Bathing in Beppu!

Today, I was in the land of onsens, Beppu! For those of you who don't know, an onsen is a hot spring in Japan. Beppu is a city in north eastern Kyushu that was built on top of a huge natural spring which is heated by volcanic activity deep below the surface. I managed to take 3 baths at various onsens in the "Jigoku" area of the city. "Jigoku" translates into English a "Hell". I believe the name was given to this area because of the dense steam spewing out of all the pipes and street vents in the area. The picture I have attached is of Nannawa Mushi Yu which is a steam onsen. In this particular onsen you lay down on a bed of grass in a small stone hut for ten minutes. It's a lot like a sauna, but steamy! When you come out you are drenched! Then you go get in the bath and enjoy a good soak. It was a lot of fun, but not something I would want to do in the heat of a Japanese summer. Anyway, lots of fun.


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