Beppu

Beppu (別府市) in Oita-ken is one of Japan's most famous hot spring resort towns. In this picturesque seaside town, you can find more hot springs (onsens) than anywhere else in Japan. According to the locals, almost every home has its own private onsen! Historical annals suggest that the baths were used as far back as the 13th century to cure samurai injured during the Mongolian invasion.The region's reputation for offering waters that can cure a variety of skin and physical ailments explains its enduring popularity with tourists.

Onsens

There is no shortage of hot springs and bath houses (sento) to choose from in Beppu. In theory, you could visit a different onsen every day for a year and still not see them all. The variety of onsens available in Beppu (sand baths, steam baths, mud baths, etc.) makes onsening there an enjoyable adventure for even the most well-travelled of onsen veterans.

• Ebisu Onsen (湯屋えびす), Myoban

  Entry: ￥1000

  Type: Sulfur

  Mixed: No

  Bathing supplies provided: shampoo, conditioner, body wash

  In the mountains, amid the pungent stench of sulphur cast off by the many steaming vents, there is a small "village" of onsens. Ebisu happened to be one of the first that we came across. Inside it offered several different sulphur baths including a milky bath, a hot water bath, a tepid water bath in a sauna style room, and two rotenburo (outdoor baths) and steam huts. On the second floor bath there was also a lounge style seat that had been set up in front of a large picture window. The view of the ocean and landscape beyond on a clear day is incredible.

  Ebisu also offered onsen-goers an incredibly large and relaxing tatami room (with toys for kids!) for post-bath naps and a small cafe where you could get dessert and a coffee.

  This onsen was quiet, somewhat remote (which meant it wasn't overcrowded, even during Golden Week) and definitely designed to be family friendly. It offered a perfect introduction to onsens in Beppu.

• Hyotan Onsen, Kannawa

  Entry: ￥700 (+ ￥300 for sand onsen)

  Type: Sand & Salt

  Mixed: Only in the sand onsen & private baths

  Bathing supplies provided: shampoo, conditioner, body wash

  Named after the baths that are shaped like gourds (hyotans), this onsen in the city centre is perfect for a mixed group of bathers to enjoy together. The onsen itself is divided into a men's and women's half, but the sand onsen is communal and private baths can be rented for groups of up to 4 people for an hourly rate of ￥2000.

  Inside the onsen there are plenty of baths available including walking baths, steam baths, salt baths and a large outdoor bath (rotenburo). There is also a row of waterfalls that bathers can use to massage tired shoulders and back muscles.

  The sand onsen is in a separate area located between the two baths. It features medium（中) and hot (高) sand beds so you can choose your preferred bathing spot. Each row holds 4-6 bathers. There is no staff on hand, so you get to dig yourself in, which can be a fun experience.

  One of the highlights of Hyotan is the relaxed communal eating area between the men's and women's baths. It offers several picnic tables you can relax at and a variety of food options, including eggs that have been hard boiled in the onsen water. At 70 円 they are a steal and definitely delicious!

  Brochure (in English): [1]'

  Access information (from official website): [2]'

• Beppu Beach Sand Onsen (別府海浜砂湯)

  Entry: ￥1000

  Type: Sand & Foot bath

  Mixed: Yes (shower area is gender segregated)

  Bathing supplies provided: ?

  The volcanic sand onsen on Beppu Beach is one of the more famous onsens in Beppu. It is a small, traditional style sand onsen, meaning you wear a yukata (provided by the onsen) and are dug in/buried by staff. The sand baths are located directly on the beach and offer a nice view of Beppu Bay.

  Since this onsen is a popular tourist attraction, expect to wait to be buried. (When we went at mid-day, the wait was 30 minutes). Apart from the small foot bath, there isn't much to this onsen apart from showers and one small-ish bath you can relax in. You are basically paying for the name and the experience. If you only want to visit a sand onsen, I would recommend shopping around for a cheaper one (such as Hyotan, above). Considering what this onsen offers, we thought the ￥1000 was a bit steep.

Places to Stay

• Beppu-shiei Shidakako Camp-jo (別府市営志高湖キャンプ場)

  Contact: (0977) 25-3601

  Open: Year around (check out is 11AM)

  Fee: ¥310 per person to pitch your own tent. No rental equipment avail.

  Features: scenic pond, extensive camping area, swans, swan shaped boats you can rent to explore the pond, restaurant, vending machines, fresh water, toilets, cooking facilities (no campfires are permitted on site)

  Review: This place was cheap, convenient to get to (if you have a car) and the staff was friendly. It was also quiet and scenic. The only downfall was that it rained the night we camped here, but otherwise it was a great spot!

• Beppu Youth Hostel

  Contact: (0977) 77-1792

  Cost: ￥3360 per person

  Check-in time:16:00-20:00; check-out time: 10:00AM

  Meals: Breakfast ￥630; Dinner ￥1050

  Website (English): [3]'

• Hotel Jzauruss (Love Hotel)

  Contact: (0977) 21-8980

  Open: Year round

  Fee: Ranges from ￥2680 for a 90 minute rest to ￥12,500 a night (be advised that these prices are doubled during Golden Week)

  One of the highlights of our trip to Beppu was coming across this Jurassic Park themed love hotel. With its T-Rex decal and camo-painted building, you really can't miss it. Unfortunately the Golden Week prices put it out of our budget, but it's rumoured you can rent a Velociraptor costume.

  Link to a review (English): [4]'

• Hotel Jungle Banana (Love Hotel)

  Contact: (0977) 25-8777

  Open: Year round

  Fee: Ranges from ￥3000 for a 90 minute rest to ￥12,000 for a night.

  Official Website (Japanese): [5]'

Things to See

• Jigoku Meguri (Hell Tour)

  Cost: ￥400 per hell, or ￥2000 yen for a pass to see all eight (the Hells are for viewing, not bathing!)

  Open: 8:00-17:00

  A series of volcanic eruptions created the Hells, which are now a popular (and slightly kitschy) tourist attraction in Beppu. There are 8 jigokus (Hells) in total, consisting of the cobalt blue ocean hell (Umijigoku), deep-red blood pond hell (Chi-no Ike Jigoku), as well as ‘Oniishi Bozu Jigoku’ (Onishi Shaven Head Hell/white mud onsen), ‘Yama Jigoku’ (Mountain Hell), ‘Kamado Jigoku’ (Boiling Hell), ‘Oniyama Jigoku’ (Demon Mountain Hell - has alligators), ‘Shiraike Jigoku’ (White Pond Hell) and ‘Tatsumaki Jigoku’ (Geyser Hell)

  I can strongly recommend the Umijigoku, the Oniishi Bozu Jigoku, and Chi-no Ike Jigoku. The others didn't look as exciting so we opted not to visit them. Be warned - while the Blood Pond Hell (Chi-no Ike Jigoku) looks close on the map it is definitely not walkable. It is about 5 kms away and took us 10 minutes by car to get there from the other hells (it's up a mountain). Most visitors seemed to arrive by car or tour bus.

• Yufukawa Canyon (由布川峡谷)

  This remote and stunning gorge is a 30 minute drive from Beppu-shi down perilous, narrow mountain roads. It is entirely worth the trip! Nearby is also the Yufukawa Suspension Bridge, which might also be worth a visit (costs ￥300 to cross)

  Link (Japanese only): [6]'