Beppu Hells

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The Beppu Hells (Jigoku) are a group of seven spectacular hot springs meant for viewing rather than bathing, scattered across the Kannawa and Shibaseki districts of Beppu in Oita Prefecture. Each 'hell' has its own distinct colour, temperature and character, from cobalt-blue ponds to bubbling grey mud and a scarlet, iron-rich pool.

With water temperatures around 90-99 degrees Celsius, these vividly coloured springs have been landscaped into gardens and are Beppu's most famous sightseeing circuit.

The Hells offer a rare, safe way to witness the raw geothermal power that fuels Beppu without stepping into scalding water. The intense colours, roaring steam and geyser eruptions are genuinely dramatic and photogenic.

A single circuit packs in blue, red, white and mud pools, alligator ponds heated by the springs, and steam-cooked snacks, making it an efficient, family-friendly introduction to the town's volcanic identity.

Umi Jigoku (Sea Hell) dazzles with its turquoise-blue water, while Chinoike Jigoku (Blood Pond Hell) glows deep red from iron oxide. Tatsumaki Jigoku is a punctual geyser that erupts every 30-40 minutes.

Oni-ishibozu bubbles with grey mud resembling shaved monk heads, Kamado has multiple pools and a demon statue, Oniyama keeps crocodiles warm with spring heat, and Shiraike is a milky-white pond in a tranquil garden.

Walk the circuit photographing each coloured pool, soak your feet in free footbaths, and try steam-cooked eggs, pudding and buns sold at several hells. At Umi Jigoku you can view a lotus pond and greenhouse warmed by the spring.

Watch Tatsumaki's geyser erupt, see the crocodiles at Oniyama, and buy yunohana crystals and pudding souvenirs before finishing your tour.

Umi Jigoku and Chinoike Jigoku are the two unmissable pools and the most iconic images of Beppu. Tatsumaki Jigoku's geyser is the best 'live' spectacle if you time your visit to an eruption.

Kamado Jigoku, with its several small hells and demon mascot, is the most varied single stop and a good place to sample steam-cooked snacks.

The greenhouse and lotus pond behind Umi Jigoku are often overlooked but beautiful, growing tropical plants and giant Amazon water lilies with geothermal heat. Kamado's free footbath and steam inhalation spot are easy to miss.

The quieter Shiraike Jigoku, set in a landscaped garden, offers a calmer moment away from the busier blue and red hells.

The Hells reflect a long tradition of naming these fearsome springs after Buddhist hells, and demon (oni) imagery appears throughout, tying into Beppu folklore. Steam-cooking snacks over natural vents continues a local geothermal food custom.

Seasonal decorations and the nearby Kannawa steam kitchens connect the attraction to the everyday onsen culture of the surrounding town.

While the pools themselves are landscaped, the Hells sit amid the steaming hillsides of Kannawa, where fumaroles vent naturally across the neighbourhood. The gardens at Umi and Shiraike showcase how geothermal heat supports plant life.

The surrounding Tsurumi mountains and wider Aso-Kuju National Park offer hiking and volcanic scenery a short drive away.

Children love the bold colours, the crocodiles at Oniyama, the demon statues, and watching the geyser blow. The paths are stroller-friendly at the main hells, and steam-cooked eggs and pudding are fun, safe treats.

Footbaths let kids dip their feet, and the compact circuit keeps young legs from tiring too quickly.

The Hells are a daytime attraction and close in the late afternoon, so there is no on-site nightlife. Evening entertainment lies back in central Beppu's izakaya and bars.

After your visit, the steam-lit streets of Kannawa make an atmospheric early-evening stroll before dinner.

The turquoise surface of Umi Jigoku, especially with rising steam on a cool morning, is the signature shot. Chinoike Jigoku's red water framed by green foliage is equally striking.

Capture Tatsumaki's geyser mid-eruption, the milky Shiraike garden, and the wider steaming rooftops of Kannawa from higher vantage points nearby.

These springs have been feared and revered for over a thousand years, appearing in early records as forbidding, uninhabitable ground. In the early 20th century they were developed into paid sightseeing attractions as Beppu became a national resort.

Umi Jigoku, Chinoike Jigoku and several others are now designated Places of Scenic Beauty, recognising both their geology and long cultural significance.

The Hells embody Beppu's identity as a geothermal town, where demon imagery, steam cooking and hot-spring pride all converge. Vendors selling jigoku-mushi snacks continue a food culture found only in places with abundant natural steam.

The attraction is closely tied to Kannawa's onsen district, whose lanes and steam kitchens extend the same volcanic theme.

Cool mornings in autumn and winter are best, as lower air temperatures make the steam thick and dramatic and colours pop against clear skies. Arriving at opening beats the tour-bus crowds.

Spring and autumn also bring pleasant garden foliage, while summer visits are fine but hot; the pools are enjoyable year-round.

The Hells are outdoors, so weather shapes the experience: crisp winter and autumn days yield the most impressive steam, while summer is hot and humid. Rain in the June-July wet season can dampen a visit but also intensifies the mist.

Spring offers mild temperatures and blooming gardens at Umi and Shiraike.

The Hells participate in Beppu's April Onsen Matsuri, sometimes with special access or events, and seasonal illuminations or decorations appear at certain pools. Steam-cooking demonstrations run through the year.

Check the Beppu Jigoku Association site for any seasonal programmes during your visit.

Start early at the Kannawa cluster (Umi, Oniishibozu, Shiraike, Kamado, Oniyama) which are within walking distance of each other, allowing about two hours. Then take a short bus or drive to the Shibaseki cluster for Chinoike and Tatsumaki.

Finish with a steam-cooked snack and browse the Kannawa steam kitchens before an afternoon onsen soak.

Allow roughly two to three hours to tour all seven hells at a relaxed pace, including footbaths and snacks. The five Kannawa hells alone take about 90 minutes.

Add travel time between the two clusters; combined with lunch and a bath, the Hells easily fill a half day.

From JR Beppu Station, take a Kamenoi bus (routes 2, 5, 41 and others) toward Kannawa; the ride takes about 20-25 minutes. The Chinoike and Tatsumaki hells are a few stops further at Shibaseki.

By car it is roughly 15 minutes from the station, with parking available at the main hells.

The five Kannawa hells are within easy walking distance of one another along a signposted route. To reach Chinoike and Tatsumaki in Shibaseki, take a short bus ride or drive, as they are a couple of kilometres away.

A My Beppu Free bus pass is convenient if you are combining the hells with other town sights.

The nearest bus stops are Umi Jigoku-mae or Kannawa for the main cluster, and Chinoike Jigoku-mae for the Shibaseki pair. JR Beppu Station is the rail gateway, about 20-25 minutes away by bus.

Buses run frequently throughout the day between the station and Kannawa.

The Hells generally open daily around 8:00 and close at 17:00, including holidays. Individual snack stalls and footbaths follow similar hours.

Confirm current opening times on the official Beppu Jigoku Association website before visiting, as they can change seasonally.

A combined ticket covering all seven hells costs around 2,200 yen for adults, with reduced rates for children; individual hell entry is roughly 450 yen each. The combo ticket is the best value if you plan to see several.

Prices may change, so verify on the official site before your visit.

Kamado and Umi Jigoku sell steam-cooked eggs, buns and Beppu's famous jigoku-mushi pudding, and the surrounding Kannawa district has restaurants where you steam your own ingredients. Casual eateries and cafes line the nearby lanes.

For a fuller meal, central Beppu near the station offers toriten, reimen and seafood izakaya.

Steam-cooked jigoku-mushi pudding is the signature treat at the Hells, alongside eggs and buns cooked over natural vents. The wider area is known for Oita toriten (chicken tempura) and Beppu reimen cold noodles.

Local shochu and citrus products make good accompaniments and souvenirs.

Kannawa is dotted with atmospheric ryokan and guesthouses within walking distance of the main hells, many offering their own volcanic baths. Staying here lets you tour the pools early before crowds arrive.

Central Beppu near the station provides more hotels and easier rail access, a short bus ride away.

A Hells visit is inexpensive: about 2,200 yen for the combined ticket plus a few hundred yen for snacks and bus fares. Including lunch and a bath, a half-day outing runs roughly 3,500-5,000 yen per person.

Buying the combo ticket and using a bus pass keeps costs down.

Each hell has a small shop selling themed souvenirs, from demon trinkets to yunohana bath crystals and steam-cooked pudding gift boxes. Umi Jigoku's shop is the largest.

The surrounding Kannawa lanes offer onsen cosmetics, local sweets and shochu for gifts.

The pools reach near-boiling temperatures, so stay behind the barriers and keep children and pets under control at all times. Steam and heated ground occur throughout the area, so remain on marked paths.

Paths can be slippery when wet or steamy; wear stable shoes and take care around the geyser at Tatsumaki.

The main Kannawa hells have paved, largely flat paths and are mostly accessible, though a few viewpoints involve steps. Chinoike and Tatsumaki have some slopes.

Wheelchair users can enjoy the core sights; check the official site for detailed barrier-free information and available parking.

Key signage at the hells is multilingual, and staff at the main pools can often manage basic English. Snack stalls and smaller shops operate mainly in Japanese.

A translation app helps with menus and tickets; simple phrases and gestures are usually enough.

Buy the combined ticket and visit the five walkable Kannawa hells first, saving Chinoike and Tatsumaki for a quick bus hop. Arrive at opening to avoid tour groups and get the best steam.

Time your Shibaseki visit to catch a Tatsumaki geyser eruption, and pair the tour with a nearby onsen soak afterward.

Bring a camera for the vivid pools, a small towel if you plan to use footbaths, and coins for snacks and lockers. Comfortable walking shoes suit the paved but sometimes sloping paths.

Water to stay hydrated and a light layer for cool mornings complete the kit.

Use the frequent buses rather than driving, carry a refillable bottle, and dispose of snack wrappers responsibly at the on-site bins. Buy locally made yunohana crystals and pudding to support Kannawa producers.

Stay on marked paths to protect the fragile geothermal ground and its plant life.

The Kannawa steam kitchens, Myoban's yunohana huts and the Beppu Ropeway up Mount Tsurumi are all close. Takasakiyama monkey park and Umitamago aquarium lie a short drive south toward Oita city.

Yufuin and the Kunisaki Peninsula's temples make longer day trips from the same base.

The Beppu Jigoku Association (Beppu Hells) official website lists opening hours, ticket prices, individual hell descriptions and access maps in multiple languages. Beppu City's tourism site and the station information centre provide further help.

Check these sources for the latest prices and any seasonal events before you go.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.