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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Beppu
別府
Stay 1–2 nights in Kannawa for the hells and steam baths, or 1 night downtown for Takegawara; skip Beppu as a day trip from Fukuoka.
Beppu is one of Japan's three great hot-spring towns, on the Kyushu coast in Oita prefecture. The sights split into two zones: the seven Jigoku hells and the old steam baths cluster in Kannawa, 5 km inland, while the station, Takegawara sand bath and the arcades sit downtown. Buses link them every 30 minutes or so. Most travellers come for one or two nights of bathing, not sightseeing.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 別府
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), Golden Week
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥7,000–11,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥11,000–18,000 excl. bed · High ¥18,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | ¥400–700 |
| Ramen or udon | ¥800–1,300 |
| Toriten (chicken tempura) set | ¥900–1,500 |
| Jigokumushi steamed vegetables and seafood | ¥1,000–2,000 |
| Beer: draught in an izakaya / can at a konbini | ¥500–750 / ¥250–350 |
| 5 km taxi3.1 mi taxi | ¥2,000–2,500 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ¥2,000–4,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- OIT · Oita Airport
- Shuttle bus to Beppu downtown, about 40 min
- FUK · Fukuoka Airport
- Highway bus to Kannawa and Beppu downtown, about 110 min
Typical fares
- Oita Airport → Beppu downtown, shuttle bus
- about ¥1,450, about 40 min
- Fukuoka Airport → Beppu, highway bus
- about ¥2,000 with a coupon ticket, about 110 min
- Beppu → Hakata, Sonic limited express
- about ¥5,570 one way, 2 h
- One-day bus pass
- ¥900
Get around
The city is long and narrow between the bay and the mountains, so walking between zones is slow. Local buses leave from outside JR Beppu Station; the one-day pass sold at the station tourist office is the usual deal if you ride three or more times. The Kannawa and hells routes run roughly every 30 minutes.
See and do
Known for
- The seven Jigoku hells
- Takegawara sand bath
- Kannawa steam baths
- Jigokumushi hot-spring cooking
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Yufuin | JR from Beppu Station toward Oita, then the Kyudai main line; check the connection | About 1 h (check) |
| Oita | JR Nippo main line or the Sonic limited express | About 30–45 min (check) |
| Usa | JR Nippo main line north, then a local bus | About 1.5 h (check) |
| Hita | JR via Oita and the Kyudai main line | About 1.5–2 h (check) |
| Taketa | JR Hohi main line via Oita | About 2 h (check) |
| Saiki | JR Nippo main line south | About 2 h (check) |
Sleep
- Kannawa Onsen
- Next to the hells and the steam baths; bus 5, 9, 41 or 43 from the station. Best for a bathing-focused stay.
- Beppu Station and downtown
- Walk to Takegawara, the arcades and the ferry port; best for one night with bags or a late arrival.
- Kamegawa and Myoban
- Quieter onsen villages north of the centre; buses 5, 9, 24, 41 or 43 from the station.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| One adult, please | 大人一枚お願いしますotona ichimai onegaishimasu |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- Buses to the hells thin out after late afternoon; check the last return before you start.
- Takegawara's hot bath is very hot; regulars like it that way, so test the water first.
- Some downtown streets carry adult shops; if you are bathing with children, pick Kannawa instead.
- The Mount Tsurumi trail was cut by a 2024 typhoon; check before hiking and use the ropeway or bus if unsure.
One of Japan's safer cities. The real risks are scalding bath water, summer heat and steam, and the odd downtown street with adult shops: check the posted price before you enter anywhere.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Beppu yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- The seven Jigoku hells
- Takegawara sand bath
- Kannawa steam baths
- Jigokumushi hot-spring cooking
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Beppu official multilingual guide: beppu-tourism.com/en/
- Beppu City Council: www.city.beppu.oita.jp/
- Beppu Jigoku Association: www.beppu-jigoku.com/
- Beppu Ropeway: www.beppu-ropeway.co.jp/en/
- Wikivoyage: Beppu, revision 5241876 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5241876
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/beppu). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.