2/24/2007

Beppu is known for its hot springs resorts. There seems to be a variety of hot springs for your try out there, i.e. the sand baths. The hot springs are divided into two kinds - the onsen (for bathing) and the Jigoku or directly translated to Hell (for viewing). I guess if you were to bath in a Jigoku you’d die cos it’s too hot?

Anyway, the most popular nine (also the most touristy) hells are as followed:

* Umi Jigoku
The “sea hell” features a pond of hot, blue water.
* 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
This hell features a pond of hot, milky water.
* Chinoike Jigoku
The “blood pond hell” features a pond of hot, red water.
* Tatsumaki Jigoku
This hell features a boiling hot geyser which erupts every 25-30 minutes for about five minutes.

The most famous Onsen in Beppu is the Takegawara Onsen. It offers a variety of hot springs and pool that will satisfy patrons of all taste.

Beppu is best accessed from Kokura Station, which is the last station on the Sanyo Shinkansen before the Hakata terminal in Fukuoka (about 5 1/2 hours from Tokyo by hikari shinkansen). From Kokura Station, there are two direct limited express trains to Beppu per hour. The one way trip takes about 75 minutes and costs 4,090 Yen.

It is also possible to use slower local trains to reach Beppu from Kokura, however, one transfer of trains is necessary, and there are only about three good connections per day. The one way trip by local trains takes twice to three times longer than by limited express, but it costs only 2,420 Yen.

Source: Japan-Guide