Free-flowing hot springs
A mountain-view open-air bath, cypress indoor bath, traditional steam bath and private family baths. Open to day visitors too.
Explore the baths
Since 1952 · Kannawa, Beppu, Japan
A natural hot spring resort in the heart of Beppu
Beppu has more hot spring water than anywhere else in Japan, and Kannawa is where its steam rises thickest. Here you’ll find our own free-flowing spring, food from the surrounding villages, and a place to stay for as long as you wish.
About us
Onsen, food and rest, all in one place
Beppu Onsen opened in 1952 as a toji inn, a place where people came to stay for weeks and heal in the waters of Kannawa. Three generations later we still pour our own 98°C spring straight into the baths, never diluted and never recirculated. In Japanese this is called gensen kakenagashi, and it’s the most authentic way to enjoy an onsen in Japan.
Across the grounds you’ll find a large rock open-air bath, a cypress indoor bath, Kannawa’s centuries-old herbal steam bath and four private family baths. Our restaurant, Sato no Zen, cooks organic produce from nearby villages over natural volcanic steam.
We have 28 rooms. Some guests come for one night; others settle into our kitchen-equipped long-stay rooms for a week or a month. It’s a complete hot spring retreat, loved by Japanese travellers and visitors from around the world.
Discover our hot springs98°CSource temperature of our own spring
100%Free-flowing, never recirculated
40 kmAll ingredients from within 40 km
28Rooms, for one night or many
Experience
Three ways to unwind in Kannawa
Bathe in mineral-rich water, eat what the land around you grows, and sleep as long as you like. Everything you need for a hot spring trip to Beppu is here.
Organic village cuisine
Organic vegetables from neighbouring farms, fish from the Bungo Channel, Bungo beef, and the famous Kannawa steam-cooked jigoku-mushi.
See the menu
Stay as long as you like
Traditional tatami rooms, suites with a private open-air bath, a secluded villa and long-stay rooms with their own kitchen.
View rooms
Toji · Long stays
Stay a week, a month, or longer
Since the Edo period, people have come to Kannawa for toji, long, slow stays of daily bathing to rest body and mind. We offer the same tradition, made for modern life.
- From ¥7,800 per night for stays of 7 nights or more
- Every long-stay room has a kitchen, fridge and washing machine, plus a shared steam-cooking oven
- Choose breakfast, dinner, or neither, day by day
- Fast Wi-Fi and a writing desk for remote work
You don’t need to fix your check-out date. Extend at the front desk whenever you like.
Long-stay plans
Why Beppu
Why Beppu is the best place for an onsen in Japan
Oita is known as Japan’s “Onsen Prefecture”, ranking first in the country for both the number of hot spring sources and the volume of water. Beppu alone has more than 2,000 sources spread across eight historic hot spring districts, the Beppu Hatto, and is said to have seven of Japan’s ten types of therapeutic spring water.
The Hells of Beppu
The famous Jigoku Meguri, including Umi Jigoku’s cobalt-blue pond, is a five-minute walk away.
Kannawa’s steam
Beppu’s rising steam is a designated Important Cultural Landscape of Japan. It is especially magical at night.
Mt. Tsurumi & Yufuin
Ride the Beppu Ropeway to the summit, or drive 40 minutes to the hot spring village of Yufuin.
Tastes of Oita
Seki-aji mackerel, Shiroshita flounder, toriten chicken tempura and dango-jiru noodle soup.
Seasons
Kannawa through the year
Spring
Wild cherry blossoms on Mt. Tsurumi from the open-air bath, and spring greens from Ajimu.
Summer
Evening breezes after the bath, a kabosu-citrus spritz, and summer vegetables from the highlands.
Autumn
Maple leaves reflected on the water, new-crop rice and log-grown shiitake from Kunisaki.
Winter
The season of the whitest steam. Warm up with flounder and a hearty dango-jiru.
Your own time, in the town of steam.
From a single night to a month-long soak. Our English-speaking team is happy to help you plan your stay in Beppu.