Beppu: 8 Hells & Onsen Town

Beppu produces more hot-spring water than anywhere else in Japan, and it shows: steam rises from drains, roadside vents, and rooftops across town. The headline attraction is the jigoku meguri (Hells circuit), a walkable set of dramatically colored, scalding-hot springs around Kannawa. Pair it with a sand bath at Shoningahama Beach, a soak in one of the town's public bathhouses, and jigoku mushi (steam-cooked food) for lunch.

Things to do

Steam pouring across the pale blue pool of Kamado Jigoku, the Cooking Pot Hell, with its painted thermometer signboard on the rocks and visitors at the railing

7 Hells of Beppu: Walking Order, Timing, Tickets and Which to Skip (2026)

How to walk the 7 hells of Beppu in order: a timed route through Kannawa's five, the bus to Chinoike and Tatsumaki timed to the geyser, the ¥2,400 ticket math, Kamenoi passes, the lore, and an honest list of which hells disappoint.

Day tours

Beppu Hells steaming blue water at Umi Jigoku, the Sea Hell

Beppu Day Tour from Fukuoka: 8 Hells + Onsen Guide (2026)

How to do a Beppu day trip from Hakata: the 8 Hells circuit, Kannawa onsen, foot baths, sand bath, steam food, and Klook tour options vs. DIY by JR Sonic.

Photo credits

Steam pouring across the pale blue pool of Kamado Jigoku, the Cooking Pot Hell, with its painted thermometer signboard on the rocks and visitors at the railing: 663highland, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
Beppu Hells steaming blue water at Umi Jigoku, the Sea Hell: Raita Futo, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons