Into the depths of hell!
In the quiet coastal town of Beppu, located in Oita prefecture one can find themselves walking into hell… but not just one… 7! The 7 Jigoku (Hells) of Beppu are by far Beppu’s most recognized attraction. That or the vast numbers of Love hotels dotted around the town… Does one wonder why so many? Perhaps a topic for another day!
But today I will share my experiences walking into hell. 10/10 would do it again.
This is the perfect place for those interested in Science and Japanese folklore! You can learn about each of these hells as you take your trip through them.
My first piece of advice is to ride the bus to the main Jigoku car park. 5 of the hells can be reached by foot from here. But to reach the last hells you need to ride a bus a few kilometers out of town. But everything is signposted very well as it is a huge tourist spot. In true Japanese fashion, one can collect 7 stamps to prove they have survived their journey through hell.
This became my obsession by the end of the day, I needed those stamps! No doubt I have lost my stamp sheet, but at the time by the devil I was going to have all 7. The hells are essentially geothermal vents, Japan is a hotbed for geothermal activity one of its most famous attractions the hot spring/ Onsen is just this! Beppu no doubt hosts a big proportion of Onsen, the King of Onsen however belongs to Gunma prefecture.
From her Ladyship Sakurajima the active volcano to Beppu and its 7 hells one can say Kyushu is alive with the sound/smell of geothermal activity. Trust me it smells.
The hells all have their own unique theme/vibe. From the crocodile hell ( Complete with crocodiles… for better or for worse). The sea hell ( My personal favorite), fish hell, and Kamado hell for the Demon Slayer fans! Yes, they even play into this and you can find merch here. The Sea hell (Umi Jigoku) was my personal favorite, here you can see a beautiful blue steaming lake hot enough to boil an egg in seconds. Alongside this picturesque lake, there is a shrine! Picture that stunning red and blue in the same frame and you gain an understanding of why I love it so much.
There are shrines at 2 of the hells, but I am a sucker for Tori Gates. The hells will take you all day so plan accordingly! You can buy a ticket per hell or a booklet to let you see all 7.
Every hell has its gift shop! Perfect for those wanting snacks and gifts! I highly recommend adding these to your visit list. Just keep in mind, they do smell … Sulphur is Geothermal’s best friend. I have a variant of asthma and there were times I struggled a bit. Quaintly the local specialty for Beppu is the hard-boiled egg… because of course, it is! You can find many places selling hardboiled eggs and salt.
By the end of the day, I was ready to return to Earth! Anything to avoid smelling Sulphur! I had an amazing time and took some really awesome images! So if you find yourself in Oita, why not dine in hell? Take a trip somewhere hot and see the many types of geothermals.
