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Panorama of Kannawa Onsen photographed in 2020; shows only the district and steam at the time

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Kannawa Onsen

鉄輪温泉 · Kannawa, Beppu, Ōita

Photo: 松岡明芳 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Step into steam-filled lanes and see how hot springs became part of everyday life in Beppu.

Know before you go

  • Do not touch steam vents or cross fences
  • do not describe all the hot springs as having the same water or the same temperature, and do not call the seven pools of the Hells tour bathing facilities
  • do not photograph inside bathhouses or bathers without permission.

This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.

Culture

Culture & customs

Background

Kannawa is one of the Eight Hot Springs of Beppu, a district shaped by hot-spring steam, communal bathhouses, inns and geothermal steam cooking. Beppu City's cultural-landscape materials record that travelers once came here for long therapeutic stays and steamed food in jigoku-gama ("hell cauldrons"); steam and many kinds of bathhouses can still be seen in the lanes today. Unlike the Beppu Hells tour, which centers on viewing scalding geothermal pools, Kannawa Onsen is not just a set of hot pools to look at but a wide area that includes residents' lives, lodging, food and public baths. The story of the monk Ippen calming the hells and founding a bathhouse belongs to local traditional narrative and should not be treated as a proven supernatural event.

Local customs

  • While walking the district, look out for steam vents and bathhouses still in business, but do not block the entrances of homes, inns or shops for photos. Each bathhouse may have different rules on bathing, tattoos, towels and photography, so read the notices as you enter
  • jigoku-mushi steam facilities involve scalding steam, so follow the staff's instructions. The everyday spaces of local residents are not an exhibition open all day.

Religion & beliefs

  • Religious stories linking the monk Ippen to the development of the hot springs circulate in Kannawa, reflecting local memories of the Ji-shū monk
  • the hot-spring district itself is not a single religious site. Where temples or Buddhist services are involved, follow the rules of that specific place.

Etiquette & taboos

Etiquette & taboos

Rules that apply here

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · Japan

No photography and no eating or drinking in the permanent gallery of the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum

Do

  • Put away your camera, food and drinks before entering the permanent gallery
  • For the special exhibition gallery and the children's gallery, check the notices of the day to see whether photography is allowed
  • If you need to eat or drink, go to the areas designated by the museum, such as the outdoor colonnade

Don’t

  • Do not take photos or videos in the permanent gallery
  • Do not eat or drink in the permanent gallery, and do not have meals in other areas of the museum either
  • Do not extend the permanent gallery's photo ban into a photo ban across the entire park

The museum's 2026 visitor guide explicitly prohibits photography, eating and drinking in the permanent gallery and asks visitors to check the restrictions for other galleries separately; follow the museum's instructions on site.

Not yet verifiedSource: Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum: FY2026 visitor guide, page 6

Essential restrictionsSafetyCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Japan: At fireworks festivals, don't tape off spots in advance, and never fly drones

Do

  • Spread your sheet where there is actual space when you arrive, leaving room for neighbours
  • Follow police and staff directions and move with the crowd
  • Bring plenty of water and cooling gear to prevent heatstroke
  • Riverbanks have lots of insects, so bring repellent
  • Festivals usually go ahead in light rain, so bring a raincoat
  • Take your rubbish home

Don’t

  • Don't mark spots in advance with tape or spray paint on roads or in parks
  • Don't fly drones
  • Don't use selfie sticks in crowds; the Sumida River festival bans them
  • Don't stop in the middle of the path to watch and block the flow

Spots marked in advance are cleared by the organisers, and flying drones is prohibited by law. City-centre festivals run one-way crowd flows, and going against the flow or stopping can cause dangerous crushes.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Excite News: Sumida River Fireworks, access and viewing guide

Essential restrictionsHot springsCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Mixed, open-air and private baths: read the signs, don't stare, never take photos

Do

  • Check the signs before entering; mixed baths are clearly marked, and joining is entirely your choice
  • Most mixed baths are nude only, with no swimwear; some allow or lend special bathing wraps or towels, so follow the bath's rules
  • If you prefer not to bathe mixed, use the separate men's and women's baths or a private bath
  • Outdoor baths are slippery and the temperature changes sharply; hold the handrails when moving
  • Use a private bath only within your booked slot and leave on time
  • Tohoku and other regions still have many therapeutic hot springs with mixed bathing; for long therapeutic stays, follow the ryokan's and your doctor's advice

Don’t

  • Don't stare at other bathers, strike up conversations, or linger to watch
  • Don't take photos or videos in the bath area
  • Don't overstay a private bath; the next group is waiting

Mixed bathing works only because bathers keep their eyes to themselves; staring or taking photos will get you asked to leave, and filming others in a bath may break local law.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Wikipedia (Japanese): Konyoku

Essential restrictionsPhotos & dronesCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Stay off private land, and ask before photographing children or people

Do

  • Ask parents' permission before photographing their children
  • Ask geiko, maiko, and other working people before photographing them
  • Check for 撮影禁止 (no photography) signs, and ask staff if there are none
  • Photograph trains and stations themselves without disrupting operations

Don’t

  • Do not enter private homes or land for a shot
  • Do not photograph the inside of homes
  • Do not aim your camera at individual passengers on trains or buses
  • Do not step into rice paddies, flower beds, or along railway tracks for photos
  • Do not use selfie sticks or tripods in crowds or dangerous spots
  • Do not chase or stop geiko or maiko

Trespassing on private land is illegal and can get you told to leave or to delete your photos. Shooting in no-photo areas will be stopped, and photographing children is seen as an invasion of privacy.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Aichi Now: Sightseeing Manners

Essential restrictionsHot springsCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Bathe nude in the onsen and keep your towel out of the water

Do

  • Bathe fully nude, without swimwear or underwear
  • Rest your small towel on your head or the edge of the bath
  • Tie up long hair so it stays out of the water
  • Enter the bath slowly and keep quiet
  • Leave your phone in the locker
  • Keep your first soak short, and dry off before returning to the changing room

Don’t

  • Do not dip your towel into the bath
  • Do not swim, dive, or talk loudly in the bath
  • Do not take photos anywhere in the bathing area
  • Do not wrap your yukata right side over left; that is how the deceased are dressed

Most of these are written bathhouse rules. Breaking them gets you a reminder from staff, and in serious cases you may be asked to leave. Soaking too long can also make you dizzy.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Authentic Local Japan: Onsen Etiquette

Don’t DON'T

  • Do not touch steam vents or cross fences
  • do not describe all the hot springs as having the same water or the same temperature, and do not call the seven pools of the Hells tour bathing facilities
  • do not photograph inside bathhouses or bathers without permission.

Locals appreciate DO

  • First tell apart the public baths you can bathe in from the geothermal pools you can only look at
  • see the steam and old-style lodging in the district
  • when trying jigoku-mushi steam cooking, follow the facility's safety instructions.

Plan your visit

Practical info

Travel tips

  • From Beppu Station to Kannawa you usually need a local bus or other transport
  • Kannawa's bathhouses, steam lanes and the Hells tour each have different entrances, so check your actual destination before boarding and do not use just "Beppu Onsen" as your stop. Allow about 1–1.5 hours just to walk the main street looking at the steam and shops
  • adding one public bath and a jigoku-mushi experience, allow 2–3 hours
  • if you also complete the Hells tour, count several more hours. Watch out for scalding steam, slippery ground and summer heat. Some bathhouses are facilities residents use regularly
  • check each facility's notices on towels and toiletries, tattoo rules and how to bathe
  • prices and hours are not fixed in this text. The district is an open area
  • the map pin is only a representative location and should not be taken as the only entrance.
Sources & verification notes

Beppu City: overview of the Eight Hot Springs and Kannawa Onsen

Beppu City: the hot-spring steam cultural landscape and jigoku-mushi tradition

Beppu City: history of the Kannawa cultural landscape and local legends

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