Jigoku Meguri in Beppu’s hot spring landscape

Jigoku Meguri in Beppu, Japan, links a series of dramatic hot spring “hells” that turn geothermal power into a striking sightseeing circuit.

Jigoku Meguri in Beppu, on Kyushu in Japan, is a sightseeing circuit that links a group of vividly coloured and steaming hot spring pools known as the “hells”. The tour brings together several geothermal sites in the Kannawa and Shibaseki districts, forming a compact route through one of Japan’s most distinctive hot spring landscapes.

Geothermal spectacle: the hells as a viewing landscape

Jigoku Meguri refers to a set of hot spring pools and associated features that are viewed rather than used for bathing. The route connects sites where water and mud emerge at high temperatures, forming ponds, fumaroles and jets of steam in a built landscape of paths and viewing platforms.tourist course which includes all

The hells are divided between Beppu’s Kannawa and Shibaseki areas, both within Oita Prefecture on Kyushu.located in Beppu’s Kannawa and Kamegawa neighborhoods At each stop, paths lead close to the water or mud, with railings and signed viewpoints framing the pools against planted slopes, low buildings and surrounding hills.

Seven designated hells and their character

The Beppu Jigoku Meguri circuit officially consists of seven hells, each built around a particular pool or spring and its setting.seven have been designated as the official “Beppu Jigoku Meguri” Names such as Umi Jigoku, Oniishibozu Jigoku, Kamado Jigoku, Oniyama Jigoku, Shiraike Jigoku, Chinoike Jigoku and Tatsumaki Jigoku mark out individual sites, and the route links them into a single circuit.famous sightseeing course for 8 nearby hot springs

Several hells are gathered in the Kannawa district, where short walks connect ponds of different colours, mud pools and animal enclosures, while others sit in Shibaseki, reached by road from the main group.five of the hells are in the Kannawa district area, and two are in the Shibaseki district The circuit is organised so that visitors pass through both areas, making the changing character of the sites part of a single tour.

Beppu, hot springs and the idea of a hell tour

Beppu has long been known in Japan for its concentration of hot springs, and Jigoku Meguri sits within this wider onsen landscape as a themed course devoted to viewing geothermal activity.historical hot spring town Rather than leading to bathhouses, the route is arranged as a chain of stop-offs where boiling water, rising steam and mineral-rich mud can be seen at close range.

The Japanese word “jigoku” means “hell”, and “meguri” can refer to a circuit or pilgrimage. Together they frame the course as a tour of extreme natural hot spring manifestations, visited in sequence.Jigoku Meguri is the Japanese name of the eight “hells” The concept links Beppu’s geothermal setting with a structured experience that moves from one named hell to the next.

Visiting Jigoku Meguri: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Jigoku Meguri lies in Beppu on Kyushu, in Oita Prefecture in southern Japan. The hells are reached by local buses or taxis from Beppu Station and are spread between the Kannawa and Shibaseki districts.
• The terrain around the hells consists of paved paths, ramps and stairways built close to hot spring pools and mud pits, with steam rising from vents and pipes along the route.
• The official language is Japanese and the currency is the yen.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Jigoku Meguri

Where is Jigoku Meguri located?

Jigoku Meguri is in Beppu, a city in Oita Prefecture on Kyushu in southern Japan, with the hells grouped in the Kannawa and Shibaseki districts.

What can visitors expect on the Jigoku Meguri circuit?

Visitors follow a set route between named hells, seeing high-temperature pools, steaming mud pits and geothermal features arranged with paths, railings and viewing areas.

What makes Jigoku Meguri distinctive among hot spring areas?

Jigoku Meguri is distinctive because it treats Beppu’s geothermal sites as a linked viewing course of “hells”, focusing on the spectacle of boiling water and steam rather than bathing.