Jigoku-numa Pond—Look, But Don’t Touch
Just a 10-minute walk from Sukayu Onsen you will find Jigoku-numa (“Hell Swamp”) Pond, also known as Sokonashi-numa (“Bottomless Swamp”) Pond. This is a remnant of a series of eruptions spanning the thirteenth to seventeenth century. Even now, the highly acidic water gushing up into the pond reaches a piping-hot 90°C, so the best way to view this body of water is from a safe distance.
Towering behind Jigoku-numa Pond, Mt. Hakkoda Odake provides a dramatic backdrop. The view of the pond and peak is particularly magnificent in spring, when the mountainside is awash with fresh, bright green leaves, and in fall when the mountains are cloaked in a dazzling display of red, orange and yellow foliage.