Oita Travel Guide: More Than Hot Springs, Packed with Diverse Attractions

The model course starts from JR Beppu Station, which also serves as a base for sightseeing.
Take a local bus from JR Beppu Station and get off at Kannawa Bus Terminal.
From there, it is a 5-minute walk to the first spot, Kamado Jigoku in Beppu Onsen.

First, start with Kamado Jigoku, where you can enjoy six different hells in one place.
The hell ponds, with their rising steam in colors such as cobalt blue and reddish brown, are truly impressive.
You can drink hot spring water said to be good for beauty, enjoy local specialties such as onsen pidan eggs and original pudding, and feel like you are in paradise while touring the hells.

Walk 5 minutes to Oniishibozu Jigoku.
This hot spring has such a long history that it was already recorded in the Bungo Fudoki of 733, a document describing the origins of place names and more.
It was named because the rounded bubbling hot mud resembles a monk’s shaved head.
Take a stroll around the area while watching the boiling hot mud.
Inside the facility is a footbath to soothe your tired feet after walking, and further inside is the day-use hot spring Oniishi no Yu, where you can enjoy various baths including family baths and open-air baths.
After enjoying the hot spring, be sure to try delicious foods such as kandori manju steamed with hot spring steam and xiaolongbao.

The next destination, Umi Jigoku, is a 4-minute walk away.
Passing through the long gate with its thatched roof, you will find a beautiful garden centered around a lotus pond, with many highlights including Umi Jigoku, Chinoike Jigoku, and Hakuryu Inari Shrine.
Umi Jigoku is especially famous for its distinctive beautiful cobalt blue color, created by dissolved iron sulfate in the hot spring water.
With a temperature of 98°C and a spring vein more than 200 meters deep, the billowing steam is a powerful sight.
Take a commemorative photo with Umi Jigoku in the background from the observatory, which is also a great photo spot for your trip.
There is also a tropical greenhouse heated by hot spring energy, and after enjoying the water lilies and unusual plants, relax in the open-air footbath.

After enjoying the walk and hot springs, head to Jigoku Mushi Kobo Kannawa, a 13-minute walk away, to try jigoku-mushi, a specialty of Kannawa Onsen.
Jigoku-mushi is a traditional cooking method that has continued since the Edo period (1603–1868), in which ingredients are steamed using geothermal hot spring steam.
At Jigoku Mushi Kobo, you can enjoy the unusual experience of making jigoku-mushi yourself.
The cooking process is very simple.
Place your favorite ingredients such as vegetables, seafood, meat, and eggs in a basket, then steam them using Approx. 100°C steam in a pot called a jigoku-mushi kama.
Because the ingredients are steamed all at once, their flavor is locked in and you can enjoy their natural taste.
The slight saltiness of the hot spring adds a flavorful accent.
Since no oil is used at all, it is also a healthy dish that many women will appreciate.
Take in the power of the hot springs through your meal too.

Take a bus from Kannawa Bus Terminal, which is just a short walk away, and in Approx. 10 minutes you will arrive at Myoban Onsen.
As soon as you get off the bus, the scent of sulfur fills the air.
The mineral-rich myoban sulfur spring is said to have long been effective for beautiful skin, sensitivity to cold, neuralgia, and more.
At Myoban Yunosato, where yunohana is produced, you can observe the production technique of yunohana, which has been designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan.
Yunohana is a solidified form of hot spring minerals, and is used in bath products that let you enjoy an authentic hot spring feeling at home, as well as cosmetics and other items.
You can buy yunohana at the shop, making it a great souvenir.
Be sure to also stop by Okamotoya Shop, famous for another local specialty, jigoku-mushi pudding.
The jigoku-mushi pudding, with its slightly bitter caramel and rich flavor, is delicious.
While eating your pudding, spend a relaxing afternoon taking in the scenery unique to Myoban Onsen, including the rising steam and abundant nature.

After a short break, take a bus from Jizoyu-mae Bus Stop, which is just a short walk away.
Get off at JR Beppu Station West Exit and walk to Takegawara Onsen.
Takegawara Onsen is a public bathhouse established in 1879 and has become a symbol of Beppu Onsen.
The current building was rebuilt in 1938, and its stately exterior with a grand karahafu gabled roof gives it a dignified presence.
The bath area has an old-fashioned semi-basement style that evokes history and tradition. The men’s bath features chloride spring water, while the women’s bath features bicarbonate spring water.
Enjoy the hot springs at this traditional public bathhouse, where you can feel its history and heritage.

Stroll through the retro, atmospheric streets as you make your way to your accommodation, Yamada Bessou, a relaxing hot spring inn.
Yamada Bessou is a renovated residence that was originally built in 1930 as a villa for a businessman.
The building has a Japanese-Western eclectic design, and the Western-style reception room has a modern look with nostalgic touches such as plaster ceiling decorations and lamps
There are both an open-air bath and an indoor bath with free-flowing hot spring water from the source, and the open-air bath is available by reservation for private use, allowing you to relax and enjoy water said to be good for the skin.
Dinner is intentionally not served at the inn, as they want guests to enjoy delicious local restaurants instead.
Finding a great restaurant while strolling through the streets of Beppu is also one of the pleasures of sightseeing.
Soothe your tired body after walking so much with hot springs and delicious food.

The second day also starts from JR Beppu Station.
First, take a train to Usa Station. From Usa Station, the next spot is Approx. 7 minutes away by taxi.

Founded in 725, Usa Jingu is the head shrine of more than 40,000 Hachiman shrines across Japan.
It is revered by the Imperial family as the second most important ancestral shrine after Ise Jingu.
Take your time strolling through the grounds of Usa Jingu, where the main hall and the Amida Hall of Fukiji Temple are designated National Treasures, and many valuable cultural properties remain.
On the vast grounds, the upper shrine stands on the summit of Mount Kameyama, while the lower shrine and other shrine buildings spread out below, along with places such as the treasure hall where you can experience history and culture.
The enshrined deity, Hachiman Okami, is said to offer blessings in all areas through powerful divine protection.
The same deity is also enshrined at the lower shrine, so be sure to visit there as well.

Take a taxi back to JR Usa Station, then ride the Nippo Main Line to Kizuki Station. From there, take a bus to the entrance of Kizuki Castle Town.
The townscape, including Kizuki Castle, samurai residences, and merchant houses, preserves a distinctly Japanese atmosphere and is designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
The stone-paved Suya no Saka and Shioya no Saka, which connect the samurai residences on the hill with the merchant district, are representative spots of the castle town.
There are also other beautiful slopes scattered throughout the town, such as Ameya no Saka and Kanjoba no Saka.
There are restaurants in and around Kizuki Castle Town where you can enjoy local gourmet foods, so if you get hungry, stop in at any place that catches your eye for lunch.
It is also recommended to rent a kimono at a nearby shop and stroll the atmospheric slopes in traditional dress.

Take the bus back to JR Kizuki Station, then transfer trains to JR Beppu Daigaku Station.
From the station, it is a 2-minute walk to Kamegawa Onsen, one of the Beppu Hatto hot spring areas.
At Kamegawa Onsen, try a sand bath, where you warm yourself while buried in sand.
Once you change into a special yukata and lie down in the sand area, an attendant called a sunakake-san will cover your whole body with sand, leaving only your head exposed.
It is said to have a detox effect by helping eliminate waste and promote metabolism, and is considered especially effective for beauty and sensitivity to cold.
To wrap up your 2-day trip, relax with the sound of the waves, the pleasant breeze, and the warmth of the sand bath.