Takegawara Onsen

Beppu's urban area is well known as "Beppu Onsen," one of Beppu Hatto(Beppu's eight hot springs), with hot springs bubbling up all over the place. There are a number of public bathhouses and inns in the town, and locals enjoy the hot springs daily.

Among the many hot spring facilities, the Takegawara Onsen, established in 1879 (Meiji 12), is particularly famous and has become a symbol of Beppu Onsen. The current building was rebuilt in 1938 and had a stately appearance with a magnificent KARAHAFU roof (one of the traditional Japanese roofs). The lobby, which retains the image of the early Showa period, has a high ceiling and is spacious, allowing visitors to relax after taking a bath while watching TV or reading a magazine.

The bathhouse is an old-fashioned half-underground type with a sense of history and tradition. The quality of the spring is a chloride spring for the men's baths and a bicarbonate spring for the women's baths. There are no showers in the Futsuu Yokujo(regular bathrooms), so when washing your hair or face, you must use a washbowl.

There is also a SUNAYU(sand bath for both men and women) where visitors can detoxify their waste by burying themselves in sand heated by the hot spring heat and sweating.
Reservations for the sand bath are not available by phone or online. Tickets must be purchased at the counter on the day of the visit. The sand bath is trendy, and the number of visitors is limited, so you need to purchase your ticket early.