Beppu
Advertisement
By plane
The nearest airport is in Oita, from which shuttle buses run to Beppu downtown (¥1450, 40 minutes).
The Fukuoka airport can be also used thanks to the bus service from the airport through the Oita Expressway coming to Kannawa onsen / Beppu downtown (¥2000 in case of 4-coupon ticket, 110 minutes).
By train
The Sonic limited express train runs twice an hour from Fukuoka (Hakata Station) and Kokura, stopping at Beppu before terminating in Oita. From Hakata station to Beppu takes 117 minutes, and if purchased as an individual ticket costs ¥4290. From either Hakata or Kokura it's much better to buy nimai-kippu for ¥6,000
If you are coming from Honshu on the San'yo Shinkansen line , switch to the Sonic at Kokura station. From Kokura, you can reach Beppu in 75 minutes at a cost of ¥4290 each way (no charge with the Japan Rail Pass).
An overnight train, the Fuji, runs from Tokyo Station to Beppu in 17 hours, departing Tokyo at 6 PM. If you want reach Beppu in a shorter amount of time, you can take the 10 PM Sunrise Izumo/Sunrise Seto to Himeji, take the San'yo Shinkansen to Kokura, then take the Sonic to Beppu. (12 hours)
By car
The Oita Expressway runs from the south, passing a few miles to the west of the city. Exit at the Beppu Interchange. National Route 10 runs north-south through the city center, along the shore of Beppu Bay.
By boat
Uwajima-un yu ferrry company operates frequent service from Yawatahama, with about 6 crossings per day, going to Beppu port.
Diamond Ferries runs a service from Kobe to reasonably nearby Oita, with no stops. It also runs a service from Osaka to Oita, stopping in Matsuyama on the way.
Kansai-kisen operates a service from Osaka direct to Beppu.
Advertisement
Hot Spring Baths
Beppu is one of the most famous hot spring resorts in Japan. The city is blessed by as many as eight different springs, named Beppu, Kannawa, Myoban, Kankaiji, Hamawaki, Kamegawa, Horita and Shibaseki, each featuring public baths and ryokan with bathing facilities. Together they produce more hot spring water than any other resort in the country.
What sets Beppu apart from other onsen resorts is not only its abundance of thermal waters, but also the wide range of bath types that can be enjoyed there. Asides from conventional hot water baths, Beppu offers sand baths, where bathers are buried in naturally heated sand, steam baths that are heated by the steam of a hot spring and mud baths which are basically muddy hot water baths.
Hells (Jigoku)
Umi Jigoku
The "sea hell" features a pond of hot, blue water. It is one of the more beautiful hells.
Kamado Jigoku
The "cooking pot hell" features several boiling ponds and a flashy demon statue as cook.
Oniyama Jigoku
Crocodiles are bred and kept on the grounds of the "monster mountain hell".
Kinryu Jigoku
The "golden dragon hell" features a dragon statue and a greenhouse, heated by the hot spring.
Chinoike Jigoku
The "blood pond hell" features a pond of hot, red water. It is the most photogenic of the nine hells.
Tatsumaki Jigoku
The "spout hell" features a boiling hot geyser, which erupts every 25-30 minutes for about five minutes.
Oniishibozu Jigoku
This hell is named after the mud bubbles, which emerge from boiling mud pools and look like the shaven heads of monks.
Shiraike Jigoku
According to its name, the "white pond hell" features a pond of hot, milky white water.
Yama Jigoku
The "mountain hell" features small ponds of steaming hot water and a small zoo with small cages.
Takasakiyama Monkey Park
Takasakiyama (Mount Takasaki) is a forested mountain just outside of Beppu and home to more than 1500 wild Japanese monkeys. The monkeys are fed regularly by park wardens in order to keep them on the mountain and prevent conflicts with farmers and residents in the neighborhood.
Umitamago Aquarium
Umitamago is an attractive aquarium just outside of Beppu. Also known as "Oita Marine Palace", the aquarium recently underwent renovation works to be reopened as "Umitamago" in 2004.
Umitamago is a nicely done aquarium with interesting architecture and some displays that make you feel like being in a modern art museum rather than an aquarium. Animals living in Umitamago include seals, otters, dolphins, penguins and various fish.
Beppu Hihonkan
Conspicuously missing from the official maps provided by the local tourism agency, it's nevertheless quite easy to find, next to Siraike-Jigoku on Miyuki-zaka in the Kannawa Jigoku area.
January - March
Information not available
Advertisement
Photo Gallery
![](javascript:winopenlocfront("1316604895420.jpg"))
![](javascript:winopenlocfront("1316604895899.jpg"))
![](javascript:winopenlocfront("1316604895131.jpg"))
![](javascript:winopenlocfront("1316604895229.jpg"))
![](javascript:winopenlocfront("1316604895475.jpg"))