!!!

■Today's vegetable soup
-- Cold green pea soup --
I loved the balance between the green peas and milk! It was really delicious!

■Today's meat dish
-- Ear and leg parts of pork wrapped with aged minced pork and crepinette --
I enjoyed different kinds of meat texture!!!

Look at this juiciness of meat!!
The crepinette sealed in the remaining juice and flavor!! I'm sure you want to eat it, too!!!

■Dessert
-- Vanilla pudding --
It is not too sweet and yummy x 2!!

I don't drink coffee and they served herb tea for me.

I really enjoyed the lunch in the relaxing atmosphere!
If you want to eat delicious French meals at reasonable prices, I recommend this restaurant!

■Where is "Re'colte"?

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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!

Sushi Dokoro "Aramasa （あら政）" | Sushi Bar | Sapporo

Today, I'll show you a small but cozy sushi bar for you!
"Aramasa" in on the Densha (Streetcar) Street and serves delicious sushi at reasonable prices.

He is the only chef here to make sushi. During the lunch and dinner time, it is usually packed with local people. I like this comfortable atmosphere and always enjoy the conversation with him :-)

We ordered "Toku （特）"↓, the most expensive sushi set out of 4 ranks.
Except the four kinds of sets, they serve an "as you like sushi set" and you can choose 10 favorites out of 24 different kinds of sushi. Sounds perfect!

I'll show you each sushi in the set.
Oops!
I "accidentally" ate hirame (sea bream) before taking a pic! Sorry!


■Zuwai (Queen crab)
I love this naturally sweet crab!

■Kazunoko (Herring roe)
Enjoy the texture!!!

■Chu toro (Medium fatty tuna)
This is my favorite!!

■Hotate (Scallop)
The scallop was really thick!

■Hokki (Sakhalin surf clam)
This is a very local clam in Hokkaido and now is the best season to eat it!

■Botan prawn
This prawn was really big!

■Uni (Sea urchin)
This is like a diamond in the sea! I love it!

■Ikura (Salmon roe)
This is like a ruby in the ocean! Hahaha!

The set comes with this prawn soup. Yummy x 2!

Can you guess how much the set is?
It is only 2,415 yen! All my tour guests really enjoyed the sushi set here!


□Note□
They also serve delicious oysters and eels regularly ♪

■Where is "Aramasa （あら政）" ?

View Larger Map

■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!