No tour bus. No schedule. Just the road.
If you’re backpacking through Japan, you’ve probably done Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. Beppu is different. This is a real, lived-in hot spring town in Oita, on the island of Kyushu — steam rises from the drains, the alleyways, and the hillsides, and the whole city smells faintly of sulfur and the sea. It’s weird, beautiful, and completely unpolished. In the best way.
And the best way to see it? A tiny convertible, two seats, and a full day with no fixed plan.
WHY BEPPU?
Beppu has more than 2,800 hot spring sources and the largest output of hot spring water in Japan. This isn’t one fancy resort — it’s eight different hot spring neighborhoods (the “Beppu Hatto”) spread across the city, each with its own water, its own vibe, and its own tiny local bathhouse. You don’t need a luxury ryokan to enjoy it. Locals soak in neighborhood onsen for a few hundred yen, and you can too.
It’s also perfectly sized for one or two people traveling light. Nothing here requires a group tour.
WHAT TO DO IN BEPPU
- See the “Hells” (Jigoku)
The seven Hells of Beppu are spectacular hot springs that are far too hot to bathe in — they’re for looking, not soaking. Umi Jigoku (“Sea Hell”) is an unreal cobalt blue. Chinoike Jigoku (“Blood Pond Hell”) is bright red. One geyser erupts every 30–40 minutes. Five of the hells are in the Kannawa district and two are about 3 km away in Shibaseki — which is exactly why having a car helps. Walk the close ones, drive to the rest, no bus timetable required. - Wander Kannawa, the steam district
This is Beppu at its most atmospheric: narrow lanes, steam pouring out of vents, and locals cooking with geothermal steam. Try jigoku-mushi — “hell-steamed” food. You pick your seafood, vegetables, and eggs, and steam them yourself over natural hot spring steam. Simple, delicious, and something you can only do here. - Soak like a local
After the Hells, get in the water for real. Takegawara Onsen, a beautiful wooden bathhouse built in 1879 near Beppu Station, is famous for its sand bath — you lie down and get buried in warm, geothermally heated sand. Head up to Myoban district for milky-blue water and mud baths, or do what backpackers have always done: find a small local bath, pay a few coins, and soak shoulder-to-shoulder with grandpas who’ve been coming every day for 40 years. - Drive up for the view
Take the Roadster up into the hills to the Yukemuri Observatory or Sagiridai viewpoint and look down over the steam clouds rising from the city to Beppu Bay. On a clear day, this is one of the best views in Kyushu — and it costs nothing. - Eat well, cheap
Beppu is a working city, so the food is honest and affordable. Try Beppu reimen (cold noodles with a refreshing broth), tori-ten (Oita’s famous chicken tempura), fresh seafood, and onsen-steamed pudding for dessert. Then finish the night with one last soak before bed.
A PERFECT ONE-DAY ROAD TRIP
Morning — Pick up your Roadster in Oita City. It’s about a 30-minute drive to Beppu along the coast.
Late morning — Kannawa district: walk the steam lanes and tour the Hells.
Lunch — Cook your own jigoku-mushi lunch over hot spring steam.
Afternoon — Sand bath at Takegawara, or a soak in Myoban’s milky water, then drive up for the view over Beppu Bay.
Evening — Reimen or tori-ten for dinner, a final local onsen, and an easy cruise back.
Got a second day? Yufuin, a storybook mountain town under Mt. Yufu, is only about 45 minutes from Oita City. One car, both towns, one unforgettable trip.
THE CAR: MAZDA ROADSTER (YES, THE MIATA)
In Japan it’s called the Roadster — back home, you know it as the Mazda MX-5 Miata. Ours is an automatic convertible with 2 seats, which makes it perfect for a solo traveler or a couple traveling as a pair. It’s small, fun, and made for mountain roads and coastlines, not highways and tour groups.
A few honest backpacker tips:
- Pack light — it’s a 2-seater with a small trunk. Two backpacks is the sweet spot.
- Japan drives on the left. Take the first hour easy, and you’ll be fine.
- The top goes down in seconds. Use it. The drive between Oita and Beppu, and up into the hills around Beppu, is half the experience.
RENTAL DETAILS — RKM CAR RENTAL, OITA
- Mazda Roadster convertible (MX-5 Miata), automatic, 2 seats
- 24 hours — ¥22,000, tax & insurance included
- Pickup in Oita City, Oita, Japan
- Delivery available: We’ll bring the car to you anywhere in Oita City or Beppu City for ¥3,000. We’ll also come and collect it in Oita City or Beppu City for ¥3,000. For delivery or collection elsewhere in Oita Prefecture, just ask us — we’ll work it out case by case.
- Book via the RESERVA link in our bio, or DM us “ROADSTER” on Instagram @rkm_carrental
Good to know: An International Driving Permit (1949 Geneva Convention) is required to drive in Japan — get one from AAA before you leave the U.S. Drivers must be 22 or older and have held their license for 3+ years.
Tokyo will always be there. Beppu is the Japan most tourists never see.
Come find it — at your own pace, with the top down.
Save this for your Japan trip, and send it to the one person you’d road-trip Kyushu with.