Beppu (Oita)
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6 sightseeing spots in Beppu where you can have fun even in the rain

Beppu on a rainy day offers a scenery different from usual. The steam from the hot springs and the cloudy sky merge, sometimes making the entire area look as if it is wrapped in mist. In Beppu, enveloped in such a mysterious atmosphere, there are tourist spots where you can relax and enjoy yourself. Here are 6 spots where you can have a great time regardless of the weather, even on a rainy day.

*The spots in this article were selected by local supporters (staff at Hoshino Resorts KAI Beppu), focusing on locations within walking distance or a 15-minute drive from the hot spring inn "KAI Beppu."

Worry-free even on rainy days. A hot spring stay at KAI Beppu

Appreciate the diverse expressions of bamboo and delicate craftsmanship.

A collection of various works, from large objects to familiar daily necessities, all in one place
A wide variety of works, from large objects to familiar daily necessities, are gathered in one place.

A facility exhibiting various bamboo crafts, from daily necessities to artistic works. This facility was established after Beppu bamboo crafts were designated as a traditional craft of the country in 1979. You can learn in detail about the history and processes of bamboo crafts, such as the types of bamboo, how to prepare "higo" (thin strips made by splitting bamboo), and the various types of weaving techniques.
After the learning zone, you will pass through an exhibition of daily necessities and proceed to a corner where you can see works by master craftsmen. None of the approximately 180 exhibits are the same, and when you see them up close, you will be captivated by their delicate craftsmanship.

Experience the charm of bamboo crafts by making them yourself

You can rest assured as the staff will carefully guide you through the experience. The way the texture changes over time is also a real pleasure of bamboo products © Beppu City Traditional Bamboo Crafts Center
You can rest assured as the staff will carefully guide you through the experience. The way the texture changes over time is also a real pleasure of bamboo products. ©Beppu City Traditional Bamboo Crafts Center

The profound world of bamboo craft, condensed with painstaking work and techniques of splitting bamboo into strips and weaving them. You can experience a part of its charm firsthand. Making a "Bamboo Bell" is an experience where you thread colored strips through a ping-pong ball-sized bamboo bell to create your own original bell. It is intended for children from about the middle grades of elementary school. The "Shikai-nami Flower Basket" is slightly more difficult and is intended for junior high school students and above. In about an hour, you will complete a basket that fits in both hands. A work created with your own hands will surely become a one-of-a-kind souvenir.

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The shop and cafe next to the main building is also a spot you'll want to visit. They have affordable bamboo craft souvenirs and cute miscellaneous goods.

Beppu City Traditional Bamboo Crafts Center
  • Address8-3 Higashisoen, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture MAP
  • AccessApprox. 10 minutes by car from KAI Beppu, approx. 10 minutes by car from JR Beppu Station
  • Bus accessTake a bus from JR Beppu Station, get off at "Hikari no Sono-mae" and walk for about 6 minutes
  • Business hours8:30–17:00 (SHOP & CAFE until 16:30)
  • ClosedMondays (if a public holiday, closed the following day), year-end and New Year holidays (December 29–January 3)
  • Admission Fee390 yen for high school students and older, 130 yen for elementary and junior high school students
  • TEL0977-23-1072
  • ParkingFree
  • NotesAdvance reservations are required for experiences

Captivated by the underwater world shown by sea creatures

The 1,250-ton "Large Circular Tank" is an impressive exhibit where you can view the underwater scene in a panorama
The 1,250-ton "Large Circular Tank" is an impressive exhibit where you can view the underwater scene in a panorama.

An aquarium where you can feel close to many animals. In the "Great Migration Tank," which recreates the currents of the Bungo Channel, you can view over 1,500 sea creatures of about 90 different species. Watching sea turtles, rays, and sharks swimming gracefully is a sight you could gaze at for hours. You can observe the lives of different creatures from various angles, such as by peeking through round windows or observing the shadows of rocks on the seabed.
The art corner, where you can be enchanted by the fantastical underwater scenes—such as jellyfish drifting while bathed in changing seven-colored lights and cutlassfish with their shimmering, fluttering tail fins—is also highly recommended.

A hilarious performance by a walrus weighing over 800kg

Performances featuring talented walruses, pelicans, and sea lions are very popular.
Performances featuring talented walruses, pelicans, and sea lions are very popular.

The two shows, which are held even in rainy weather, are a must-see. In the "Umitama Performance," the venue is filled with laughter as the trainer and walruses engage in perfectly synchronized banter, and you can even touch the walruses' massive bodies. The "Dolphin Performance," featuring common dolphins and bottlenose dolphins, is also full of impact.
There is a "Large Coral Tank" where you can view tropical fish swimming among living coral, as well as tanks for marine mammals with adorable, round eyes, such as seals, Steller sea lions, and fur seals. With well-equipped facilities like shops and restaurants, this is an aquarium you can enjoy without ever getting bored.

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Every tank is worth seeing, and you'll lose track of time. The polar zone, where the sea lions and walruses are, is cool even in summer and highly recommended.

Oita Marine Palace Aquarium "Umitamago"
  • Address3078-22 Uto, Kanzaki, Oita City MAP
  • AccessApprox. 6 minutes by car from KAI Beppu, approx. 10 minutes by car from JR Beppu Station
  • Bus accessFrom JR Beppu Station, take a bus and get off at "Takasakiyama Shizen Dobutsuen-mae" (Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden)
  • Business hours9:00–17:00 *Extended hours during Obon and Golden Week
  • ClosedClosed for maintenance 2–3 days per year *Please check the website for details
  • Admission FeeAdults (high school students and older) 2,600 yen, children (elementary and junior high school students) 1,300 yen, young children (4 years and older) 850 yen
  • TEL097-534-1010
  • ParkingPaid

A "perfume blending experience" where you can create your own original fragrance

The perfume blending experience (2,500 yen), where you can create your own 30ml original perfume, is popular with people of all ages.
The perfume blending experience (2,500 yen), where you can create 30ml of original perfume, is popular with people of all ages.

A museum where you can enjoy various exhibits and experiences themed around scents from all times and places. Over 60% of visitors take part in the original perfume-making experience. You choose scents for the top, middle, and end notes, and blend them in your preferred proportions. Using droppers and beakers to check the scent as you go is a fun, experiment-like process.
Once you have registered the recipe for your finished perfume, you can reorder it even without visiting the museum again. It is popular as a gift for a partner or as a souvenir for yourself.

History and art viewed through "scent"

Photography is allowed throughout the museum. A wide array of sophisticated perfume bottles is on display.
Photography is allowed throughout the museum. A collection of sophisticatedly designed perfume bottles is on display.

The first floor of the building is a fragrance product gallery. Artistic perfume bottles and posters from Japan and abroad are on display. The elaborate designs are true works of art, so be sure to take your time and appreciate them. The large distillation apparatus used for extracting fragrances and the perfumer's workbench lined with bottles are also quite impressive.
The second floor is the Fragrance History Gallery. With many globally rare exhibits, such as a replica of a mummy that was originally in the British Museum and perfume oil bottles from the 3rd to 5th centuries BC, you can see the deep connection between the rulers of the time and fragrance.

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There is plenty more to enjoy, including a herb garden where you can enjoy seasonal plants, a foot bath, a shop with scented goods including original products, and a cafe.

Oita Fragrance Museum
  • Address48-1 Kita-Ishigaki, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture MAP
  • AccessApprox. 13 minutes by car from KAI Beppu, approx. 12 minutes by car from JR Beppu Station
  • Bus accessFrom JR Beppu Station West Exit, take the bus and get off at "Oishi/Oita Fragrance Museum" stop, then it is right there.
  • Business hours10:00–18:00
  • ClosedMuseum/Cafe: Dec 31, Jan 1–3 (Cafe only: Closed Sundays, 1st and 3rd Mondays) *May be closed due to unforeseen circumstances.
  • Admission FeeAdults 500 yen, University/High school students 300 yen, Junior high/Elementary school students 200 yen
  • TEL0977-27-7272
  • ParkingFree
  • NotesPerfume making, sachet making, and aroma experiences require advance reservation.

A warm place that is welcoming to both locals and tourists

A shopping street with a nostalgic, retro atmosphere.
A shopping street with a somewhat nostalgic, retro atmosphere.

Located about a 2-minute walk from Beppu Station, this is a place where the atmosphere of the Showa era remains strong. It is a shopping street that continues to be loved as the kitchen for the local citizens. There are unique, old-fashioned shops, such as a dried fish store where you can get delicacies perfect for snacks with drinks, clothing stores where you might find a bargain, a florist with a famous uncle who wears a headband, and a friendly pharmacy that provides attentive service.
On the other hand, art works painted on the shutters of vacant stores and illustrations hanging from the ceiling of the arcade are also part of the fun. Just by walking around at a leisurely pace, you are sure to encounter interesting things and people.

Enjoy a feast of gourmet food at affordable prices

You can find surprisingly delicious and reasonably priced food, including sushi made with large, fresh fish.
You can get reasonably priced and surprisingly delicious food, including sushi made with large, fresh fish.

The shopping street is overflowing with delicious food that will tickle your fancy, making it hard to choose. Fresh fish stores offering reasonably priced, fresh seafood also sell sashimi and sushi. The thick sushi rolls from a deli that lines up nostalgic, old-fashioned side dishes are so popular that they attract queues. There is also a bakery that makes bread carefully with natural yeast, and an eel restaurant whose savory aroma stimulates the appetite.
If you want to eat what you have bought right away, please head to the rest area with vending machines. It is perfect for when you are a little hungry or for spending time in the morning.

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The shopping street is 100 meters long, so be sure to head all the way to the back.

Beppu Station Market
  • Address6-22 Chuo-cho, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture MAP
  • AccessApprox. 14 minutes on foot from KAI Beppu, approx. 2 minutes on foot from JR Beppu Station
  • Business hoursDepends on the store
  • ClosedDepends on the store
  • TEL0977-22-1686
  • ParkingFree (40 minutes free from 9:00 to 18:00)

A panoramic view of the town, steam, sea, and mountains

The tower is 100m tall, and the observation deck on the 17th floor is at a height of 55m. You can enjoy a panoramic view from the streets below to the distant mountains.
The tower is 100m long, and the observation deck on the 17th floor is 55m high. You can get a panoramic view from the streets below to the distant mountains.

This sightseeing tower was completed in 1957 (Showa 32). It was designed by Tachu Naito, who also worked on Tokyo Tower and Tsutenkaku. Following a major renovation completed in January 2023, it was restored to its original height of 100 meters.
From the observation deck, you can enjoy a 360-degree view of Beppu. You can see the panorama of Beppu Bay, the Kunisaki Peninsula, the industrial complexes of Oita City, and sometimes even as far as Shikoku. On the landward side, the landscape of the alluvial fan centered on Mount Tsurumi and Mount Ogi spreads out before you. The city view is impressive even in rainy or cloudy weather, and it is said that after the rain, the air is often clear enough to see far into the distance.

Appreciate art by famous people on a rainy day

There are over 300 exhibits. You can enjoy a wide range of works, from hand-drawn pictures by celebrities to lithographs by artists.
There are over 300 works on display. You can enjoy a wide range of pieces, from handwritten paintings by celebrities to lithographs by artists.

The tower is lit up seasonally and for special events, making it a popular nighttime tourist spot. The "Kitahama Deck" on the 5th floor, which is open depending on the weather, is covered in artificial turf and features glowing chairs and floors that make sounds. The intermediate observation deck, reached by climbing stairs, offers a thrilling view of the road below through the steel frame of the floor.
On rainy days, why not visit the "Beppu Art Museum" on the 2nd floor, where you can view works by famous people? A 1/53 scale miniature of Beppu Tower used in monster movies is also on display.

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The 16th-floor observation deck has counter tables with power outlets, and Wi-Fi is also available. You can even work remotely while looking out at the sea.

Beppu Tower
  • Address3-10-2 Kitahama, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture MAP
  • AccessApprox. 2 minutes on foot from KAI Beppu, approx. 3 minutes by car from JR Beppu Station
  • Bus accessTake a bus from JR Beppu Station and get off at "Beppu Tower-mae"
  • Business hours9:30–21:30 (Last admission 21:00)
  • ClosedOpen every day *Temporary closures may occur. Please check the website.
  • Admission FeeA: 17th/16th Floor Sea, Mountain, and Hot Spring Town Observatory: Adults 800 yen, Junior/Senior High School Students 600 yen, Ages 4 to Elementary School Students 400 yen
    B: 2nd Floor Beppu Art Museum: Adults 700 yen, Junior/Senior High School Students 500 yen, Ages 4 to Elementary School Students 300 yen
    A+B Set: Adults 1,000 yen, Junior/Senior High School Students 800 yen, Ages 4 to Elementary School Students 600 yen
    5th Floor Kitahama Deck: 200 yen *Free for ages 3 and under
  • TEL0977-26-1555
  • Parking2 hours free *Excluding cases where only Kitahama Deck is used
  • NotesBeppu Art Museum, last admission 16:30

Relive the experience of raindrops turning into hot spring water

There are magical displays throughout, as well as many photogenic spots.
There are fantastical displays throughout, as well as many photogenic spots.

This is a museum where you can experience and learn about the grand story of how raindrops that fell 50 years ago seeped into the ground, became hot spring water, and are now gushing forth. It is located adjacent to five "hells": Umi Jigoku, Oniyama Jigoku, Shiraike Jigoku, Oniishibozu Jigoku, and Kamado Jigoku. If you gather knowledge here before touring the hells, you will likely be able to enjoy the hot springs and hells even more deeply.
In the museum's courtyard, steam gushes up vigorously, and you can get very close to it. There are plenty of features that allow you to feel the power of the hells and hot springs up close.

Learn while enjoying the themes and gimmicks that change with each scene.

SCENE 2 involves stamping postcards. It is also fun to look for the hidden character stamps.
SCENE 2 involves stamping postcards. It's also fun to look for the hidden character stamps.

The facility is divided into four SCENES. SCENE 1 lets you experience the beginning of a hot spring journey by feeling like a raindrop falling from the sky. After passing through SCENE 2, where you collect stamps while walking through a fantastically shimmering maze, you enter SCENE 3, a theater where you can experience the appearance of hot springs gushing out onto the ground. In the final SCENE 4, themed exhibitions on culture, art, and more are held.
The space is filled with playfulness and gimmicks everywhere, overflowing with delightful surprises and beautiful light. It deepens your knowledge and understanding of hot springs and hells.

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The attached "50CAFÉ" is also recommended. You can enjoy coffee made from carefully selected beans or juicy additive-free sausages while gazing at the steam rising from the hot springs.

Jigoku Onsen Museum
  • Address321-1 Kannawa, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture MAP
  • AccessApprox. 16 minutes by car from KAI Beppu, approx. 15 minutes by car from JR Beppu Station
  • Bus accessTake a bus from JR Beppu Station West Exit, get off at "Kannawa", and walk for about 2 minutes
  • Business hours9:00–18:00 (Last admission 17:30)
  • ClosedIrregular holidays (approx. 4 days per year)
  • Admission FeeAdults 1,500 yen, elementary/junior high school students 1,000 yen
  • TEL0977-84-7858
  • ParkingNone *Please use the nearby Jigoku Meguri parking lots (Oniyama Jigoku, Kamado Jigoku, Umi Jigoku).
Experience making original mist formulated with hot spring water.
Experience making your own original mist formulated with hot spring water.

At the hot spring ryokan KAI Beppu, located along Beppu Bay, you will find a space where you can leisurely enjoy unique Beppu cultural experiences and hot springs without worrying about the weather. Here are three points to help you fully enjoy your stay on a rainy day.

・Events to experience Beppu's hot spring culture inside the hotel
Local experiences you can enjoy indoors regardless of the weather, such as the "Toji Jug Band" where staff in happi coats play music with hot water and buckets, and a hot spring town with night stalls.
・Enjoy a rich variety of hot spring bathing while staying at the inn
Relax with a variety of bathing experiences, including an open-air bath made with Beppu stone, a footbath overlooking the sea, and a hand bath.
・Guest rooms featuring local designs
The "Kakishibu Room," a local-style room with a wonderful contrast between the persimmon tannin color, inspired by the Blood Pond Hell, and the sea.

For your next vacation, why not make KAI Beppu your base for a fulfilling trip to Beppu that you can enjoy without worrying about the weather?

MAP

Nearby Hoshino Resorts facilities
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*The information provided is current as of the date of the article's update. Please check in advance as it may be subject to change.