Onsen and interesting things to do in Japan.

Text and photos:Que Lan

Onsen, pronounced "Onquan" in Sino-Japanese, means hot spring, with "On" meaning warm or hot and "Quan" meaning spring. In Japan, visitors can find hot spring baths almost anywhere; however, nowhere has as many hot springs as Beppu, a city in Oita Prefecture, Kyushu region, in southern Japan.

Beppu, a city of hot springs characterized by towering chimneys interspersed with grey houses.

Beppu, home to nearly 3000 Onsen (hot springs).

From a distance, to my left, I saw towering chimneys interspersed among the gray houses at the foot of the mountain. Without keeping the group waiting any longer, Fumiko, our Japanese tour guide, smiled and explained that the secret of the day was Beppu, a city famous for its nearly 3,000 hot springs that flow day and night, with the smoke rising from these springs within the city itself. Not only from chimneys located in certain areas, next to houses, or along the roadside, if you look closely, you'll see smoke rising from under some of the drainage pipes along the road, so much so that you'll start to get used to the heat here.

Contrary to its outward appearance of towering smokestacks, Beppu, overlooking the picturesque Beppu Bay, is a peaceful, unspoiled tourist city with a population of only about 127,000 people. It is estimated that...moreWith 2,800 hot springs of nine different types, approximately 36 million gallons of hot water erupt from the ground each day. This makes Beppu second only to Yellowstone National Park in the United States in terms of hot spring reserves. 

On this trip, I will visit two of Beppu's nine most unique hot springs, also known as Jigoku Meguri, dubbed the city's hells. First is Umi Jigoku, a turquoise hot spring so hot it could boil an egg. In some hidden corners behind rocks, the hot water bubbles and steam rises in thick white vapor. If you stand near the railing, you can clearly feel the heat rising and spreading around, gently caressing your skin in a pleasant way.

Umi Jigoku, the turquoise hot spring, also known as the "sea hell".

Next to it is Chinoike Jigoku, a hot spring nicknamed "Blood Hell" because of its blood-red water, created by iron-containing minerals. Of the nine hells, "Blood Pond Hell" is the only hot spring with such vibrant colors and a chemical composition unlike other natural springs. The reason the water in the lake is bright red like blood is due to the large amount of colored metal minerals at the bottom of the lake.

"Blood Pool Hell" - Chinoike Jigoku in bright red

There's another interesting feature for visitors: although you can't swim here, you can soak your feet right next to this bloody hell. A covered resting area has been designed where visitors can soak their feet in hot water reaching nearly 50 degrees Celsius. At the bottom, there are large pebbles for you to stretch and rub your toes, relaxing after a long day of walking and sightseeing.

After visiting the hellish scenes, don't forget to enjoy the boiled eggs from the local hot springs.

Relax and unwind with a wonderful Onsen hot spring bath.

Besides its famous hot springs known as "hellish hot springs" for sightseeing, Beppu attracts over 4 million tourists who come to stay and bathe in its hot springs, also known as Onsen. Visitors stay overnight at a traditional Japanese inn – Beppu Ryokan. Upon check-in, you will be provided with a long yukata, the traditional Ryokan attire, along with a small cloth bag containing two towels (one large and one small) before bathing in the Onsen. After bathing, you will enjoy a Ryokan meal served in your room, while the room service staff prepare the table, lay out the futon, and get the bedding ready.

In Japan, the way hot spring bathing is done is also important, so there are many types of tubs and pools, depending on the region. Hinoki tubs are made of cypress wood, iwaburo tubs are made of boulders and pebbles, and awaburo tubs have water bubbling from the bottom. Outdoor rotenburo tubs are often the most popular among tourists because of their closeness to nature. There are separate bathing areas for men and women, with signs and curtains indicating red for women and blue for men. Although I had prepared myself beforehand with Fumiko's guidance, I still felt a little shy because everyone bathes naked. After washing yourself thoroughly, slowly enter the tub to allow your body to gradually adapt to the water temperature. Even in the winter weather of 10-15 degrees Celsius, the hot spring pool maintains a temperature of 30-60 degrees Celsius. The initial awkwardness completely disappears, replaced by a feeling of enjoyment as one immerses themselves in the warm mineral water.

A public hot spring bath (Onsen) in Ureshino town, Saga Prefecture, attracts many locals and international tourists.

In Japan, many families, even those with hot springs at home, still make it a habit to bathe in public baths. This is why many public Onsen baths, such as the Siboruto (Ureshino town, Saga prefecture), were established and gradually became famous, known to people from other prefectures as well as foreign tourists. Even in the morning, there were quite a few visitors, mostly elderly people. According to the owner, the price for each bath is only 400 JPY (over 70,000 VND/person), attracting many locals to relax and unwind. The bathhouse also has facilities for people with disabilities or those using wheelchairs, with pulleys to help them get into the baths. Therefore, you will easily spot many elderly people in the neighborhood coming here for relaxation and therapeutic purposes. For the elderly, mineral baths like these are a relaxing destination due to their clear health benefits and help strengthen community bonds.

Additional information:

Means of transportation:

- From Hanoi to Fukuoka: 4 flights/week by A321 aircraft on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. From Ho Chi Minh City to Fukuoka: 2 flights/week by A321 aircraft on Thursdays and Sundays.

From Fukuoka Airport, it takes approximately 150 km (2 hours) by bus to reach Beppu City, Oita Prefecture.

- Transportation within the city: taxis; however, not many drivers speak English, so you should carry the hotel's business card or remember the address of your destination.

Money:

Japan primarily uses the Yen, so it's advisable to exchange Vietnamese Dong for Yen. Reference exchange rates: 1 Yen ~ 200 VND, 1 USD ~ 106 Yen.

6 steps in the Onsen hot spring bathing process in Japan:

- Undress in the changing room. Bring only a face towel to the hot spring bathing area.

Before entering the mineral bath (which resembles a large pool or outdoor tub), you need to rinse off gently by scooping water from the tub or shower.

- Step into the mineral bath slowly. As soon as the hot mineral water reaches halfway up your body, wait until your body warms up before letting the hot mineral water continue to reach your shoulders. Do not let your face towel touch the water; you can wrap it neatly around your head for later use.

- Once your body is warm enough, rinse your entire body and hair again if desired, and then return to the hot mineral bath to soak.

- When you leave the hot spring bath, you can rinse off the hot spring water or not. Many believe that not rinsing helps retain the special Onsen minerals on the skin. When you leave the hot spring bath, you must be very careful not to spill water out of the bath, even if you are the only person in the bath.

- Use the towels in the changing room to dry your body, then put on a yukata if the onsen you're staying at provides one. Many hot spring resorts offer basic skincare products, massage machines, etc., which you can use to help your body relax and improve your health.

Currently, Vietrantour is one of the pioneering companies offering tours to Kyushu, in southern Japan. The 5-day Fukuoka – Mount Aso – Beppu tour is priced from 29.5 million VND per person. From now until March 31, 2015, Vietrantour is offering a 2 million VND discount to the first 10 customers of each group who register for this tour.

The Thanh