Beppu: Hot Springs and Sand Bath

Beppu is a destination whose character stems from the extraordinary presence of hot springs. The city has nearly 3,000 hot springs and the largest volume of hot spring water in Japan. This scale shapes how you see the place: it is not just about a single bath, but a city whose range of springs brings together several travel interests. The combination of a broad hot spring landscape and a distinctive historic building offers two different ways to discover Beppu. If you are travelling with your family, you can then decide whether the variety of baths or a particular cultural experience should shape your trip more.

Beppu as a Hot Spring Destination

Beppu has eight major hot spring areas. They offer numerous indoor and outdoor baths with different water properties. Two levels are important for getting your bearings: the eight areas as a framework and the different types of baths as specific experiences. If you enjoy comparing different bathing options, indoor or outdoor baths and water properties can serve as criteria. This lets you focus on the variety of hot springs rather than reducing Beppu to a single attraction. You can choose which areas or baths to include in your plans according to your personal preferences.

Takegawara: History and a Sand Bath

One particularly distinctive place is Takegawara Onsen. Built in 1879, it is one of Beppu’s oldest and most famous hot springs. Its building is considered a symbol of Beppu’s hot springs. The year it was built anchors the site in the town’s history; its status as a symbol reflects its importance to the image of the hot spring city. For those interested in architecture and local history, Takegawara offers a specific point of reference alongside the broad overview of Beppu’s hot spring areas. The focus here is not on the variety of many baths, but on a single historic building.

Visitors can also enjoy a sand bath at Takegawara Onsen. Staff cover guests wearing yukata with hot sand. This experience offers a different focus from the indoor and outdoor baths available throughout Beppu: here, the sand bath itself takes centre stage. If you want to make this experience a firm part of your trip, check the latest operating details before your visit. The description of the process makes clear what distinguishes this type of bathing and what to expect from this activity.

Getting There and Finding a Holiday Rental

Beppu is reachable from Ōita Airport by bus in about 45 minutes. Travel time may vary depending on traffic and the timetable, so check the latest schedule before setting off. When looking for a holiday rental in Beppu, you can use your preferred hot spring focus as the first planning decision: do you want different types of baths to shape your trip, or would you rather focus on historic Takegawara and its sand bath? The bus journey also gives you a concrete timeframe for your arrival. This way, you can connect the reason for your trip with a practical part of your planning.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Hita, Nakatsu, Bungo-Takada, Kunisaki, Saiki, Usuki, Kusu District, Yufu.

For the main travel overview: Ōita Prefecture.