Backyard Beppu Onsen

Posted on May 21, 2007 by Brenton S.

The city of Beppu in Oita on the island of Kyushu is known for having a large quantity of geothermic heated hot springs known as OnsenA hot spring, often used for bathing. Bathing facilities are often, but not always, communal. May be outdoor or indoor. . Spouting scalding waters year round, the town of Beppu offers both a city and country outlook at modern Japanese life. The Japanese coined the term “the nine hells of Beppu” for the areas containing unusually large amounts of steam and boiling waters that allude to the namesake. Beppu’s Onsen attracts a lot of families and senior citizens looking for a comfortable everyday country type of lifestyle. In many cases Onsen water can be piped right into your home daily to bathe in for a monthly fee. There is a hot spring for everyone in Beppu and travelers have a lot to choose from in terms of visual surroundings, water mineral type, and accommodations.

Many local Japanese believe that certain minerals found in Onsen waters help to alleviate different types of medical disorders. Similar to a Turkish bath or steam room, the hot water baths heat up the body’s core temperature stimulating circulation and also causing one to sweat out impurities. Some places in Japan heat spring water and tout themselves as an Onsen, however a true Onsen will have naturally heated water. Having an extreme amount of geothermic activity one can see steam billowing up from piping of various Onsens throughout the Beppu mountainside. Since each establishment being private or public offers a different mineral content and color, one can try a multitude of Onsens and never get tired of the warm healing attributes of water.

A majority of the commercial Onsen’s are called RyokanTraditional Japanese bed and breakfast style inn. or Hot Spring Inns. Ryokan offer different baths of various scenery, temperatures, and sometimes themes. Depending on your time schedule, each Ryokan usually offers prepared local cuisine and ingredients; as well as a place to sleep. Often times you need to pay a small fee if you are just visiting the baths instead of staying the duration of a night.

I have had the sheer fortune of having a good friend who owns an Onsen service in Beppu. I guess you could call the actual area Ogura if you are in Beppu and it is situated high in the mountains overlooking the city. Having a lot of sulfur, calcium and mineral content, the water is an amazing milky white and extremely hot. Every morning I would ritualistically get up and soak in the open-air bath known as a Rotenburo. At the same time I would also throw some eggs underneath the spouting waters to cook some Onsen Tamago, which everyone should try! Trust me they are far better than poached eggs and a staple for what I consider a traditional Japanese breakfast.

My friend being such a gentleman likes to have people over, especially women to enjoy a soothing soak in his Rotenburo. Having milky white water is the perfect excuse for Josei bathers to enter his Rotenburo for the milky color cloaks the bathers nudity. Along with a barbecue and some beers, one cannot ask for a more picturesque and relaxing atmosphere. Since the water is extremely hot it takes all but a trickle to warm a large amount of water. Staying in too long in an Onsen bath, one may feel too relaxed and have difficulty getting out, so don’t cook yourself like a lobster.

As the summers are extremely humid in Kyushu, I would advise my fellow Gaijins to partake in the Beppu Onsen in late October through early spring. If you happen to be in or near Beppu when the snow is falling you can even catch some monkeys bathing in some natural hot springs to keep warm about 15 minutes from the middle of town. Beppu and its hot springs surpassed my imagination and notions about traditional and non-traditional Onsen. Truly Beppu’s Onsen are a place of natural wonder entwined within the soul of Japanese bath culture that I hope will continue far into the future. So if you fancy yourself an Onsen aficionado like the old man on Soko Ga Shiritai then get down to Beppu and soak up the goodness.