JP · Oita Prefecture · 33.28°N 131.49°E

beppu

Steam rising everywhere, 'hell' hot springs to tour and food cooked in onsen steam.

Best time
Autumn to spring, when cool air makes the steam and the baths more enjoyable. Summers are hot and humid.
How long
1–2 days
Getting there
Fly from KL to Fukuoka (around 6 hours, often with a connection), then take the Sonic limited express to Beppu in about 2 hours. Oita Airport, with flights from Tokyo and Osaka, is about 45 minutes away by airport bus.
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JP · Oita Prefecturebeppu33.28°N 131.49°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Steam rising everywhere, 'hell' hot springs to tour and food cooked in onsen steam.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingBeppuJP, Oita Prefecture
KLbeppu
≈ 4,562 km from KL, as the crow flies
Beppu City, Oita Prefecture

Photo: Japanexperterna · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

An onsen city on Kyushu's east coast where steam rises from vents all over town. It has more hot spring sources than almost anywhere in Japan, so you can tour boiling 'hells', get buried in hot sand and eat food steamed over the springs.

Makan

  1. Jigoku-mushiEggs, vegetables and seafood cooked in onsen steam. Kannawa has a steam kitchen where you cook your own.Map ↗
  2. ToritenOita's chicken tempura, dipped in ponzu with a dab of mustard.Map ↗
  3. Beppu reimenChewy cold noodles in a light, clear broth, a local favourite.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. The Hells of BeppuA tour of boiling hot springs for looking, not bathing, including the cobalt-blue Sea Hell and the red Blood Pond Hell.Map ↗
  2. KannawaThe steamiest part of town, with old ryokan, public baths and vents puffing out of the streets.Map ↗
  3. Takegawara OnsenA grand old wooden bathhouse in the city centre, with a hot sand bath.Map ↗
  4. Beppu RopewayUp Mount Tsurumi for views over the city and Beppu Bay.Map ↗
  5. YufuinA prettier, quieter onsen village about an hour away by bus.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Onsen basics: wash before getting in, no swimwear in most baths and tie up long hair. Some baths refuse visitors with tattoos.
  • If you'd rather not bathe with others, book a private family bath (kazoku-buro). Many places have them.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.