Beppu Sights

  1. Ekimae Kōtō Onsen

    Ekimae Kōtō Onsen is very simple and hot, and just a couple of minutes' walk from the station.

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  2. Hebi-no-yu

    The Myōban area has a number of wonderful hidden baths, tucked away out of the public eye. High in the mountain greenery is a free rotemburo , the Hebi-no-yu (Snake Bath).

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  3. Hihōkan Sex Museum

    Given all that sybaritic bathing, Hihōkan Sex Museum fits right in. Among the Kannawa hells, it hosts a bizarre collection of sex-related items ranging all the way from fine erotic ukiyo-e (woodblock prints) and zany porno to life-sized dioramas and kinky toys. There's an unfortunate paucity of postcards in the gift store, but plenty of surreal items with which to disturb the customs officials on the way home.

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  4. Hirano Library

    Near Takegawara Onsen, the Hirano Library is a private institution with historical exhibits and photographs of the Beppu area.

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  5. Hyōtan Onsen

    The Hells, though mildly interesting, shouldn't distract you from the real hot springs. Scattered around the town are eight onsen areas. Onsen enthusiasts spend their time in Beppu moving from one bath to another - experts consider at least three baths a day de rigueur . Costs range from around ¥100 to around ¥1000 , though many (and two of the best) are free. Bring your own soap, washcloth and towel, as many places don't rent them. There's an onsen festival during the first weekend in April.

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  6. Ichinoide Kaikan

    The owner of Ichinoide Kaikan is an onsen fanatic, so much so that he built three pool-sized rotemburo in his backyard. The view, overlooking Beppu and the bay, is the city's finest. Bathing is free when you order a set menu ( teishoku ; around ¥1100 ), and the chefs prepare it while you swim. To get there by bus and walking, inquire at the Foreign Tourist Information Office. A shared taxi (from Beppu, around ¥900 ) might be a good investment.

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  7. Kitahama Termas Onsen

    For an onsen experience next to the beach, head to Kitahama. There are separate baths for men and women; the outside rotemburo mixes it up, but you'll need a bathing suit.

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  8. Mugen-no-Sato

    This collection of privately available small rotemburo is ideal for a romantic, secluded dip. Ask for a kazoku-buro (private bath). Mugen-no-sato is five minutes' walk west from Horita.

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  9. Mushi-yu Steam Bath

    The Hells, though mildly interesting, shouldn't distract you from the real hot springs. Scattered around the town are eight onsen areas. Onsen enthusiasts spend their time in Beppu moving from one bath to another - experts consider at least three baths a day de rigueur . Costs range from around ¥100 to around ¥1000 , though many (and two of the best) are free. Bring your own soap, washcloth and towel, as many places don't rent them.

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  10. Myōban Onsen Area Baths

    In this quiet and hilly area you will find numerous baths as well as odd thatched-roof huts that are Edo-era replicas of the huts in which bath salts were made. You can go inside (the salts resemble yellow-brown mould), wander the 'hell' outside, and even purchase salts for a bath from hell when you return home.

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  12. Nabeyama-no-yu

    The Myōban area has a number of wonderful hidden baths, tucked away out of the public eye. Nabeyama-no-yu is the last of the wild onsen of Myōban.

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  13. Onsen Hoyōland

    Onsen Hoyōland has wonderful giant mud baths, as well as mixed-gender and open-air bathing.

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  14. Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University

    In 2000, Kyoto-based Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University opened its landmark college in Beppu, with about half its undergraduates drawn from other parts of Asia and beyond - a unique situation in Japan. The campus overlooks the city from Jumonji-baru, a 30-minute bus trip from Beppu station (around ¥520 ).

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  15. Shibaseki Onsen Baths

    The Hells, though mildly interesting, shouldn't distract you from the real hot springs. Scattered around the town are eight onsen areas. Onsen enthusiasts spend their time in Beppu moving from one bath to another - experts consider at least three baths a day de rigueur . Costs range from around ¥100 to around ¥1000 , though many (and two of the best) are free. Bring your own soap, washcloth and towel, as many places don't rent them.

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  16. Shōnin-ga-hama Sand Bath

    Between JR Beppu station and the Kamegawa onsen area, try the very popular Shōnin-ga-hama Sand Bath ; it has a great beach location and English is spoken.

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  17. Takegawara Onsen

    The Hells, though mildly interesting, shouldn't distract you from the real hot springs. Scattered around the town are eight onsen areas. Onsen enthusiasts spend their time in Beppu moving from one bath to another - experts consider at least three baths a day de rigueur . Costs range from around ¥100 to around ¥1000 , though many (and two of the best) are free. Bring your own soap, washcloth and towel, as many places don't rent them.

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  18. The Hells

    Beppu's most hyped attraction is the 'hells' or jigoku , a collection of hot springs where the water bubbles forth from underground, often with unusual results. You can purchase an around ¥2000 coupon that covers all except two (Hon Bōzu Jigoku and Kinryū Jigoku). Unlike Unzen, where you see the geothermal wonders natural, raw, and unadorned, these have been turned into mini-amusement parks, each with a different theme.

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  19. Tsuru-no-yu

    The Myōban area has a number of wonderful hidden baths, tucked away out of the public eye. Locals built and maintain Tsuru-no-yu (the easiest to reach), a lovely free rotemburo up on the edge of Ogi-yama. During July and August, a natural stream emerges to form the milky blue bath. Take a bus to Konya Jigoku-mae bus stop (25 minutes northwest from JR Beppu station). Walk up the small road that hugs the right side of the graveyard until the road ends.

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