Umi Jigoku

It's truly a unique sight— the blue hot spring pool is beautiful. Unfortunately, it was a rainy day when we visited, and the steam was thick, so we couldn't get a clear photo of the entire blue pool. Still, the misty atmosphere had its own charm.

Visiting Umi Jigoku is like stepping into a surreal, vibrant hot spring dreamland—perfect for anyone traveling through Beppu. Here’s what makes it unforgettable: • Striking Azure Waters: The onsen’s iconic cobalt-blue pools are truly mesmerizing. Their tranquil color and rising steam clouds transform the landscape into an otherworldly spectacle—like a portal to another realm. • Themed Attractions: Beyond just soaking in the sights, Umi Jigoku offers fascinating experiences: • A steaming mud bath, known for its soothing properties. • Pathways lined with colorful thermal ponds, each bubbling up its own steamy secrets. • A small but charming foot-onsen, where you can dip your feet in warm water while gazing at the scenery. • Pleasant Visitor Experience: The site is well-maintained with clean, informative signage. A café on-site serves refreshments and the infamous beaten egg boiled in onsen water, a quirky must-try when you’re here. • Cultural Insight: Umi Jigoku isn’t a bathing facility for everyday use—it’s one of Beppu’s renowned “Jigoku Meguri” (Hell Tour) destinations, a captivating cultural showcase that explores the amazing diversity of volcanic hot springs. • Convenient & Scenic: Easily accessible by car or public transport, it also features souvenir shops selling local treats and Beppu branding. The gardens nestled around the onsen ponds create picturesque spots for photography. ⸻ 🔖 Highlights: ✓ Iconic blue hot spring pools ✓ Mud bath experience ✓ Relaxing foot onsen ✓ On-site café and snacks ✓ Pro-grade photo opportunities ⸻ 🎯 Final Verdict: Umi Jigoku is more than just a hot spring—it’s an experience. Whether you’re into volcanic geology, serene landscapes, or quirky local culture, it’s impossible not to be captivated. Make sure it’s high on your Beppu “Hell Tour” list!

We visited all the jigoku in March 2025, but this was one of my favourites. The gardens were spectacular with many cherry blossoms, birds, a lotus greenhouse, and a foot bath. There was a huge line (>100 people) when we arrived, but we were able to skip the line because we had already purchased the ticket set for all of the hells.

Nice gardens and a red and blue hot spring. Hot spring foot bath was nice but crowded. Shop has allot of Japanese snacks and cold drinks to purchase. Small shrine and bold red gates make for nice pictures

Umi Jigoku is probably the best of the Hells, and if you had to visit one I'd recommend this one. It's large, with a foot bath, a big hell, a smaller red hell, a green house, a Shinto shrine, and a shop and restaurant. The park also has vending machines. The main Hell is incredibly impressive. The blue is very vibrant, and there was a lot of steam. The area around the park was also very impressive, with lillies, flowers, and wooded areas. You can either buy a ticket individually, buy a ticket for the entire Hell tour, or you can get the whole tour included in the Beppu Excursion Pass.

A must-visit spot in Beppu. If you don’t have time to visit all “hells”, this is the number one to pick. It includes both the blue hot spring and the red one. Gorgeous Japanese garden and a free foot bath area. A fun blue beer at the cafe inside the gift shop as well! Don’t forget to go to 2F to view the hot springs from above.

A must place to go if you’re visiting Beppu. Transport was easy, only take bus for 400 yen from Beppu station to get here. Well presented and established location for the natural hot springs. We bought a combo tickets for 7 jigoku with 2400 yen but we can’t make it all, only have time to visit 3 jigoku.

the blue colour of the spring was soothing, but very strong smells! fun to come in the park (paid area) and walk around to kill some time.

#1 of 8 Hot Spring Hells If you have limited time in Beppu and cannot visit all the Hot Spring Hells, you really need to just drop by Umi-Jijoku 海地獄. Even accordingly to the self guided tour, this is the first hell to visit. It is definitely the prettiest of them all. The water is like "ocean" blue, hence the name. Make sure you spend some time go soak your feet in the hot spring food bath area before leaving. Eating the soft serve ice cream at the food stall maybe worth it as it suppose to give you beautiful skin with added Collagen ingredient.

Otherwise known as "Sea Hell," Umi-Jigoku is a pretty awesome place that I didn't know much about before one of my friends took us here. After coming here, I feel like it is totally a necessary sightseeing spot in Beppu. Approaching this area, you can see the steam rising and the smell of sulfur fill the air. After paying a fee (or purchasing the pass to see all of the hot springs in the area), you walk in to see a nice garden, followed by the light bluest light blue you'll ever see from one of the hot springs. Although you can't touch or bathe in these ridiculously hot water baths, they do boil eggs here, which you can try. In this area, there is also a orange water bath, which is very reminiscent of Jurassic Park to me for some reason...anyways, make sure to stop by here when in Beppu!

If a mean person ever tells you to "go to hell" come here! Beppu has eight different "hells" which are like bubbling, super-hot springs...but not the sort where you would like to go bathing. The 海地獄 (sea hell) is the prettiest that I visited. The entrance to the hell has pretty gardens filled with ponds that contain lotus flowers. The lotus flower leaves are huuuge and there were photos of children standing on them (but I didn't see anyone balancing their children on the leaves while we were there!!) We got to see lots of massive dragon flies, flowers and a bright orange "hell" before we even made it to the main attraction! The main part of the "hell" is a large cobalt-blue thermal pond with steam pouring from it. There is a red torii gate on one side, so it is incredibly photogenic (pretty blue water, surrounded by trees and torii gates...although the steam makes it looks a little disturbing!) Staff have nets that they use to dunk eggs into the pond to cook them...so ramen lovers should definitely try a real onsen egg while they are here! The whole area is pretty touristy, but that makes sense! Everyone wants to visit the same pretty places. My friends and I took the ferry from Kobe, so we arrived early in the morning and managed to have a peek before the crowds arrived...if you can, come early!!

The liveliest and arguably the most beautiful jigoku in Beppu. This place is a must-see when visiting the hot spring town. The minerals in the water of this spring have turned the water an interesting shade of marine turquoise hence the name Ocean Hell. The sulfur smell is quite strong, but many places of the city have that smell due to all the onsen anyway. Outside of the hell, there are a few other points of interest. There is a small Inari Shrine as well as an ashi-yu foot bath. In the summer, there are gigantic lily pads so huge you can place your small children on them and have them float on water. The gift shop inside sells boiled eggs and custard pudding that have been steamed in the scorching hot water in the hell. Stop by and have a snack before moving on to the rest of the Jigoku Meguri circuit.