Ikoi no Yu Muroran Hokkaido

Ikoi no Yu Muroran, in the industrial port city of Muroran at the tip of the volcanic Iburi Peninsula in southwestern Hokkaido, offers sulfurous thermal bathing in a city defined by the dramatic juxtaposition of heavy industry and natural beauty — where petrochemical and steel facilities that illuminate the bay at night share the peninsula with Chikyū Misaki (Cape Earth), whose columnar basalt cliffs plunge directly into the Pacific. The sulfurous geothermal waters of Muroran's springs reflect the volcanic geology of the Iburi subprefecture, heated by the same tectonic forces responsible for the 2018 Iburi earthquake. Muroran's famous yakitori tradition — grilled chicken served at dozens of specialist restaurants throughout this industrial city in a style unique to Muroran — adds a distinctive culinary dimension to what is one of Hokkaido's most unexpectedly characterful spa destinations.