Noboribetsu

Noboribetsu onsen is a spa town. Onsen are bath houses that use the natural springs in the Shikotsu-Toya national park. At the moment you probably have images of a mountainous Bath in mind but (and I realise my saying this is more than a little ironic) Japan could really do with the National Trust.  Noboribetsu onsen is a concrete jungle of hotels.  Ours was by far the cheapest (though still above my target budget) and with its plastic airplane style  bathroom and actual matresses was probably the height of sophistication in its hey day. Unfortunately, it has become a bit dilapidated now and the policy of only having smoking rooms at the Takimoto Inn meant we opened the windows to let the smell of spa sulphur overpower that of ashtray.

Still it was a great place to explore the toy town from and came with free access to the Grand Public Baths of its glamorous sister hotel.

On our first night we visited the bubbling geyser, which people believed to be the gate to hell, watched the giant diorama in the main street,  explored 8 gift shops selling identical but interesting wares, and settled down to eat at a backstreet kitchen.

In Japan welcome flags over the doors let you know where is open. Vegetarian is not a concept here so I had a small dish of rice while Andy aye something with testicles and tried a milky coloured fruit drink. The TV was on the whole time which wad odd as Japanese TV makes channel 5 look like the BBC at its finest.  And I think understanding what they were saying could possibly only make it worse.

People strolled about in yukata (cotton kimono) and wooden platform flip flops and the looped music sent us in for an early night.