Beppu's Eight Hells: Japan's Strangest Hot Spring Sightseeing
Beppu, on the eastern coast of Kyushu, produces more hot spring water than anywhere else in Japan. Most of it feeds bathhouses and sand baths across the city, but a handful of springs are far too hot, too colorful, or too strange to get in. Locals named them after hell itself, and today they're one of Japan's most oddly memorable sightseeing circuits.
Why "Hell"?
More than a thousand years ago, the areas that now make up Beppu, Kannawa, and Kamegawa were avoided by locals entirely. The ground hissed with fumaroles, boiling water bubbled up unprompted, and the air stayed thick with steam and sulfur — behavior ancient residents could only explain as cursed. They called these spots jigoku, "hell," and the name stuck.
The tour used to cover eight hells, including one called Yama Jigoku (Mountain Hell). That eighth hell has since closed, and today's official Jigoku Meguri combination ticket covers the remaining seven — though the "Eight Hells" name persists as the traditional way locals still refer to Beppu's hell-touring tradition.
The Seven Hells You Can Visit Today
Umi Jigoku (Sea Hell)
The largest and most famous of the seven, Umi Jigoku is a striking cobalt-blue pond roughly 200 meters deep, its color coming from dissolved iron sulfate in the water.
Chinoike Jigoku (Blood Pond Hell)
A blood-red pond colored by iron oxide in the boiling clay beneath it. It's considered Japan's oldest natural jigoku, and the color is exactly as vivid as the name suggests.
Oniyama Jigoku (Devil Mountain Hell)
This one keeps roughly 80 crocodiles and alligators living in pools heated by the spring water — an odd but genuine use of the geothermal heat that would otherwise go to waste.
Shiraike Jigoku (White Pond Hell)
A milky-white pond paired with an on-site aquarium that includes piranhas, making it one of the more family-oriented stops on the circuit.
Oniishibozu Jigoku
Bubbling grey mud here reaches around 99°C, and the rounded bubbles it forms are said to resemble the shaved heads of Buddhist monks (bozu) — hence the name.
Kamado Jigoku
Named for a legendary cooking-pot deity, this hell is actually a cluster of several distinct ponds and features rather than a single spring, each with its own color and character.
Tatsumaki Jigoku (Tornado/Waterspout Hell)
A genuine geyser that erupts every 30 to 40 minutes, with each eruption lasting 6 to 10 minutes — the most reliably dramatic single moment on the tour if you time your visit right.
Getting Between the Two Clusters
Most of the seven hells sit together in the Kannawa area. Chinoike Jigoku and Tatsumaki Jigoku are the exceptions, located about 5 minutes away by bus in the separate Shibaseki area — the Kamei Bus routes 16 or 16A run between the two clusters.
Tickets, Hours, and Practical Tips
- Combination ticket: ¥2,200 for adults, ¥1,100 for elementary/middle school children, valid for two consecutive days and covering all seven hells.
- Individual tickets: Around ¥450-¥500 per hell if you only plan to see two or three.
- Hours: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily, including holidays, with last entry at 4:30 PM.
- Safety: These ponds run close to boiling (around 98-99°C) and are strictly for viewing, not bathing. Beppu's actual bathing onsens and sand baths are separate facilities elsewhere in the city.
Do's and Don'ts
- Do buy the two-day combination ticket if you're visiting more than three hells — it pays for itself quickly and lets you split the two clusters across different days if needed.
- Do check the time before heading to Tatsumaki Jigoku, since arriving between eruptions means a 30-40 minute wait.
- Don't expect a relaxing soak — despite being hot springs, none of these seven are for bathing.
- Don't skip the bus ride to Shibaseki assuming Chinoike and Tatsumaki are walkable from the main Kannawa cluster; budget the extra travel time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are they called "Eight Hells" if there are only seven today?
The tour historically included an eighth hell, Yama Jigoku (Mountain Hell), which has since closed. The name "Eight Hells" persists as tradition even though the current combination ticket covers seven.
Can you bathe in Beppu's hells?
No. The seven jigoku run close to boiling (around 98-99°C) and are viewing-only attractions. Beppu's separate bathing onsens and sand baths elsewhere in the city are where visitors actually soak.
How much does the Jigoku Meguri cost?
The combination ticket covering all seven hells is ¥2,200 for adults and ¥1,100 for children, valid for two consecutive days. Individual hell tickets run about ¥450-¥500 each if you're only visiting a few.
Which hell has the geyser?
Tatsumaki Jigoku (Tornado Hell), which erupts every 30 to 40 minutes with each eruption lasting 6 to 10 minutes.
Do I need to travel between two separate areas?
Yes. Most hells are clustered in Kannawa, but Chinoike Jigoku and Tatsumaki Jigoku sit in the separate Shibaseki area, about 5 minutes away via Kamei Bus routes 16 or 16A.
Final Thoughts
Beppu's hells are a strange, slightly theatrical way to see what geothermal Japan actually looks like up close — a cobalt-blue pond, a pool of alligators, a geyser on a timer, and a blood-red lake, all viewable within a single afternoon. It's not the tranquil onsen experience most visitors picture when they think of a Japanese hot spring town, and that's exactly the point.