Temperature measurements and inverse thermal analyses of the heat flux on the divertor plates of JT-60 have been performed in both outside X-point and lower X-point operations. These investigations showed that heat load behavior during normal operation is quite different depending on parameters such as plasma density, the shape of the magnetic surface near the divertor plate, polarity of the plate (ion-side vs. electron-side) and the plate materials (TiC-coated Mo vs. graphite). Due to contracting magnetic fluxes near the divertor plate in the outside X-point operation, the peak heat flux on the outside divertor plate was higher than that on the lower divertor plate. Large heat concentration was produced at the edge of the plate due to a small gradient of the magnetic field line incident on the plate, which resulted in serious damage to the divertor plates. Heat deposition due to high energy runaway electrons produced during disruption was observed on the lower divertor plate. Based on these experimental results, heat load and design issues of the JT-60U divertor plate are discussed.