Just for the Hell of It – The Hells of Beppu
The resort town of Beppu, on the north-east coast of the Japanese island of Kyushu, is sometimes known as the ‘Las Vegas of Japan’. Being located in the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, hot springs and volcanic activity are found across the country. Onsen are hot springs resorts that are popular all over Japan. As well as soaking in springs or wallowing in warm sand, Beppu also has seven ‘hells’ to explore. Here is our guide to the Hells of Beppu.
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Like many comparisons between cities, describing Beppu as ‘The Las Vegas of Japan’ doesn’t make much sense. Some other examples include the lovely colourful district of Gamcheon Culture Village in Busan, which is known as the ‘Machu Picchu of Korea’. Or the historic town of Jajce has the ‘Niagara Falls of Bosnia & Herzegovina’. Or the UK city of Birmingham is known as the ‘Venice of the North’ due to its extensive canal network. We are fairly certain that Venice is not referred to as the ‘Birmingham of the Med’.
Beppu isn’t the glitzy town you might expect, in fact it’s a little bit sleepy these days. But it is most definitely a place to enjoy relaxing in the hot springs. And many of its seven Hells – geothermally active pools and geysers – have the added fun of touristy gimmicks.
How To Get to Beppu
From Tokyo, Kyoto or Osaka, you can get the shinkansen to Kokura or Hakata. Then you need to transfer to the Sonic limited express train to Beppu. If you are using the shinkansen you may well benefit from a JR Pass which gives you unlimited access to the Japan Rail trains. Beppu is a long way from Tokyo, so it would be better to spend time exploring Kyushu as part of a longer trip ather than travelling from the Tokyo area. We flew into Osaka and caught the shinkansen into Kyushu from there. We also explored Nagasaki, Kagoshima and Yakushima on that trip.
Where to Stay in Beppu
There are plenty of hotels and ryokan (traditional Japanese inns) in Beppu. We usually stay in cheap business hotels when we visit Japan but we treated ourselves to a stay at the Yamada Bessou ryokan. And, boy, were we glad we did! We had a suite of rooms at the top of the building.
Best of all, they had a rotemburo, an outdoor onsen, which we could use on a private basis – we just booked a half-hour slot on the chalk board at reception for each night. The photo below is a bit dark because we visited in February. But we could bathe in a pool of warm water, looking up at the stars in the crisp night sky. Heaven!
How To Use Onsen
There is an etiquette to using onsen. Many public baths are sex-segregated, so if you are travelling in a mixed gender group you won’t be able to bathe together. This is why the private onsen at our ryokan was so special. (Note that there is a separate – and segregated – area inside the ryokan for pre-bathing washing.)
Tattoos are still considered taboo as they are associated with gangsters. If your tattoo is small, put a sticking plaster over it.
You should always wash before entering the onsen. There will be washing facilities to ensure you can shower beforehand.
How To Visit The Hells Of Beppu
The Hells are located in two areas: five can be found at the district of Kannawa and the other two at Shibaseki.
The easiest way to visit the Hells is to catch a bus from Beppu JR station. Bus numbers 5 and 7 will take you to Kannawa in around 15 minutes. Once you have arrived at the bus stop, you can walk to the Hells.
Then you can catch the number 16/16A bus from Kannawa to Shibaseki. It takes around 5 minutes. This bus will also take you back to Beppu station after your visit. It’s around a half hour journey.
You can read our post about how to use public transport, including buses, in Japan.
There is a fee to visit the Hells. You can pay individually at each entrance, or get a Hells Pass for all of them, which is worth buying if you plan on visiting more than five hells.
Kannawa District Hells
Yama Jigoku
Mountain hell has steaming springs. It also has a small zoo, claiming that the warmth of the springs provides a comfortable environment for some of the exotic creatures. This wasn’t the most inspiring of hells for us.
Umi Jigoku
Sea Hell is named for its turquoise waters that resemble the ocean. It is one of the prettiest hells.
Oniishibozu Jigoku
The gentle plops of volcanic mud bubbling from this hell, which is thought to resemble a bald man’s head. We did try comparing and contrasting with Colin’s bald head. His doesn’t bubble.
Kamado Jigoku
Meet the demon of the Cooking Pot Hell! Foodies will enjoy tasting various foods from this bubbling cauldron.
Eggs boiled in the hot water, served with a pinch of salt, naturally, are a popular snack.
Shiraike Jigoku
A short walk away, this hell contains milky white water due to the high levels of sodium chloride. It has a manicured garden to wander around as well. We suggest avoiding the small aquarium.
Shibaseki District Hells
Catch the bus to this district to see the final hells – both are worth visiting as they are very different to the other Hells.
Chinoike Jigoku
This is known as the Blood Pond Hell, a beautiful pond filled with blood-red water. It is the prettiest of all the hells.
Tatsumaki Jigoku
This hell is actually a geyser which erupts every half hour or so for up to 10 minutes. Be prepared for the crowds to gather around for the next expected spurt. If you arrive with some time to spare before the eruption, there is a nice wooded trail to wander around before the geyser does its thing.
This hell also has an extensive gift shop for all your Beppu souvenirs.
Other Things To Do In Beppu
One of the best things to do in a resort town is enjoy resort activities. Although you can’t bathe in the Hells, bathing in onsen is a wonderful way to relax after sightseeing. There are many public onsen – to soak in the hot spring water. Sand baths are very popular here too. They comprise pits of sand heated by the natural steam of the area. You get in the pit, get covered with the volcanic sand and simply relax.
Hyotan Onsen is popular but can get crowded. Built in 1879, Takegawara Onsen is a classic old-school onsen. Some of the onsen do have private bathing facilities at extra cost.
The seafront looks a little tired these days, but you can visit Beppu Tower and get views of the city and seaside.
Beppu for Foodies
At Jigokumushikobo Kannawa on Yasuragi Street you can select meat and vegetables on a tray and then cook them in a basket in the steam from the hells. The words ‘jigoku mushi’ mean ‘hell-steamed’ and this is a popular meal to enjoy when visiting the area.
There are loads of izakaya (Japanese style pubs) in the city which offer a range of foods and a selection of drinks for a fine evening out. As with everywhere in Japan, the seafood is fantastic.
A great foodie souvenir we brought home was Beppu Yuzu Kosho – a paste of fermented yuzu (a type of citrus fruit) peel blended with salt and chilli. It’s a fantastic hot, sour, salty condiment that can be used as an accompaniment to meats and seafood.
Final Thoughts
Although it’s a little off the beaten path, Beppu is a great place to visit when on a trip to Kyushu. It offers a chance for a little R&R on your journey, to slow down and relish the heavenly onsen for a while. But the Hells of Beppu are also great fun to visit, so you can enjoy both sightseeing and relaxation in this town.
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“Birmingham of the Med” – I am screaming!
The reference to Las Vegas instantly placed glitzy lights, tacky luxury hotels and game slots and arcades into my head. Not necessarily hot springs! So here we have the Japanese version of Iceland. Those springs are lovely (the red one would be my fav too), very small, intimate, I can imagine this to be a very relaxing experience when going there in quieter off seasons. I’d be interested to know if you have heard any stories or superstitions whilst in the area? Hot springs called “hells” would stirr all sorts of ideas in my mind.
Carolin | Solo Travel Story
What a lovely read, I was tickled when read about Birmingham being the Venice of the North or Birmingham of the Med. Fascinating learning about all these places in the world I had never heard of, Beppu another newbie for me. It certainly looks a fascinating place, reminds me a lot of Rotorua in New Zeeland. Although I don’t think you can swim in them, it sounds amazing to swim in these. Great work
Love this post, which has taught me about an area of Japan I never knew existed. The hot springs, so many of them to explore, sound amazing. Adding to my list!
I’ve never heard of the Hells of Beppu but they look fascinating. They remind me of the thermal pools I’ve visited in New Zealand which, from their description as the Las Vegas of Japan, was totally unexpected!! I wonder if the person in their marketing team who came up with that comparison has actually been to Vegas!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Beppu and the different hells. The red one looks beautiful. I always enjoy hot springs when the opportunity arises. I would not be welcome in most onsens because of the larger tattoos on my upper arm, so I would definitely be interested in a private one. What a lovely option to have one at your digs.
I can already see myself wading through the hot springs and dipping in the private onsen. I think having the opportunity to just stay still and for once listen “literally” to the earth’s pulse throbbing in the form of a hot spring is a treat. Beppu channels a sort of reverie and rest altogether #𝐟𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐛𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞🥖🪽
Las Vegas this is not, the comparison both amused and confused me when I saw it as this place looks way more relaxing and not as overly stimulating as the Nevada city tends to be. I’m happy to say this seems like a place I could well and truly spend some time, not that Vegas doesn’t have its place in the world or my travels. I especially like the look of Sea Hell and Red Pond Hell, although I have to wonder if there’s a story around not going to the aquarium you mentioned.
Brilliant-looking demon in that snap shot. He is definitely on brand when one thinks of hell, or at least, the steam rising from a seismic region.