10 Things to Do in Noboribetsu City

10 Things to Do in Noboribetsu City

Noboribetsu (登別市) is a beautiful city in the Iburi Subprefecture of Hokkaido, Japan. The city got its name from the Ainu word nupur-pet, which means dark-colored river; the kanji 登別, meaning "climbing different", is used for its phonetic value only, and has no relation to the original meaning. The city is popularly known for its hot springs and numerous ryokans and hotels.

For those planning to visit the city to check what it has to offer, here are the 10 Things to Do in Noboribetsu City:

Noboribetsu City manhole covers

1. Take a picture of the manhole cover of Noboribetsu City. So far, I have seen 3 unique manhole covers. These are displayed in the Noboribetsu City Hall. 

Noboribetsu Pokemon manhole cover

2. Take a picture of the Noboribetsu Pokemon manhole cover. It is installed in the vicinity of Noboribetsu Marine Park Nixe. It features Vulpix and Bewear.

Katta Shrine 

3. Visit the Katta Shrine (刈田神社). It’s the main shrine of Noboribetsu City. You can pay your respects and offer prayers here any time of the day. Don’t forget to avail of the shrine’s goshuin if you are collecting them.

Chiri Yukie “Drops of Silver” Memorial Museum 

4. Fascinated by the Ainu culture? Learn about the Ainu culture through Yukie Chiri’s works at Chiri Yukie “Drops of Silver” Memorial Museum (知里幸恵 銀のしずく記念館). 

Enmado

5. Check out the animatronic puppet called "Enma Daioh Mechanical Coaster” performed in the small shrine called Enmado (からくり閻魔堂). 

Noboribetsu Bear Park

6.  Do you want to see real live Hokkaido bears? Visit Noboribetsu Bear Park (のぼりべつクマ牧場). You can watch them and even feed them without the fear of being mauled to death. 

Noboribetsu Date Jidai Village

7. Revisit and experience the Edo period at Noboribetsu Date Jidai Village (登別伊達時代村). Visitors would surely enjoy the performances. If you like ninjas, don’t forget to visit the Ninja Museum inside the theme park grounds.  

Noboribetsu Onsen Town

8. Take a dip at any of the numerous onsen at Noboribetsu Onsen Town (登別温泉町). You can choose from either the affordable day spas or the pricey high-end onsens in ryokans and hotels. 

Noboribetsu Marine Park Nixe

9. Appreciate the beauty of the hundreds of different fish at Noboribetsu Marine Park Nixe (登別マリンパークニクス). Don’t miss out on the penguin parades and dolphin shows. Aside from these, you can also try the numerous rides in the amusement park area.  

Noboribetsu Jigokudani

10. Visit Hell’s Valley, Jigokudani (登別地獄谷), and see one of Hokkaido’s most famous spots. There are plenty of things to see in this area and it is possible to make a separate “10 Things to Do” article for it. Regardless, enjoy the view of the valley but let me warn you that this place has a very distinct sulfuric smell. 

I hope my list of the 10 Things to Do in Noboribetsu City gave you an idea and inspiration to visit this beautiful city in the Iburi Subprefecture of Hokkaido.

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