Noboribetsu Onsen Guide: Walks, Access and Day Baths

JGO! editorial team — WEBMARKS Inc. (Fujisawa, Kanagawa)

Noboribetsu Onsen is a hot-spring district with nearby walking areas that include Jigokudani, Oyunuma and the natural footbath beside the Oyunuma River. The district is about eight kilometres from JR Noboribetsu Station, so reaching the station is not the end of the journey: you will need to check the onward connection to the onsen area. For a day visit, the main practical choices covered here are walking, using the free natural footbath, or paying for a day bath at Dai-ichi Takimotokan.

The details below were checked on November 4, 2026. Published hours, prices and distances are useful for planning, but they do not guarantee that a trail, bus or bath will be available on your chosen date. Check the relevant operator’s current information before setting out, especially in winter, when access to the footbath trail and its car park can be affected.

Compare the main options

The options below are not interchangeable: the natural footbath is a free outdoor stop, while Dai-ichi Takimotokan is a paid indoor bathing facility with its own reception period and final departure time. Walking distances and times come from a 2022 map, so treat them as map estimates rather than confirmation of current trail conditions. Use the official pages linked in the table to check for updates before you travel.

These figures describe different parts of a visit, not a complete trip budget. The footbath price does not include transport or parking, and the day-bath admission does not include any unlisted purchases. The two adult admission total of ¥5,000 is a simple calculation using the published adult day-bath price; it is not a quote for a larger package or a guarantee that all facilities will be available.

Getting to the Noboribetsu Onsen district

The Noboribetsu tourism association places the onsen district about eight kilometres from JR Noboribetsu Station and about six kilometres from Noboribetsu-Higashi interchange. Those figures refer to the onsen district, so check the exact address of your destination before estimating the final leg. Karurusu Onsen is a separate destination: the association lists it at about 14 kilometres from JR Noboribetsu Station and about 12 kilometres from the interchange. See the association’s access information.

For rail travel from New Chitose Airport, the association describes a route that transfers at Minami-Chitose. That is a route outline, not a date-specific itinerary with guaranteed connections, fares or journey times. The association’s access page links to Donan Bus information, but its flight list carries a note dating from November 2021; do not treat that older list as a live flight schedule.

The collected Donan Bus district timetable identifies Noboribetsu Station as N1, Noboribetsu Onsen as N11, Dai-ichi Takimoto-mae as N13, and Ashiyu Iriguchi as N15. These stop codes can help you identify the relevant part of the timetable when checking a journey between the station and the onsen area. However, the PDF has mixed revision labels: its Japanese section says October 2025, while its English section says April 2025. For that reason, do not rely on a particular departure time, operating day or fare without checking with the bus operator. Open the Donan Bus district timetable.

The association also lists Noboribetsu Onsen at about six kilometres from Noboribetsu-Higashi interchange, while the Hokkaido tourism listing estimates about 15 minutes by car from that interchange to the natural footbath. These are different descriptions of a drive to the district and to a particular attraction; they should not be combined into a precise journey estimate without checking your destination and route. The Hokkaido listing gives 41 spaces for the footbath parking area, says it is paid, and notes that it closes in winter. Check the footbath listing before driving.

Walking around Jigokudani, Oyunuma and the natural footbath

The Noboribetsu tourism association’s 2022 walking map shows Jigokudani, Oyunuma and the Oyunuma River natural footbath. It lists the Jigokudani walking trail as 568 metres and about 10 minutes, and the Funamiyama walking trail as 599 metres and about 20 minutes. These figures are useful for understanding the scale of the routes shown on that map, but they are not a current trail-status notice. View the 2022 walking map.

The natural footbath is listed at Noboribetsu Onsen-cho, Noboribetsu, Hokkaido. The published hours are 08:00–17:00, the listed price is free, and the listing says it has no regular closing day. The same listing warns that walking trails are closed in winter, and that the associated paid parking area, which has 41 spaces, also closes in winter. A “no regular closing day” listing for the footbath therefore does not mean that the route to it is passable in every season. Check the official Hokkaido tourism listing for the natural footbath.

For a visit, check the current walking and weather notices before choosing to go to the footbath. If you are driving, confirm whether the access route and parking area are available; if you are travelling on foot, do not assume that the route is open merely because the attraction’s general listing shows daily hours. The approximately 15-minute driving estimate from Noboribetsu-Higashi interchange applies to the footbath listing, while the 568-metre and 599-metre estimates describe trails on the association map. They refer to different starting points and should not be added together as one journey time.

The map’s inclusion of Jigokudani, Oyunuma and the footbath can help you identify places to consider when planning a visit, but it does not establish that every path between them is open or suitable on the day. Treat each route as a separate access question and check the current conditions for it. This is particularly important if your schedule depends on reaching a day-bath reception cutoff or catching a bus afterwards.

Dai-ichi Takimotokan day bath

Dai-ichi Takimotokan is at 55 Noboribetsu Onsen-cho. Its Japanese day-bath page lists the usual adult price as ¥2,500 and the child price as ¥1,500, with children under three admitted free. The listed reception period is 09:00–18:00, and the listed final departure time is 21:00. These are distinct time limits: arriving before the final departure time does not mean reception remains open until then. Check the Japanese day-bath page for the property’s current details.

The English day-bath page also lists adults at ¥2,500 and children at ¥1,500. It says that tax and face- and bath-towel rental are included in the listed fee, and that there is no additional pool admission fee. Confirm the applicable conditions directly with the property if these details matter to your budget or plans. Read the English day-bath information.

The child categories do not use identical wording on the two language pages. The Japanese page describes children as ages three to twelve, while the English page describes the category as age three through elementary school. The treatment of a 12-year-old who is already in junior high school is not resolved by those descriptions, so ask the property which rate applies before calculating a family’s total.

At the listed full rates, two adults would pay ¥5,000 for day-bath admission. This calculation uses the current dedicated day-bath prices recorded here, rather than an older general rule that showed different figures; it excludes transport, parking and other purchases. The property’s Japanese page also announces a planned closure from April 5 through April 15, 2027, so check the page if your visit falls during or near those dates.

Some baths may be unavailable during daytime cleaning, according to the property’s information. At busy times, its own parking may be reserved for overnight guests; the property describes the Jigokudani car park opposite as costing ¥500 per day. Check current parking availability and terms before relying on either option. The day-bath evening discount ended on February 28, 2026, so do not include that expired offer in a new budget. See the property’s notice about the end of the evening discount.

The information checked for this guide does not confirm whether day-bath admission requires a reservation, what tattoo conditions apply, or what conditions govern private baths. Contact the property directly if any of those points affect your decision. Do not assume that a rule for one bathing option automatically applies to another.

Comparing a footbath visit and a paid day bath

For two adults visiting both the natural footbath and Dai-ichi Takimotokan, the listed footbath price is free and two adult day-bath admissions total ¥5,000. This is a comparison of the published admission prices, not the total cost of the outing. Transport, paid parking, accommodation and any additional purchases are separate, and the calculation assumes that both places are open and accessible on the chosen date.

The two sets of published hours serve different purposes. The natural footbath is listed as open from 08:00 to 17:00, while the day-bath reception period is 09:00 to 18:00 and the final departure time is 21:00. If you hope to walk before bathing, check current trail access as well as the bath’s reception cutoff; neither listing confirms the condition of the other activity.

A family should check the relevant age or school category for each child before estimating the admission total. In particular, the Japanese and English day-bath pages describe the child category differently for a 12-year-old in junior high school. Contacting the property is more reliable than applying one page’s wording to every visitor.

For transport, first identify whether your destination is the station, the onsen district, Dai-ichi Takimotokan or the footbath. The district bus timetable uses separate stop codes for Noboribetsu Station (N1), Noboribetsu Onsen (N11), Dai-ichi Takimoto-mae (N13) and Ashiyu Iriguchi (N15), but its mixed revision labels mean that you should confirm the actual service for your date. That step is especially useful if your plan depends on a particular arrival, reception period or return connection.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Oyunuma River natural footbath free?

Yes. Hokkaido’s tourism listing describes the natural footbath as free and gives published hours of 08:00–17:00, with no regular closing day. The same listing warns that trails are closed in winter, so check access rather than assuming that the route is open because the footbath has no regular closing day. Consult the official listing.

Can I reach the footbath in winter?

Winter access cannot be assumed. Hokkaido’s listing warns of winter trail closures and says that the associated paid parking area closes in winter. Check current trail, road and weather information before travelling, and do not treat the general opening-hours listing as confirmation that the route is passable.

How long are the walking trails?

The Noboribetsu tourism association’s 2022 map lists the Jigokudani walking trail as 568 metres and about 10 minutes. It lists the Funamiyama walking trail as 599 metres and about 20 minutes. These are historic map estimates, not confirmation that either trail is open or safe on your visit date. Open the association’s 2022 map.

How much does the Dai-ichi Takimotokan day bath cost?

The dedicated Japanese and English day-bath pages list the adult price as ¥2,500 and the child price as ¥1,500. The Japanese page says children under three are free, while the language pages describe the child category differently for older children. Check the property’s current pages and ask directly about any visitor whose age or school status makes the category unclear.

Are towels included in the day-bath price?

The English day-bath page says that face- and bath-towel rental is included in the listed price. It also says that tax is included and that there is no additional pool admission fee. Confirm the current terms with the property before relying on those inclusions for your visit. Read the English day-bath page.

Do I need to reserve the day bath, and what are the tattoo rules?

The official information checked for this guide does not establish whether a reservation is required for day-bath admission or what tattoo conditions apply. It also does not confirm the conditions for private baths. If any of these matters affect your visit, contact Dai-ichi Takimotokan directly rather than assuming that a general rule applies.

Is the evening discount still available?

No. The property announced that the day-bath evening discount ended on February 28, 2026. Use the current dedicated day-bath page for planning, and do not base your budget on the expired offer. Read the property’s notice.

How do I get from JR Noboribetsu Station to the onsen district?

The tourism association lists the district at about eight kilometres from JR Noboribetsu Station. Donan Bus’s district timetable identifies the station as N1 and the onsen district as N11, with additional stops including Dai-ichi Takimoto-mae (N13) and Ashiyu Iriguchi (N15). Because the PDF has mixed Japanese and English revision labels, check current departures, operating days and fares with the bus operator before travelling.

Traveller videos about Noboribetsu

Several travel creators have published videos that mention Noboribetsu Onsen or nearby stays. The existing video references include Samuel and Audrey’s Noboribetsu Onsen travel video, Hotel Insider’s video about Noboribetsu onsen accommodation, and Torry Travel’s winter Hokkaido vlog mentioning the onsen district. Maui and Trizzy have a summer travel vlog mentioning Dai-ichi Takimotokan, Jennifer Ju has a Noboribetsu vlog mentioning Takinoya and Hell Valley, and Iamtimchung has a video about Noboribetsu Onsen in Hokkaido.

These are accounts of individual visits, not current operating notices. A video may show conditions that differ from those on your travel date, particularly for winter walking access, transport and property facilities. Check the relevant official tourism, bus and property information before using a video as the basis for a plan.