Beppu

Beppu is Japan's hot-spring capital, producing more thermal water than anywhere else in the country and ranking second in the entire world. Steam rises from rooftops, gutters, and hillsides across the city — a constant reminder that you're sitting on one of Earth's most active geothermal zones. With eight distinct onsen districts and over 2,000 spring sources, the sheer variety of bathing experiences here is unmatched.

Beyond soaking, Beppu's famous “Hells” (Jigoku) are a series of spectacular natural hot springs too hot for bathing — boiling mud pools, cobalt-blue ponds, and geysers erupting on schedule. The city's retro charm, friendly locals, and sand-bathing onsen at Beppu Beach add up to one of Kyushu's most distinctive stops.