Beppu.

Steam billows upwards from Beppu’s (別府) many onsen. As you ride the bus from Beppu Station (別府駅) up through the city and towards its onsen district you’ll notice the many puffs of hot steam rising from under the ground. Walking around the Kannawa district of Beppu (where most of the onsen and ‘hells’ of Beppu are located) you’ll notice the wisps of heat escaping from the gaps in the street. Despite it’s reputation for calm, underneath the ground Beppu churns with activity.

Long famed for its onsen, Beppu draws hordes of crowds who all come to try the hot baths and natural springs. Sandwiched between a set of dramatic mountains in the west, and the flat inland sea in the east, Beppu is a nestled hideaway from the toils of life.

Recently I took a short break from Kokura, my home city, and traveled an hour south to Beppu for the weekend. I went with the aim of trying some of the authentic onsen, in the end I visited two baths, Hyokan in Kannawa and Ebiyasu in the mountains. Whilst both provided a relaxing atmosphere, for me there was a clear winner. Whilst Ebiyasu boasted an amazing view down over the city, complete with autumn leaves and curiously milky white waters, as well as a reasonably good restaurant near by that sold one of the best Japanese curries i’ve had in Japanso far. The atmosphere was a little too quiet and too remote for my liking. For me Hyokan provided what I was looking for, a large selection of interesting baths, including a ‘waterfall’ bath, steam rooms and Beppu’s famous ‘sand baths’, in which you are buried up to your next in hot sand. Hyokan is very popular with visitors, and I can see why. It offers little in terms of views (largely just a large wall) but can provide conversation, interest, and a good traditional meal afterwards. I highly recommend that you bring your own towel set, most places charge for rental and you can save a few precious yen by bringing your own, as well as bringing your own soaps and shampoo.

Beppu is famous too for it’s ‘hells’, pools of natural hot water, the same you’d bathe in at an onsen, except superheated and often boiling. There are seven in total to visit, a 2000yen ticket will let you in to see all seven, although you could just as well select only a few. Each varies slightly, some are more muddy, others terrifyingly hot and active (a true hell) and one in particular is used to breed crocodiles (even more hellish). Each is worth seeing, and be sure to try some steam cooked foods, such as custard pudding and steam cooked sweet potato.

Beppu makes an excellent break from city life, closer to the station there are more bars and restaurants for those craving nightlife, and just outside the city there are more wildlife attractions that I’d consider visiting on my next trip. But if you come, come for the onsen. It’s simple one of Japan’s greatest features, and a trip here would be wasted without a visit to one.

Ken