(9) Kyushu Trip: 26 Dec 2016

We checked out of the Yufuin Airbnb apartment. We were proceeding to another popular hot spring town, Beppu. Before that, we have a few places to visit near Oita-Usa vicinity.

Our first stop was the Fukiji Temple.

Fukiji Temple (富貴寺) was built in the year 718. Its Amida-do is generally called Fuki-ji O-do. It is the oldest wooden structure in Kyushu. Inside the main hall are colorful pictures portraying various themes of the Buddha, indicating the fervent Buddhist worship among the believers at this temple. The main hall is designated as a National Treasure. The seated image of the Amida-Nyorai contained in the main hall is designated by the national government as an Important Cultural Property. Fuki-ji is located on the Kunisaki peninsula. At around the end of the 12th century there were more than 50 temples with 800 temple buildings on this peninsula, where Buddhism flourished at that time. National treasure Fukiji Temple (富貴寺) main hall is one of the three main Amida halls in Japan along with Uji Byodoin Houodo and Hiraizumi Chusonji Konjikido.

Next we proceeded to the Futagoji temple, not too far away from here.

Futago-ji (両子寺) is a Tendai Buddhist temple in Kunisaki, Ōita Prefecture, Japan. It is located on the slopes of Mount Futago, the highest mountain on the Kunisaki Peninsula. The temple was established in 718 by Ninmon and became the central temple of Rokugō-Manzan (六郷満山).

We started driving towards Beppu. It was lunch time soon.

So we went for an early lunch.

After lunch, it was time to explore the hells in Beppu.

The "hells" (地獄, jigoku) of Beppu are eight spectacular hot springs for viewing rather than bathing. They are presented to visitors in a rather touristy fashion, which might not appeal to everybody. Six of the hells are located in the Kannawa district and two in the more remote Shibaseki district.

1) Umi Jigoku One of the more beautiful hells, the "sea hell" features a pond of boiling, blue water. In its spacious gardens, there are a few secondary, orange colored hells and a large, clear water pond with lotus flowers whose large leaves are strong enough to carry small children.

There were chicken eggs inside the basket.

2) Oniishibozu Jigoku This hell is named after the mud bubbles, which emerge from boiling mud pools and look like the shaven heads of monks. Besides the mud pools, it features a foot bath with clear water. Adjacent to the hell is a public bath with multiple pools that costs an additional 600 yen.

3) Shiraike Jigoku True to its name, the "white pond hell" features a pond of hot, milky water. The pond is surrounded by a nice garden and a small, run-down aquarium that has seen better days

4) Kamado Jigoku The "cooking pot hell" features several boiling ponds and a flashy demon statue as cook. On the grounds, visitors can drink the hot spring water, enjoy hand and foot baths, inhale the hot spring steam and try various snacks cooked or steamed by the hot spring.

5) Oniyama Jigoku A large number of crocodiles are bred and kept on the grounds of the "monster mountain hell".

6) Yama Jigoku The "mountain hell" features small ponds of steaming hot water and a run-down zoo with large animals in small cages.

7) Chinoike Jigoku The "blood pond hell" features a pond of hot, red water and a large souvenir shop. It is one of the more photogenic of the eight hells.

8) Tatsumaki Jigoku The "spout hell" features a boiling hot geyser, which erupts every 30-40 minutes for about 6-10 minutes. A stone plate above the geyser hinders it to reach its full height. A short walking trail leads up the forested slope in the back of the hell grounds.