First day in Hokkaido. Desolation, cold, extreme beauty and cosily forgotten houses in small towns connected by a narrow railway track running along the seashore.
My travel companions brought some christmas lights and a nintendo switch with them so their ryokan room got significantly upgraded. Sending out holiday vibrations from Noboribetsu, Hokkaido!
Welcome to sulforous hell or.. heaven? This place is called Jigokudani (地獄谷) or "Hell Valley". It's both dangerous and majestic, both harmful (the water can reach 130C degrees and the chemical steams can get pretty poisonous) and good for your health (in a proper concentration sulfur makes your skin nice and soft). In any case, it's one of the best hot springs in Japan and looks great in every season.
This is my third time in Sapporo, but I've never seen this city in all its winter glory before. A combination of uptight office buildings from the 80s, shabby wooden huts and modest apartment blocks that looked slightly faded in summer is now completely refreshed by a thin layer of snow.