12 Popular Hot Spring Areas to Visit in Kyushu, Japan’s Onsen Paradise

Beppu Onsen is the collective name for the hot springs found across Beppu City in Oita Prefecture.
With 2,847 hot spring sources and Approx. 130,000 kiloliters of water gushing out per day, it is the largest of its kind in Japan.
Beppu Onsen is divided into eight areas, so it is also called Beppu Hatto or Beppu Onsen-kyo. Since the spring quality and even the color of the water vary from area to area, hot spring-hopping is highly recommended.

This hot spring village is located along the Tanohara River, which flows through the mountains north of Aso.
Making the most of its mountain setting, each inn is treated as a detached guest room, the streets as corridors, and the entire hot spring town as a single ryokan under the concept of “Kurokawa Onsen, One Ryokan.” This has created a naturally charming and unified atmosphere throughout the town.

Ibusuki, a town at the southern tip of the Satsuma Peninsula in Kagoshima Prefecture, is a hot spring area with abundant water said to have more than 1,000 sources within the city, thanks to its unique volcanic terrain.
Its biggest draw is that in addition to regular baths, you can also enjoy the world-famous and rare sand bath experience.

This hot spring town has long been known as a healing place, even described in the Hizen Fudoki as “a hot spring in the eastern area that heals people’s illnesses.”
It flourished as a post town on the Nagasaki Kaido during the Edo period, and today it is counted among Japan’s three great hot springs for beautiful skin, alongside Hinoue Onsen in Shimane Prefecture and Kitsuregawa Onsen in Tochigi Prefecture.
The smooth, sodium-rich bicarbonate spring is said to emulsify and wash away sebum and impurities, leaving your skin remarkably soft and silky.

Yufuin Onsen is a hot spring area at the foot of Mt. Yufu, located near the center of Oita Prefecture.
With no large hotels and many elegant ryokan, it is especially popular with women.
Its water volume is said to rank second in Japan, and because it also has many sources, the inns are spread out rather than densely packed together, giving the whole area a spacious and relaxed atmosphere.

Kirishima Onsen-kyo is the collective name for the hot springs scattered across the southwestern part of the Kirishima mountain range at elevations of 600–850 meters, where you can enjoy different spring qualities and benefits at each location.
The central area of Kirishima Onsen-kyo is Maruo Onsen, lined with large hotels and ryokan.
Steam rising in thick plumes from all over town creates the classic atmosphere of a hot spring resort.
With its developed hot spring town, it is also popular as a base for sightseeing in Kirishima, including Kirishima Jingu Shrine and Takachiho Farm.

Developed as a summer resort for foreigners in the 19th century, Unzen Onsen is located in the center of the Shimabara Peninsula in southern Nagasaki Prefecture.
It is a rare hot spring town within a national park rich in nature, with many hotels and ryokan standing in the mountains at an elevation of 700 meters.
At the center of town is an area called “Jigoku,” where high-temperature hot spring sources cluster together, and you can walk through it along maintained paths. Wrapped in a strong sulfur smell and billowing white steam, the scenery truly feels like a terrifying hellscape.

Obama Onsen is set between Mt. Unzen to the east and Tachibana Bay to the west, forming a hot spring town full of old-fashioned charm.
There are 30 hot spring sources scattered throughout the area, producing an abundant 15,000 tons of hot water per day.
Another notable feature is the extremely high source temperature of 105°C, and the area boasts the highest heat output in Japan.

This hot spring town stretches around the Tsuetate River in Aso District, Kumamoto Prefecture, often called an inner retreat of Kyushu.
Its origins go back 1,800 years, with legend even saying it was used as the first bath for the baby who later became Emperor Ojin.
The spring qualities are mildly alkaline simple hot spring and chloride spring. It also contains a large amount of metasilicic acid, which helps enhance the effects of the hot spring, and is said to leave skin feeling moisturized and smooth after bathing.

This hot spring area lies along the Chikugo River in Asakura City on the border of Fukuoka and Oita, and is affectionately known as “Hakata’s inner retreat.”
Its signature water is a smooth blend of two types of springs: mildly alkaline simple hot spring and sulfur spring.
Widely known as one of Kyushu’s finest hot springs, it also attracts many visitors hoping for its powerful skin-beautifying effects, said to remove old dead skin cells.

This distinguished hot spring area with a history of 1,300 years is even mentioned in the Hizen no Kuni Fudoki, compiled during the Nara period.
Legend says it began when Empress Jingu, returning from a military expedition to Korea, struck the ground with the handle of her spear and caused the hot spring to gush forth.
The symbol of this hot spring area, where inns and day-use baths are scattered about, is the vermilion-painted Takeo Onsen Romon gate, which resembles the Dragon Palace.
Built in 1915, it was designed by Kingo Tatsuno, a native of Karatsu City in Saga and the architect of Tokyo Station.

Aoshima, an island with a circumference of about 1.5 kilometers, is known for its many power spots and sightseeing attractions. On the opposite shore, along the Nichinan Coast on Kyushu’s mainland side, is Aoshima Onsen.
This historic hot spring was once used by the feudal lord who governed Miyazaki Prefecture during the Edo period, and locals affectionately call it “Tono-yu.”
The spring quality at Aoshima Onsen is bicarbonate spring and chloride spring.
It is known for its smooth feel on the skin and strong skin-beautifying effects, and is also said to help with neuralgia, joint pain, and sensitivity to cold.
One of its main attractions is the open-air bath, where you can gaze out over the open sea and Aoshima Island.