 Even if you don't need one, you must take (or at least see) a bath in Beppu!
Natural hot springs, called onsen, are found throughout Japan — not surprising, given the volcanic nature of the archipelago. But nowhere are there more individual springs, nor more visitorsjumping in and out of them, than in Oita Prefecture on the eastern, or Inland Sea side of Kyushu Island.
The largest concentration of springs is found in Beppu, not far from Oita, the prefecture's major city. More than half of the prefecture's 4,300 onsen are located here. The 500 hotels and inns in and around the resort attract some 1.2 million visitors annually, and represent a major part of the local economy.
Relaxing in the soothing waters of a Beppu onsen is a relatively new indulgence. Thousands of years ago, when the steamy pools and bubbling geysers were discovered, people called them jigoku (hell) and stayed away in droves. But today, the Beppu Jigoku Tour visits the eight most famous of the pools, and is a "must" for any visitor.
It's possible to rent a car and visit each "hell" in turn on your own. But the easiest way is on a tour bus, starting from the Beppu Kitahama Bus Terminal. Here's what you'll see on the 140-minute long tour:
 Umi-jigoku (Sea Hell)
The water, a mysterious cobalt blue, looks cool. But it comes from deep beneath Mt. Tsurumi and is just a few degrees short of boiling.
Yama-jigoku (Mountain Hell)
Swirls of steam drift into the pool from behind a mountain, joined by eerie wisps of vapor rising from the surface.
Kamado-jigoku (Cook-Stove Hell)
Vapors from the pool are collected in the spring and autumn as offerings to the God of Cooking.
Oniyama-jigoku (Devil Mountain)
Also called "Alligator Hell," dating from 1924 when breeding of the creatures began here.
Shiroike-jigoku (White Hell)
Colorless water rises under pressure, but turns bluish-white as the temperature falls.
Kinryu-jigoku (Golden Dragon Hell)
Temperatures rise well above the boiling point within the vapor cloud that comes from this, the strongest geyser in the area.
Chinoike-jigoku (Blood Pond Hell)
One of the oldest, and oddest, of the "hells." The blood-red clay is used as an ointment to treat skin problems.
Tatsumaki-jigoku (Tornado Hell)
This natural monument erupts every 25 minutes, sending water some 50 meters into the air.
As you might surmise, these eight famous jigoku springs are far too hot for bathing — more than double the recommended 40°C level of the baths in the many lovely hotels and inns in the region. But for more information about their unusual properties, dip into the local Web site at www.coara.or.jp/beppu/steamy_e.html | 
