If you have your own wheels, head up through town past Jigoku-dani on Rte 350 as it becomes a narrow mountain road. After about 4km you'll reach a lookout point for Kuttara-ko. This circular volcanic caldera lake is remarkable for two things: there's not a single river flowing into or out of it and it has been left almost completely untouched by human hands. You can't drive any further, as traffic has been cut off to protect the lake.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
16.7 MILES
Here is a rare chance to bear witness to modern mountain-making: Shōwa Shin-zan (昭和新山; 398m) – whose name means 'the new mountain of the Shōwa period' –…
1.79 MILES
A short walk uphill from Noboribetsu town reveals what may await us in the afterlife: sulphurous gases, hissing vents and seemingly blood-stained rocks…
19.28 MILES
The eruptions at Uzu-san were among the first to be recorded by modern means (and work here significantly advanced science in early detection). Here you…
Nearby Noboribetsu Onsen attractions
1.79 MILES
A short walk uphill from Noboribetsu town reveals what may await us in the afterlife: sulphurous gases, hissing vents and seemingly blood-stained rocks…
16.7 MILES
Here is a rare chance to bear witness to modern mountain-making: Shōwa Shin-zan (昭和新山; 398m) – whose name means 'the new mountain of the Shōwa period' –…
19.28 MILES
The eruptions at Uzu-san were among the first to be recorded by modern means (and work here significantly advanced science in early detection). Here you…