Oita · City
Beppu
別府市べっぷしBeppu-shiThe steaming spa city of Kyushu
Beppu is a spa city on the bay of the same name in Oita Prefecture, with more hot-spring sources and a larger flow of hot water than any other town in Japan. Steam rises from vents across its eight onsen districts, the Beppu Hattō, and from the coloured pools known as the jigoku (hells).
Overview
Beppu climbs from the shore of Beppu Bay up an alluvial fan to the volcanoes Tsurumi-dake and Yufu-dake. Groundwater heated by these volcanoes emerges in thousands of sources spread over the city, and plumes of steam from vents, drainage channels and bathhouse chimneys are part of the townscape, above all in the district of Kannawa.
The city is divided into eight historic spa districts, the Beppu Hattō, each with its own water and character: from the Meiji-era public bathhouses near the port to the sulphurous uplands of Myōban. Between them lie the jigoku, hot pools coloured cobalt blue, blood red or milky white, which have been shown to visitors since the early 20th century; four of them are a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty.
Beppu grew into a mass resort with steamship services from Osaka and was for decades a classic destination for company trips and honeymoons. Beside the large hotels it keeps an everyday bathing culture of cheap neighbourhood baths run by residents' associations, and since 2000 an international university on the hills above the town has given it a young, cosmopolitan population.
Landmarks
Beppu jigoku (hells)
別府地獄めぐりBeppu jigoku meguriCircuit of hot pools and geysers in Kannawa and Kamegawa, including the cobalt-blue Umi Jigoku, the red Chinoike Jigoku and the Tatsumaki geyser.
Takegawara Onsen
竹瓦温泉Takegawara onsenPublic bathhouse near the port under a grand tiled roof of 1938, known for its hot-sand bath.
Kannawa steam baths
鉄輪むし湯Kannawa mushiyuStone steam chamber floored with medicinal herbs, linked by tradition to the monk Ippen.
Myōban yunohana huts
明礬温泉 湯の花小屋Myōban onsen yunohana-goyaThatched huts in which bath salts crystallise from volcanic gas; the production technique is an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
Tsurumi-dake
鶴見岳Tsurumi-dakeVolcano (1,375 m) behind the city, reached by ropeway, with views over Beppu Bay to Shikoku.
Beppu Traditional Bamboo Crafts Centre
別府市竹細工伝統産業会館Beppu-shi takezaiku dentō sangyō kaikanMuseum and workshop of the city's bamboo basketry, a national traditional craft.
Districts
Kannawa
鉄輪KannawaHillside spa quarter of steaming lanes, inns for long-stay guests with steam kitchens, and most of the jigoku.
Beppu (central)
別府温泉Beppu onsenThe downtown district around the station and port, with Takegawara Onsen and old shopping arcades.
Myōban
明礬MyōbanUpland district with milky sulphur springs and the thatched yunohana huts.
Kankaiji
観海寺KankaijiHotel district on the slope with open-air baths looking out over the bay.
Kamegawa, Shibaseki, Horita and Hamawaki
亀川・柴石・堀田・浜脇Kamegawa, Shibaseki, Horita, HamawakiThe remaining Hattō districts, from the seaside sand baths of Kamegawa to Hamawaki, Beppu's oldest bathing quarter.
History
Beppu's springs are described in the 8th-century Bungo Fudoki, and tradition credits the itinerant monk Ippen with founding the steam baths of Kannawa in the 13th century. Through the Edo period the springs served farmers and pilgrims as a place of cure, while the Myōban area produced alum and yunohana, bath salts scraped from mineral deposits.
The modern resort arose after the port opened and steamship lines connected Beppu with Osaka. Entrepreneurs such as Aburaya Kumahachi promoted the town nationally, introduced sightseeing buses with female guides and turned the jigoku into attractions. A national law of 1950 designated Beppu an International Tourism and Hot Spring Culture City, and after the war the city became one of Japan's busiest resorts.
8th century
The Bungo Fudoki describes the hot springs of the Beppu area, including a red pool now identified with Chinoike Jigoku.
13th century
According to tradition the monk Ippen opens the steam baths of Kannawa.
17th–19th century
Alum and yunohana bath salts are produced at Myōban.
1879
Takegawara Onsen opens as a public bathhouse; its present building dates from 1938.
1924
Beppu gains city status.
1928
Sightseeing buses with female guides begin touring the jigoku.
1950
National law designates Beppu an International Tourism and Hot Spring Culture City.
2000
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University opens on the Jūmonjibaru plateau.
2009
Umi, Chinoike, Tatsumaki and Shiraike Jigoku designated a national Place of Scenic Beauty.
Culture
Beppu's culture is a culture of bathing: neighbourhood baths maintained by residents, the ritual of the sand bath, steam cooking at the inn and the old custom of the tōji, extended curative stays. Bamboo basketry, developed as souvenirs for spa guests, became a recognised art, and the prefecture's bamboo-craft school keeps it alive. A large international student population and art projects in empty shops and bathhouses give the old resort a contemporary edge.
Festivals
Beppu Hattō Onsen Matsuri
別府八湯温泉まつりBeppu Hattō Onsen MatsuriSpring festival in early April with free entry to many baths, processions and the hillside fire of Ōgiyama.
Kannawa Yu-ami Matsuri
鉄輪湯あみ祭りKannawa Yuami MatsuriKannawa's festival honouring the monk Ippen, in which a statue of him is bathed in hot-spring water.
Food
Jigoku-mushi
地獄蒸しjigoku-mushiVegetables, eggs and seafood steamed over natural hot-spring steam in Kannawa.
Beppu reimen
別府冷麺Beppu reimenChewy buckwheat-and-starch cold noodles in a clear broth, introduced by cooks from north-east Asia after 1945.
Toriten
とり天toritenChicken tempura, a Beppu–Oita staple.
Dango-jiru
だんご汁dango-jiruMiso soup with flat wheat noodles.
Getting around
- JR Beppu Station is on the Nippō Main Line, with limited express trains to Kokura and Hakata and a short ride to Oita.
- Local buses link the station with Kannawa, the jigoku, Myōban, the university and the Tsurumi-dake ropeway; much of the lower town is walkable.
- Airport buses connect Beppu with Oita Airport on the Kunisaki Peninsula in under an hour.
- Overnight ferries sail from Beppu port to Osaka, and a ferry crosses to Yawatahama in Ehime.
Day trips
Spa basin beneath Yufu-dake, reached over the mountain road or by bus.
Wild monkeys at Takasakiyama and the prefectural capital's museums, just along the bay.
Volcanoes, wetlands and highland spas in Aso-Kuju National Park.
Usa Jingū and Kunisaki
宇佐神宮Usa JingūThe head shrine of Hachiman and the Buddhist temples of the Kunisaki Peninsula, north of Beppu.
Other cities in the prefecture
Frequently asked questions
What are the Beppu hells?
The jigoku are hot springs too hot to bathe in, with water coloured blue, red or white by minerals, plus a geyser and bubbling mud. They are visited on a circuit mainly in the Kannawa district.
Can I take a sand bath in Beppu?
Yes. Takegawara Onsen in the town centre and the seaside baths of Kamegawa offer sunaburo, in which attendants bury bathers in naturally heated sand.
What does Beppu Hattō mean?
It means the "eight hot springs of Beppu" and refers to the eight historic spa districts: Beppu, Hamawaki, Kankaiji, Horita, Myōban, Kannawa, Shibaseki and Kamegawa.
How long does it take from Fukuoka to Beppu?
Limited express trains from Hakata reach Beppu in roughly two hours; highway buses from Fukuoka take a similar time.
Are tattoos allowed in Beppu's baths?
Rules differ between baths. Many small public bathhouses are relatively relaxed, while hotels often restrict tattoos; checking with each bath beforehand is advisable.
Related
Sources
- 1.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — 別府市 (Beppu City)
- 2.令和2年国勢調査 調査の結果 (opens in a new tab) — 総務省統計局 (Statistics Bureau of Japan)
- 3.別府市ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 別府市 (Beppu City)
- 4.Oita (opens in a new tab) — Japan National Tourism Organization