National Feb 1, 2019
Beppu hot springs may accept tattooed visitors during Japan's Rugby World Cup and beyond
Local hot spring operators see the event as an opportunity to appeal to foreign tourists.
National Dec 16, 2018
'Tattoo OK' hot spring map released in Rugby World Cup host prefecture
A hot spa resort area in Oita Prefecture, which is hosting next year's Rugby World Cup, has created an online map showing onsen spots open to visitors with tattoos, typically stigmatized in Japan due to their association with yakuza. The Oita city of Beppu has ...
Business Aug 28, 2018
Hotel association in hot spring city Beppu teams up with Airbnb
A hotel association in Beppu, Oita Prefecture, a city known for its hot springs, said Monday it will work with Airbnb Inc. to attract more tourists from abroad. A total of 111 hotels and inns that are members of the Beppu City Ryokan Hotel Association ...
National Aug 13, 2017
Roller coaster on test run leaves one dead, one injured at amusement park in Beppu
One man was killed and another was seriously injured over the weekend when they were hit by a roller coaster that was being tested at Kijima Kogen Park in Oita Prefecture, the police said. According to the police, park employee Takashi Okubo, 44, and another ...
Books / Reviews Jul 29, 2017
by Kris Kosaka
The deafening report of war is such that the cries of its victims are often hard to hear, even decades later. Japanese Reflections on World War II and the American Occupation, by Edgar A. Porter and Ran Ying Porter.256 pages AMSTERDAM UNIVERSITY PRESS, Nonfiction. This is why ...
National Jul 29, 2017
Beppu makes splash with bathtub theme park
by Reiji Yoshida
The mayor of Beppu lives up to his promise by creating a temporary theme park in Oita Prefecture based on the resort city’s famed hot springs.
National Feb 6, 2017
Beppu blaze fanned by strong winds guts seven structures; three people missing
A fire burned seven houses and shops and left three people missing Sunday night amid strong winds near a traditional hot springs resort in Oita Prefecture. According to police and the local fire department, five structures burned down completely and two others were damaged after ...
National Nov 24, 2016
'Spamusement' park in Beppu could become a reality thanks to viral video
by Daisuke Kikuchi
Roller coasters, cable cars and Ferris wheels are typical rides at amusement parks, but the city of Beppu, Oita Prefecture, is mixing the excitement with a natural attraction — its famous hot springs. In a now-viral promotional video uploaded Monday on YouTube, performers ride a ...
National Jul 10, 2015
Nepali expat champions aid effort for quake-struck homeland
by Magdalena Osumi
On April 25, Nepalese Bilam Karki was driving in Beppu, Oita Prefecture, when he learned about the catastrophic earthquake that had struck the central part of his home country, with the news spreading fast via social media. "My mind went numb, couldn't think anything, my ...
National Jan 27, 2015
New Zealand city to build a Beppu steam cuisine center
by Mari Tokumitsu
One of Japan's most popular hot-spring resorts is helping a city in New Zealand to harness steam from its hot springs to cook food. Beppu, Oita Prefecture, is renowned for its "jigokumushi" (hell steaming) cuisine. It is sharing that know-how with Rotorua, a sister city ...
Travel Oct 11, 2014
Soaking weary bones and saving a sole on Kyushu's Mount Yufu
by Mandy Bartok
It's a rare day that the top of Oita Prefecture's Mount Yufu (or Yufudake) isn't obscured by clouds, claims Lonely Planet's "Hiking in Japan" guidebook. Luckily, our visit happens to coincide with one of those rare days — there is nothing but an unbroken ...
National Oct 1, 2014
Artists from Beppu, Oita Prefecture, which is famous for bamboo products, are exhibiting works made of bamboo for sale at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center in Los Angeles. The purpose of the event is to promote Beppu's traditional bamboo crafts as artworks overseas. ...