History of Noboribetsu

Up until the Edo Period (1603-1868)

Daimoku Stone and Natatsukuri Kannon Statue

1666	Enku creates the Kannon with a hatchet This is one of the statues of Kannon that Enku, a monk from Mino Province, carved with a hatchet while traveling around southern Hokkaido. The statue is now enshrined in a shrine in a corner of Noboribetsu Jigokudani Observation Hill.
Around 1785	Mogami Tokunai visits Noboribetsu and records his visit in Ezo Soshi
Around 1845	Takeshiro Matsuura visits Noboribetsu Onsen for the first time. The explorer Takeshiro Matsuura, who is also called the Godfather of Hokkaido, visits Noboribetsu Onsen and writes about its fascination in his book.
1857	Hanbei Okada renovates Noboribetsu Onsen Hanbei Okada, an Omi merchant who mined sulfur in Jigokudani, built a bathhouse for common laborers at his own expense.
1858	Kinzo Takimoto opens Noboribetsu Onsen Kinzo Takimoto, known as the founder of healing ONSEN, privately built an ONSEN inn that became the forerunner of the Dai-ichi Takimotokan, and laid the foundation for the present by constructing a new road (the current route).

Kinzo Takimoto

Kinzo was a carpenter from Edo (present-day Tokyo) who was dispatched by the Shogunate to Ezo (present-day Hokkaido) to work on the construction of an ekiteisho station post in Horobetsu. His wife, Sata, suffered from a severe skin disease, and when Kinzo heard a rumor about Noboribetsu Onsen, he went into the woods and built a bathhouse where she started her ONSEN treatment to cure her skin disease. Eventually, Sata’s skin disease was cured, and in order to spread the word about the efficacy of the ONSEN, he obtained permission from the ONSEN chief official and established a ONSEN inn.

1861	Construction of Yakushi Nyorai-do It is said that a retainer of the Nanbu clan, who was suffering from an eye disease caused by a sword wound from mining sulfur at the time, was cured of his eye disease by washing his eyes in the ONSEN that gushed beneath Yakushi Nyorai-do. The statue of Yakushi Nyorai donated by the retainer is enshrined here.

Meiji Era (1868-1912)

1871	Nisshin writes a mantra on a rock in ink
1881	Kinzo privately builds a new road over Momiji-dani to develop ONSEN
1886	Aiki Hino discovers Karurusu Onsen Aiki Hino, clerk of Muroran county office, investigated upstream of Noboribetsu River for settlement of Tonden soldiers, and found the source of the ONSEN.
1890	Construction of indoor bath at Dai-ichi Takimotokan
1897	Kyukitsu Hino opens Karurusu ONSEN Kyukitsu Hino, adopted son of Aiki Hino, discovered another ONSEN. When he tried drinking the ONSEN water, it cured his gastric catarrh, peaking his interest. He established a road from Horobetsu to the ONSEN and opened the ONSEN.
1901	A new road between Noboribetsu Onsen and Noboribetsu is completed, leading to travel by two horse-drawn carriages
1903	Mashiho Chiri born
1905	Karurusu Onsen becomes a care facility for the Asahikawa Army Reserve Hospital Karurusu Onsen was designated as a care facility for wounded soldiers of the Russo-Japanese War, which led to the popularization of Karurusu Onsen and Noboribetsu Onsen as famous ONSEN.

Care facility for wounded soldiers of the Russo-Japanese

Taisho (1912-1926) and Showa (1926-1989) Eras

Near the **Momiji-dani**（Taisho 1912-1926）

1915	Establishment of Noboribetsu Onsen Railroad Co. Horse-drawn carriage railroad began operation. Kotaro Fujisaki created his wasabi garden.
1918	Steam locomotive and light railroad open
1924	The Noboribetsu Primeval Forest is designated as a natural monument
1925	Train service begins
1934	Kodomo no Kuni Amusement Park opens
1935	The Noboribetsu Branch of Hokkaido Imperial University opens
1938	Construction of Noboribetsu Grand Hotel
1940	Army sanatorium for wounded soldiers completed
1943	Haiku monument by Kyoshi Takahama (Mt. Funami promenade trail)
1949	Shikotsu-Toya designated as national park
1954	Showa Emperor visits Noboribetsu Onsen
1957	Karurusu Onsen designated as a National Hot Spring Health Resort
1958	Noboribetsu Bear Park opens 100th anniversary of the opening of Noboribetsu Onsen
1964	First Jigoku Matsuri held On the day of the first Noboribetsu Jigoku Matsuri, the quiet Noboribetsu Onsen resort was filled with the sound of drums, and many tourists participated in the Oni Mikoshi portable shrine and Oni Odori Dai-Gumbu dance, turning Noboribetsu Onsen into a lively celebration.
1981	Noboribetsu City Museum of History opens

Heisei Era (1989-2018)

1990	Noboribetsu Marine Park opens
1992	Noboribetsu Date Jidaimura opens
2004	Jigokudani (Hell Valley) selected as a Hokkaido Heritage Site
2007	Kanto Rera Noboribetsu Culture Exchange Center opens
2008	Completion of Sengen Park 150th Anniversary of Noboribetsu Onsen In commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the opening of Noboribetsu Onsen, Sengen Park was constructed on the former site of Hotel Noboribetsu Paradise. In the park, there is a geyser that shoots up to a height of 8 meters every three hours with a temperature of 80 degrees Celsius.
2013	The 50th Jigoku Matsuri held for 3 days The Nine Metal Clubs of the ONSEN Demon God were constructed in Sengen Park
2015	Hokkaido Shinkansen commences operations Noboribetsu Onsen Police Box newly constructed and relocated
2016	Taisho Jigoku hot water spouting (ongoing through 2017)
2017	Name changed to Noboribetsu International Tourism and Convention Association Recorded 510,000 foreign visitors who took a trip to Japan and stayed overnight Signed an agreement with the Noboribetsu Chamber of Commerce and Industry for collaboration and cooperation
2018	Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake Signed an Agreement on tourism friendship exchange with Taichung International Tourism Association, Taiwan Signed an Agreement on tourism friendship exchange with Taichung Hot Springs Tourism Association, Taiwan
2020	Received Prime Minister’s Award at the Furusato Event Awards for Demon Fireworks in Jigokudani UPOPOY National Ainu Museum and Park opens
2021	Number of overnight guests falls below 400,000 for the first time in 72 years since 1949 Enma Daio and Enmado renovated