To take a break away from all the Tokyo-centric articles of Guidable, today we are going to do a short introduction to a city you might have never really heard of – Beppu!
Beppu is a city located in the Southern Japanese island, Kyushu, it is known to many as the home of hot spring resorts. Its beauty is not limited to just Onsen of course, with lush greenery and tall mountains, beautiful museums and parks easily found here. It is also home to Ritsumeikan’s Asia Pacific University, a popular university for foreign students in Japan!
Beppu, The Onsen City!
The city has more than 2,000 onsen (hot springs) available. Beppu offers fascinating experiences with a variety of baths; steam bath, sand bath, mud bath, and of course, ordinary hot water bath. Among the many baths in Beppu city, the recommended bath spots are – Tanayu, Onsen Hoyo Land, Takegawara, Hyotan Onsen, Ebisuya Onsen and Beppu beach sand bath.
Mount Tsurumi
Mount Tsurumi is 1375 meters high mountain that enables tourists to experience fascinating and panoramic views of Beppu and Oita City over 800 meters via a ropeway called Beppu Ropeway. It is also possible to hike it, which will take roughly 15 minutes to get there from the highest ropeway station.
An especially beautiful time to visit this mountain is during the cherry blossom season, where breathtaking views from the summit of Mount Tsurumi promises an unforgettable experience.
Oita Prefectural Art Museum
When you travel to Beppu, one of the highly recommended places to visit is the Oita Prefectural Art Museum. The Museum is located 30 minutes away from the main city of Beppu, in downtown Oita City. The building was designed by Japanese architect Ban Shigeru.
The museum displays various designs, art, paintings, sculptures, poetry and performance art. The egg sculpture below is one of their most highlighted work on display!
That’s it for now! Stay tuned for more of our city introductions!