Beppu

From World travel guide

Beppu (別府) is a hot spring resort in Oita prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan.

1 Understand
2 Get in
- 2.1 By plane
- 2.2 By train
3 Get around
4 See
5 Do
6 Buy
7 Study
8 Eat
9 Drink
10 Sleep
11 Get out
12 External links

Understand

One of Japan's Three Great Hot Springs, Beppu is also known as the Las Vegas of Japan, a reference more to its extensive sex industry than gambling. The resort has been attempting to clean up its image though, with limited success.

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Get in

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By plane

The nearest airport is in Oita, from which shuttle buses run to Beppu (¥1450, 40 minutes).

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By train

The Sonic limited express train runs twice an hour from Fukuoka (Hakata) and Kokura, stopping at Beppu before terminating in Oita. If you are coming from Honshu on the San'yo Shinkansen line, switch to the Sonic at Kokura station. From Kokura, you can reach Beppu in 75 minutes at a cost of ¥4290 each way (no charge with the Japan Rail Pass).

An overnight train, the Fuji, runs from Tokyo Station to Beppu in 17 hours, departing Tokyo at 6 PM. If you want reach Beppu in a shorter amount of time, you can take the 10 PM Sunrise Izumo/Sunrise Seto to Himeji, take the San'yo Shinkansen to Kokura, then take the Sonic to Beppu. (12 hours)

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Get around

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See

Beppu's top sight is the seven (or nine) hells (地獄 jigoku), multicolored volcanic pits of boiling water and mud, and one geyser. The jigoku are too hot to be diluted into onsen, and they emerge at various temperatures from 50 degrees Celsius to 99 degrees (122 to 210 °F). Some of the jigoku are very stinky! If you plan on visiting all seven, you can buy a package trip that may save some money.

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Do

Downtown Beppu offers several hot springs to visit. You can't wander too far, though, without seeing the equally promiscuous sex shops, which will usually be quite blatant on the streets. If you're going to visit a hot spring with children, and you're worried about this, plan ahead.

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