Myoban Onsen

明礬温泉

The highest and most sulfurous of Beppu's Eight Hot Springs, where thatched 'Yu-no-Hana Goya' huts still produce the bath salts first made in the Edo period, plus open-air mud baths and steamed hell pudding.

Myoban Onsen sits on the foothills of Mount Tsurumi at about 400 meters above sea level, northwest of central Beppu. It is the highest of the Beppu Hachi-yu (Eight Hot Springs) and has the strongest sulfur smell. As you enter the hot spring area, you'll notice the sulfur in the air and rows of thatched huts lining the road. These are the 'Yu-no-Hana Goya' (bath flower huts). The method used here was invented in the Edo period (around 1725) and is still in use today. Hot spring steam is channeled into huts with floors of blue clay, and minerals crystallize on the clay into white 'yu-no-hana,' natural bath salts. The entire production process has been designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan. Visitors can step inside the huts to look around (free or for a small fee) and buy bags of yu-no-hana to take home for bathing (from a few hundred yen per bag).

Bathing experiences: The best-known spot here is Beppu Onsen Hoyoland, which has a large open-air mud bath filled with sulfurous grey mud (mixed-gender, swimwear or a towel required) and several indoor mud baths. Admission is 1,500 yen. The open-air bath at Okamotoya Ryokan and its attached shop, Okamotoya Shop, are famous for their 'jigoku-mushi' pudding, a caramel custard steamed with hot spring vapor, and for views from the bay all the way to the city. Other options include Yunosato, a day-trip hot spring with an open-air bath overlooking Beppu Bay, and jigoku-mushi tamago (hot spring steamed eggs).

Getting there: From Beppu Station, take a Kamenoi Bus toward Yufuin or Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. The ride takes about 25 minutes to the 'Jizoyu-mae' or 'Myoban' stop. From Umi Jigoku (Sea Hell) the bus takes about 10 minutes, so this is often combined with a hell tour on the same day. Allow 1 to 1.5 hours, including bathing.

Notes: The mud baths contain sulfur, so silver jewelry can tarnish and swimwear may be stained. The hot spring area has many steps and slopes. It is cooler on the mountain than in the city and can freeze in winter. The sulfur smell can linger on clothing.

Myoban Onsen

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