It seems Dante's inferno is quite an international concept of Hell. Jigoku-Dani is a place of geysers, steaming lakes, colourful mineral streams leaving deposits, and sulphurous smells. It is the source of the hot mineral waters that fill the onsen with springs of: sulphur; aluminium; salt; iron; and radium.
The demon of the valley, called Yukijin, is actually more of a Lincoln imp and takes away bad luck. Although the demons here all look like monsters they are more like small gods. At one shrine we saw gifts of sake left out.
The whole place was at once fascinating, beautiful and smelly! We walked a long way (partiality due to a slightly off piste accidental adventure) and visited Tessen-ike (bubbly geyser), Oyunuma (a huge boiling lake) and Oyunuma brook, where we had the best paddle ever in hot milky water.
Later, we would brave the onsen!
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