Myoban Onsen Hot Spring

It is one of Beppu's eight hot springs and is about a 10-minute bus ride up the mountain from Kannawa Onsen. It is secluded and peaceful, and the smell of sulfur fills the air. The water is a cloudy sulfur spring that is said to help with skin diseases and neuralgia.

Alum has been produced here using hot spring gas since the Edo period (1603-1867), and the unique shape of the Yu-no-hana huts that house the alum production has become an iconic scenery of Myoban Onsen. After the Meiji period (1868-1912), when chemical products began to be imported from overseas, the production of yu-no-hana (the hot spring iron and aluminum deposits that resemble flowers) used as bath salts, which are made during the alum production process, became the area's main product.

Visitors can observe the technique of yu-no-hana production, which has been designated a National Important Intangible Cultural Asset, at "Myoban Yu no Sato," where yu-no-hana are still produced the way they were back then. Yu-no-hana are popular as souvenirs and can be purchased at the store. There's also an open-air rock bath with a beautiful view.

Another specialty of Myoban Onsen is "onsen pudding," which is cooked by steaming onsen steam, and Okamotoya near the "Jizoyu" bus stop is always crowded with visitors.