Emily woke at 2am; I had to feed her but I fell asleep before she did as I was lying on the futon next to her. We were up at 6.15, to a blue sky dotted with fluffy white clouds. The leaves in the grounds outside were rustling in the breeze. Breakfast was good, as it was a buffet. I was impressed to see a label for each item with its fat and calorific content given. I ate loads, both Japanese and Western, and also managed to filch enough food for Emily to have for tea later, so that she wouldn't have to have a jar. Just outside the dining room window were some bird tables, and we watched the blue tits flutter to and fro, interspersed with a pair of shrikes. There was also a grey-coloured woodpecker at the base of a tree stump.
We drove for about an hour and a half to Noboribetsu Onsen, via a woodland road and then a road that hugs the flat coast, sometimes only a couple of hundred metres from the ocean. It reminded us of the Pacific Highway somewhat. There was no way of escaping if there should be a tsunami, so we wondered what drove so many people to live right by the sea - poverty, I suppose. There were magnificent views back to the dramatic volcanic scenery of the Shikotsuko-Toya Park, with Eniwa-san and Tarumae-san dominating.
The onsen resort was not as hideous as I was expecting from the guide book description. There were certainly lots of hotels, but they weren't as ugly as I'd been led to believe. The main objective for the day was Jigokudani (Hell Valley). It's impossible to adequately describe this natural amphitheatre of sulphurous steam, red rock walls and a perfect combination of green and autumnal trees. We were visiting at the optimum time for the display of vivid red, orange and gold hues. It was amazing how quiet it was there, for a Saturday in this season, and most of the few coachloads went only as far as the viewing platform for the obligatory photos.
We walked along a short path to view an intermittent geyser called the Iron Spring. It was surrounded by deposits of dark grey. As we peered in it sprang into life and bubbled ferociously. 
We had to assume that since we were allowed so close to it, it never got more than a foot or two high. After a little woodland walk we went in search of lunch. On the way, Nick posed as a devil outside a shrine; there was a strong devil theme in the whole resort. 
There weren't many eateries to choose from, and our choice proved poor. It's the first place I've been where the service has been less than desirable, and the cleanliness was questionable. Run by a middle-aged couple, the woman was close to being surly, and even Emily's antics failed to raise a smile.
Afterwards we drove on up the road a mile or so to view a small steaming peak (Mount Hiyori) with a small lake at its foot wreathed in vapour.
Again, it was surrounded by jewel-like leaf colour. We walked along a path through the trees, beside a hot stream that issues from another geyser. There was a place where you could sit with your feet in the bath-warm water flowing down the valley, which was very relaxing.
We followed the road on uphill a short distance and came to a viewing place looking out on Lake Kutarra.
This picturesque crater lake is ringed by steep, wooded cliffs several hundred feet high; it seems very tranquil and inaccessible, though we found a small jetty and visitor centre on its shores as we continued down the road. We took the faster and blissfully quiet expressway back to the hotel, arriving just as darkness fell.
Dinner was more challenging, but I managed to eat a crab leg, holding it by its claw, and a scallop, after I'd removed all the ucky-looking attachments. Though I do eat the odd bit of sashimi, I'm afraid I swirled my tuna and salmon briefly in my hotpot (making it delicious, rather than a chore!).
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