Takegawara Beppu

Takegawara Onsen is one of the most iconic and historically significant public bathhouses in Beppu, Oita Prefecture — Japan's most abundant hot spring city in terms of thermal water volume and spring diversity. Built in 1879 in the traditional Meiji architectural style, Takegawara is famous above all for its 'sunamushi' — sand bathing — in which attendants bury guests up to their necks in geothermally heated sand indoors, a technique specific to Beppu's unique thermal landscape. The sulfurous waters of Beppu's eight distinct spring zones, known as the 'Beppu Hatto,' surround Takegawara, and the bathhouse sits at the cultural and historical heart of the onsen district. Bathing at Takegawara is not just a wellness experience but a genuine encounter with Beppu's living heritage of Japanese hot spring culture.