Steam rises from the streets of Beppu, which has more hot-spring vents than anywhere in Japan: the coloured pools of the "Hells" (jigoku) of Kannawa, sand baths where you are buried in warm volcanic sand, and food steamed over the vents. The arty spa village of Yufuin, under Mount Yufu, is an hour inland. About two hours from Fukuoka by the Sonic express, or overnight from Osaka by ferry.
Highlights
- The seven Hells of Beppu
- Sand bath at Takegawara or Beppu Beach
- Jigoku-mushi steam-cooked lunch in Kannawa
- Yufuin's lake Kinrinko at dawn
- Mount Tsurumi ropeway
- Ryokan with a private open-air bath
Things to do
- Hells of Beppu tour (Kannawa)Morning · 3h
- Steam-cooked jigoku-mushi lunchAfternoon · 1h
- Sand bath at Takegawara OnsenAfternoon · 1h 30m
- Yufuin day tripMorning · 5h
- Mount Tsurumi ropewayAfternoon · 2h
Tours & tickets
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When to go
Best time: October – May
Heads up
Rainy Season (Tsuyu)
From early June to mid or late July it rains most days, often all day, on Honshu and Kyushu: carry an umbrella, keep outdoor plans flexible, and expect landslide warnings to close mountain roads and some railways after heavy downpours. Hydrangeas are in flower and the crowds are thinner.
Heads up
Typhoon Season
Typhoons reach Kyushu and Honshu from August to October, worst in September. A direct hit stops shinkansen, flights and ferries for a day and closes sights; most pass within 24-48 hours. Check forecasts in the days before travel and keep a spare day before an international flight.
- Golden Week — Four public holidays in a week, when much of Japan travels: shinkansen and domestic flights sell out, hotel prices rise, and sights are packed. Avoid travelling between cities on the first and last days.
- Obon — The festival of the ancestors, around 13-16 August: families travel home, shinkansen and flights sell out (Nozomi trains ran reserved seats only at Obon 2026), and there are Bon dances and lantern floats in towns across Japan.
- New Year (Shogatsu) · 31 Dec — Japan's biggest holiday: temples ring their bells 108 times at midnight on 31 December and millions make the first shrine visit (hatsumode), Meiji Jingu and Fushimi Inari above all. Many museums, restaurants and offices close from about 29 December to 3 January; trains run, but are full around the start and end.