Beppu
East Asia · Japan
Did you know?
- Look for jigokumushi baskets, shiitake, and toriten: hot-spring cooking meets chicken tempura.
- Buses to the Hell areas come around every 30 minutes, useful for a multi-stop soak day.
- Seven color-coded Hells turn a hot-spring circuit into a visual scavenger hunt.
See also
Kitakyushu
Japan33.88°N 130.88°E
Overview
Beppu is famous for visually striking hot springs known as the Hells of Beppu. Most onsen and the Jigoku cluster in Kannawa, a useful base for a bath-focused stay.
Languages: Japanese
Why Go?
Beppu is a city in Oita prefecture on Kyushu, Japan, famous for its visually stunning hot springs, known as the Hells of Beppu, and is one of Japan's Three Great Hot Springs. It was once known as the Las Vegas of Japan due to its sex industry, but the city has been cleaning up. The city is along the coast pressed by mountains, resulting in a long layout. Most onsen and the Jigoku (hells) are in the Kannawa area.
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Getting Around
Buses to and from the Hell areas come around every 30 minutes. Many onsen are open very late, so many tourists opt to stay in one of the onsen areas.
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Where to Stay
The Kannawa area has many small ryokan and paved streets that make for pleasant evening walks in yukata. Budget options include dorm rooms from ¥2000 and private rooms from ¥2800.
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Food and Drink
Try vegetables and seafood placed in small baskets and cooked directly in the hot springs, called jigokumushi. Be sure to include shiitake mushroom, for which Beppu is famous. Chicken tempura (toriten) is another specialty. A good tendon (2 big prawns) costs ¥680 at Toyotsune.
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Things to Do
Visit the seven Hells of Beppu (Umi-Jigoku, Oniishibozu-Jigoku, etc.), each with unique colors and features. Take the Beppu Ropeway up Mt. Tsurumi for panoramic views. Relax in numerous onsens like Takegawara Onsen (sand bath), Hyōtan Onsen, and Yume Tamatebako. Observe hot springs steam from the Yukemuri Observation Platform.
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Budget
Budget travelers can find dorm beds from ¥2000 per night, meals from ¥400–1000, and onsen entry from ¥100–750. A daily budget of ¥4000–6000 is feasible.
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Day Trips
Nearby Yufuin offers more hot springs. Mount Aso is accessible via Kyushu Oudan Bus from a depot near JR Beppu Station. Usa has Usa Shrine and the African Safari. Oita is home to Takasakiyama where a colony of over 500 Japanese macaques can be visited.
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Go Next
From Beppu, onward destinations include Yufuin, Mount Aso, Usa, Oita, Hiji, Kitsuki, Kunisaki, Bungotakada, Usuki, Nakatsu, and Kagoshima via the JR Nippo line.
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Field guide adapted from Wikivoyage contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0. Text has been adapted and organized for this guide. About our sources.
Places to know
A few starting points from the guide. Check current hours and prices before you go.
- sleep
Beppu Guest House
Great location, nice staff, free laundry.
Recorded price: Dorm room ¥2,000, single room ¥2,800
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors
- sleep
Cabosu House Beppu Hamayu
Clean and cozy. English-speaking desk staff. Has own public natural hot spring (free for guests).
Recorded price: Dorm room ¥2500, single room ¥3500, twin room ¥2800p/p, triple room ¥2800p/p
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors
- sleep
Happy Neko
Budget accommodation in traditional Japanese style. There are many restaurants and onsens in the neighborhood. Free parking. They speak Japanese, English and Czech.
Recorded price: Apartment - single: ¥3100, double: ¥4300, Private Tatami Room - single: ¥3800, double: ¥5300, triple: ¥6600, quad: ¥8800
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors
- sleep
Minshuku Kokage
Has its own hot bath.
Recorded price: Japanese and Western style rooms ¥4350 for one, ¥7650 for two, ¥11,475 for three
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors
- sleep
Nogamihonkan Ryokan
New, spacious and well-appointed rooms, with meals and 3 private and 2 public onsen available. There is a fluent English speaker on staff during the day-time hours.
Recorded price: Double tatami room between ¥6480 and ¥16200, Double bed room between ¥5400 and ¥9360 (prices vary depending on the date)
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors
- sleep
OMOLOSO Hostel
Fantastically decorated rooms in a traditional Japanese-style home. Toshi-san speaks English well and gives invaluable tips about the surrounding area. Features a well-equipped kitchen and a common room to meet and greet. Opened July 2023.
Recorded price: dorm room 4000¥, privates 9000¥
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors
- eat
Hanatokei Coffee and Tea
Hanatokei is run by Mrs. Matsumoto, a devoted student of coffee beans and baking. The menu includes Japanese and Western style dishes.
Recorded price: ¥400-1000
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors
- eat
Izutsu
Good sashimi sets at low prices.
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors
Before you go
Accommodation
Budget dorms from ¥2000 per night; ryokan and guesthouses available in Kannawa area.
Food
Specialties: jigokumushi (hot spring steamed food) and toriten (chicken tempura). Meals from ¥400.
Money
Currency is Japanese Yen (JPY). Many establishments accept cash; credit cards are accepted at larger shops and hotels.
Transport
Buses from JR Beppu Station to the Hell areas run every 30 minutes. Ropeway round trip ¥1800.