Worth visiting with kids?
In Oita Prefecture, on the eastern side of Japan’s southern island of Kyushu, the small city of Beppu is worth visiting, especially with kids.
About 2 hours from Fukuoka on the Sonic Limited Express train, it’s also minutes from nearby Oita Station.
Beppu’s onsens and traditional inns, or ryokans, offer comfy and safe places to stay, relaxing public and private hot spring baths, and delicious Japanese breakfasts.
6 things to do
Highlights for our family of four included:
- Crafting bamboo bell souvenirs at the Traditional Bamboo Crafts Center
- Day trip to the nearby thermal pool Hells
- Lunching on traditional Oita dishes at Bungo Chaya in Beppu Station
- Onsen soak, Japanese breakfast, and manga library at Japanese ryokan Nogami Honkan
- Wandering the bamboo grove at Beppu Park
- Finding a baseball-themed shrine
Visiting Beppu
Hells of Beppu day trip
Is the Hells of Beppu worth visiting?
An onsen trip to Beppu isn’t complete without visiting the area’s 7 hells, or jigoku.
Visit Japan’s 7 Hells of Beppu in 1 day
Itineraries for Jigoku Meguri (別府地獄めぐり), Oita, Japan! An onsen trip to Kyushu’s Oita Prefecture isn’t complete without visiting the 7 Hells, or jigoku. Here’s how you can see them all, and where to linger, in just one day. Plus, if your time is really tight and you can only visit one hell, we know exactly which one to go to.
Learn more in these Japan travel videos
Visiting the Hells of Beppu
Beppu Video Travel Guide
Family friendly onsen, crafts & more – 別府 ♨ Oita, Japan
More about Beppu & Oita
Welcome to Beppu
1 day at the Hells
US$80 ryokan
Lunch in Beppu
Stay in Oita for $66 a night?
Private onsen
Places to stay in Beppu & Oita
We stayed at the Nogami Honkan, a Japanese ryokan
A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn. Around the ryokan, you can relax in a lightweight cotton yukata, or traditional robe (kid sizes available too). Expect to sleep on comfy futons on tatami floors. Breakfasts can be Western or Japanese style, and we’d suggest the Japanese.
Just a short walk from Beppu Station, the Nogami Honkan delighted us with lounging spaces, free anytime coffee and tea, and even a manga library. Instead of the public on-site onsen, we booked the separate private bath. That made it easier for Aster to try out her first onsen. It’s also a great option if, like Jodie, you have tattoos.
Use our link below to book your stay at Nogami Honkan: