Kan no Jigoku Onsen

Kan no Jigoku Onsen is a sulfurous mountain hot spring at the trailhead access point for the Kuju mountain range in Kokonoe Town, Kusu County, Oita Prefecture, one of the nine springs of the celebrated Kuju Kokonoe Nine Hot Springs cluster and included in the Kuju-Iita Highland Onsen resort zone promoted by the Kuju-Iita Highland Tourism Association. The Kuju Mountains, a collection of volcanic peaks reaching over 1,700 meters elevation in the highland interior of Oita Prefecture, form one of the finest hiking destinations in Kyushu, and Kan no Jigoku's position at the mountain trailhead makes it a natural bathing stop for climbers returning from the highland. The spring's name meaning Cold Hell Hot Spring reflects the paradox of its intensely cold ambient temperature contrasting with the volcanic hot spring activity, and the sulfurous waters of this highland spa carry the powerful geothermal character of the active volcanic systems beneath the Kuju highland, providing the restorative bathing that mountain hikers prize after the physical demands of traversing one of Kyushu's most dramatic alpine landscapes.