Today, after breakfast, all of us checked out since we will move to Beppu. Beppu is located quite far from Fukuoka and it took around 3 hours from Hakata Bus Terminal (Fukuoka Prefecture) to Beppu Kitahama (Oita Prefecture). Along the journey, I spent a lot of my time by looking the window to look the surrounding. If feel like I was in another part of Japan since there was a lot of hills, farm and also I can saw sea along our way to Beppu. Sometimes, I fall asleep in the bus since it took many hours to reach Beppu. After arrived Beppu, we kept our luggage at Nishitetsu Inn and started our tour which is Hot Spring hunting!

Before we started our journey, we sat down near the lobby and discussed together about which hot spring that we will visited as there was a lot of hot spring in Beppu. Firstly, we decided to took GURU SPA BUS which was “Gurutto” that a loop buses (you can visit this website: http://www.kamenoibus.com/) which the cost was about 900 yen but, somehow we decided to go certain hot spring as the time was so limited and we took local bus only and the total of our expenses was less than 900 yen. Maybe in future, if I want to visit all the hot spring, I should take GURU SPA BUS as we need to pay once and can go to many places. My experience when took local bus was on the way to calculate for the cost. It was very easy as when I entered the bus, I just took a ticket with a number on it. At the front of the bus, there was a light board showing the cost to get off the bus at each stop that corresponds with the number on your ticket. It was so easy to figure out.

The first hot spring we went was Oniishibozu zjigoku that also known as monk’s hell. Oniishibozu Jigoku was named after the gurgling mud bubbles that look like shaven heads of monks. The powerful boiling mud of this hell had attracted many visitors to visit this hell.


The monk’s hell.

The second hell that we visited was umi Jigoku that also known as sea hell. The colour of the hell was Cobalt blue and it was too beautiful to be called hell. For me, this hell was such wonderful place that it was hard for me to express it. It was so mesmerizing when you saw the steam comed out from the hell. The bright blue is the color of iron sulfate. The clear blue gives an image of cool water, but actually the temperature of the water is 98℃. Before entered this hell, there is a stall outside it that sold a lot of food such as Jigoku steam-baked pudding which is one of the famous dessert here as it was steamed in hot water from Umi Jigoku.


Infront of umi Jigoku (sea hell)

Cobalt blue water of Umi Jigoku is too beautiful to be called hell. The bright blue is the color of iron sulfate. The clear blue gives an image of cool water, but actually the temperature of the water is 98℃. Lotus flowers are grown using the heat of this hell. You should try “Jigoku steam-baked pudding” steamed in hot water from Umi Jigoku. Enjoy its simple handmade taste. Other than that, we also get the opportunity to saw a cherry blossom that were pink in colour bloomed so beautiful.


The pink cherry blossom.

After that, we were taking bus to go to the Rokushoen/ Beppu Kaihin Sunayu Mae for sand bathing. But, unfortunately the sand bathing was fully book and we does not get opportunity to enjoy it. I saw the people that enjoyed this 42oC hot sand need to wear special robe before entered the sand. The location of this sand batching is just near the beach. It was so unique since the people can enjoyed beach view while enjoyed sand bathing. The price of the sand bathing quite reasonable which around 1000 yen.



After spent about one hour here, then, we decide to go back to our hotel and enjoyed our night at Beppu town. I went to youme which located around 15 minutes from our hotel and I am quite surprise that the view from the food court window was Oita Port. It was so beautiful and I hope I can go there in future because during the night, I cannot saw ships clearly and I bet the view is more beautiful during the day.