Beppu

Beppu is a hot spring city on the east coast of Kyushu, built over volcanic vents that send steam billowing from the ground in every direction. It has more hot spring water output than anywhere else in Japan. The port is close to the town centre, which you can reach on foot or by bus in a few minutes. The sulfur smell is constant but you stop noticing after half an hour. The "Jigoku" (Hell) hot springs are Beppu's main tourist attraction: a series of boiling, brightly coloured pools that are for looking at, not bathing in. The blood-red Chinoike Jigoku and the cobalt-blue Umi Jigoku are the most striking. For actual bathing, the public onsen Takegawara, built in 1879, has sand baths where attendants bury you in naturally heated volcanic sand. The shopping street near the station sells yuzu citrus products and local sweets.