Do you know how great Beppu is? Beppu, Japan is said to be the number one onsen city in the world!
When you mention Beppu, many people overseas know at least about The Hells Tour. However, Beppu’s greatness as the number one onsen city doesn’t come from just that.. This time around, we’ll be introducing why it is that Beppu is number one in the world when it comes to hot springs!
Beppu Produces The Most Onsen Water
One of the reasons Beppu is said to be the best onsen city in the world is because of the sheer amount of hot springs people can take a bath in!
Yellowstone National Park in the United States is the best globally in terms of the amount of hot springs output. However, Beppu is the greatest when it comes to really experiencing hot springs because the hot springs overflowing from Yellowstone National Park are not maintained and you can’t really take a bath!
By the way, just how much is coming out…? About 83,000 l/m! And, with over 2,300 sources, it accounts for about one-tenth of Japan’s total source! There are a ton of hot springs in this small town called Beppu. Thanks to these 2,300+ sources, there are more than 100 communal hot springs in Beppu Onsen!! Beppu’s citizens are truly people living in luxury.
In addition, as you can see if you look at the picture below, in Beppu, hot spring baths are overflowing all over the town. There’s even a river where hot springs flow, so you see onsen are really everywhere in Beppu!
Beppu Has Variety
Next, I would like to introduce the fact that out of the 10 verified types of spring qualities, Beppu has 7 of them.
So far, there hasn’t been such a wide variety of springs in a single area. The Beppu Hatto (or Beppu`s 8 onsen areas) symbolize that abundance of the spring quality. Beppu has eight large hot spring areas, each of which houses a different spring quality. Check out this article about Beppu Hatto.
In addition, there is a way to enjoy the hot springs where you can make the best use of the various spring qualities in Beppu. That way is called “kinousen.” Kinousen means “bathing effectively” and refers to a method of further enhancing the effectiveness of hot springs by bathing in a combination of two different kinds of hot springs.
Kinousen can be practiced by bathing in a hot spring in the Kannawa area after bathing in a hot spring in the Myoban area. Beppu is small and many hot springs exist in the Myoban and Kannawa areas. In this article, I’ll be introducing the recommended hot springs in the Myoban and Kannawa area, so please check it out!
In Beppu, Onsen Is The Way Of Life
There are many hot springs in Beppu as described above. Therefore, hot springs are not only a part of tourism but also an integral part in the life of our citizens.
How do citizens living in a world-class onsen capital utilize these resources?! The three typical ways of enjoying are through observing, eating, and healing (bathing).
Observing
First up is observing hot springs. This is a part of the famous tourist attraction, the Hells Tour. But what exactly is the Beppu Hells Tour? Please check out this article for more information.
By the way, did you know that man displayed as a bronze statue in front of Beppu Station is the one who made the tour? Please check out this article for more information.
Eating
Next, I will introduce how eating relates to hot springs. I am referring to “jigokumushi!” …Hell steaming? Please check out this article for more information.
Bathing
Finally, there is a healing hot spring, which refers to taking a bath in a hot spring. But did you know that, even though it has the word for “bathing” in it, there are various ways of enjoying the world’s best hot springs?
For example, “mushiyu” is where you steam yourself, “sunayu” is where you get buried in sand (like at Beppu’s beach sand bath) and “doroyu” is where you get covered in mud.
In Beppu, it’s possible to enjoy unique hot springs. Please check out all the ways you can enjoy the unique hot spring summarized in this article.
The Kannawa area is where the local culture of these long-standing hot springs still remains prominent. In the Kannawa area, there is still a way to relax using a hot spring called “toji” culture.
Since you can make it there on foot from the Hells Tour area, we’d love for those who come to Beppu to go and experience that area.
Check this out for places where you can learn more about culture and culture experiences^^
Have your fill of hot springs in Beppu, the onsen capital of the world!
Well then, how was it?
If you’ve read this far, you understand why Beppu hot springs is referred to in such a way now, right?
Alongside the amount and types of hot springs, a sort of onsen culture exists that was nurtured by the citizens who love these springs. Please try enjoying the hot springs in the world’s greatest hot spring city!
