The ‘Hells of Beppu’ (Beppu Jigoku) are a collection of spectacular hot springs — not for bathing, but for viewing — that are the signature attraction of Japan’s greatest onsen town. Over centuries these fiercely hot, mineral-rich springs, bubbling up from the volcanic earth with clouds of steam, were so violent and forbidding that locals called them ‘jigoku’ (hells). Today seven of them are developed for sightseeing, each with a dramatically different character: the stunning cobalt-blue Umi Jigoku (‘sea hell’), the seething blood-red Chinoike Jigoku (‘blood pond hell’), a geyser that erupts regularly, mud pools, and the popular Kamado Jigoku (‘furnace hell’), which showcases several types of colourful springs, steam vents and foot baths together, with stalls selling hell-steamed snacks and eggs. Colourful, steamy and utterly unique, a tour of the Hells is an essential Beppu experience.

🗓️ At a Glance
Location Beppu (Kannawa & Shibaseki), Oita
Hours ~8:00–17:00
Admission Combined ticket for the hells
Time needed 2–3 hours
Best time Year-round; steamy in winter

What to See

  • The cobalt-blue Umi Jigoku (Sea Hell).
  • The blood-red Chinoike Jigoku (Blood Pond Hell).
  • The multi-featured Kamado Jigoku (Furnace Hell).
  • Geysers, mud pools and hell-steamed snacks.

Combine Your Visit

Getting There

  • By bus: from Beppu Station to the Kannawa hell area.
  • By car: the hells cluster around Kannawa and Shibaseki.

Tips

Buy the combined ticket that covers all seven hells, and note most cluster around Kannawa with two (including the Blood Pond Hell) a short bus ride away in Shibaseki. Wear comfortable shoes for walking between them, remember these springs are for viewing not bathing, and try the hell-steamed eggs and snacks sold at the sites.