Steam rises from sidewalk vents, manhole covers, and cracks in hillside rock. The air smells faintly of sulfur. Down by the bay, fishing boats bob in water so calm it mirrors the mountains behind the city. This is Beppu — a city built on fire, where the earth's heat shapes daily life in ways you do not see anywhere else in Japan. And in mid-May, it adds world-class classical music to the mix.
The Argerich Music Festival
Martha Argerich, the legendary Argentine pianist widely considered one of the greatest living musicians, fell in love with Beppu during a concert visit in the late 1990s. She was so taken by the city — its onsen culture, its unhurried pace, the volcanic landscape — that she agreed to lend her name and presence to an annual music festival. The 26th Beppu Argerich Music Festival runs in mid-May 2026, with concerts held at B-Con Plaza, Beppu's premier venue featuring its iconic observation tower.
The festival features international soloists, chamber ensembles, and young musicians from Oita Prefecture. One of its most charming elements is the emphasis on nurturing local talent — concerts featuring young Oita performers are a festival highlight, and the atmosphere is intimate rather than grand. This is not a pretentious event; it is classical music enjoyed in a city where you can soak in a hot spring before and after the concert.
The Beppu Hells
Beppu produces more hot spring water than anywhere else in Japan — over 130,000 liters per minute, feeding hundreds of public baths, private ryokan, and the spectacular Beppu Hells (Jigoku Meguri). These eight geothermal pools are too hot to bathe in but too beautiful to miss:
- Umi Jigoku (Sea Hell): A stunning cobalt-blue pool of 98-degree water, surrounded by tropical gardens heated by steam. You can eat eggs boiled in the geothermal water here.
- Chinoike Jigoku (Blood Pond Hell): Deep red clay gives this pool an eerie crimson color. The red mud is sold as a skin-care ointment.
- Tatsumaki Jigoku (Spout Hell): A geyser that erupts every 30-40 minutes, shooting boiling water 20 meters into the air.
- Oniyama Jigoku (Demon Mountain Hell): Home to crocodiles raised in the geothermal heat since 1923.
The full tour takes about 2-3 hours. Combined tickets for all eight hells cost about 2,200 yen.
Bathing in Beppu
While the Hells are for looking, Beppu has more than enough hot springs for soaking. The city is divided into eight onsen districts, each with its own character:
- Beppu Onsen (central, convenient): Takegawara Onsen is a must — a Meiji-era bathhouse with sand baths where you lie buried in naturally heated volcanic sand.
- Kannawa Onsen (near the Hells): The most atmospheric district. Steam rises from every surface, and you can try jigoku-mushi (hell-steamed) cooking, where vegetables, seafood, and eggs are cooked in natural steam vents.
- Myoban Onsen (hillside): Known for milky white sulfur waters and thatched-roof yunohana huts where bath salts crystallize naturally.
Most public baths cost between 200 and 500 yen. Bring your own towel or buy one on-site.
Hita River Opening Festival
If you extend your stay to the following weekend, the 79th Hita River Opening Festival on May 23 is about 90 minutes inland from Beppu. This early-summer festival along the Mikuma River in Hita City features approximately 10,000 fireworks over two nights, a grand music parade by 1,200 local students, and riverside food stalls. It is a joyful herald of summer in western Oita.
Practical information
- Getting to Beppu: Fly to Oita Airport (OIT), then take the airport bus to Beppu (about 45 minutes). Alternatively, the JR Sonic limited express runs from Hakata (Fukuoka) to Beppu in about 2 hours. An overnight ferry from Osaka arrives in Beppu early morning — a scenic option.
- Getting around: Local buses connect the Hells, onsen districts, and city center. The Kamenoi Bus all-day pass is good value.
- Argerich Festival tickets: Available through the festival's official website. Prices vary by concert; some events are free.
- Beppu Hells: Open 8:00-17:00. Combined ticket for all eight: approximately 2,200 yen.
- Accommodation: Beppu has options from budget guesthouses to luxury ryokan with private onsen. Staying in the Kannawa district puts you closest to the Hells and the steam-cooking experience.
Tips
- Do the Hells in the morning. They open at 8 AM and are least crowded before 10 AM. The light is also best for photography.
- Try hell-steamed cooking. At Kannawa's Jigoku Mushi Kobo, you can steam your own seafood and vegetables using natural geothermal vents. It is both a meal and an experience.
- Bring multiple towels. If you plan to visit several baths, you will need them. Small tenugui towels dry fast and pack flat.
- Respect onsen etiquette. Wash thoroughly before entering the bath. Tattoos are prohibited at some facilities — check in advance or look for tattoo-friendly baths.
- Budget time for just wandering. Beppu's Kannawa district is magical to walk through — steam rising from every grate, the smell of sulfur in the air, the sound of running water. Do not rush it.
Why Beppu
Beppu is the kind of place that resets your nervous system. You come for the music, stay for the onsen, and leave with the scent of sulfur still in your hair and a deep sense of calm you did not know you needed. In a country famous for its hot springs, Beppu is the city where the earth's energy is most visibly, tangibly alive — and where a world-class music festival makes the experience all the richer.
Image: View of Beppu Bay near Sea Hell Hot Spring, CC BY-SA 4.0, by Soramimi, via Wikimedia Commons
