⛩️ Guankai Temple Hot Spring

Kankai-ji Onsen is a hot spring resort that has been passed down since the Kamakura period, located in the highlands upstream of the Asakawa River, which flows from Tsurumi Mountain into Beppu Bay. It is an excellent vantage point with stunning views. From the hot spring town, one can overlook the bustling streets of Beppu and enjoy a panoramic view of the distant Beppu Bay. Many ryokans (traditional Japanese inns) feature open-air baths that offer beautiful scenery, among which the "Beppu Onsen Suginoi Hotel" and "ICHINOIDE Kaikan" are known for having the two most famous scenic outdoor baths. The most attractive highlight of the "Beppu Onsen Suginoi Hotel" is the large terraced open-air viewing hot spring called "Tanayu." Covering an area of approximately 3,966 square meters, it offers a sense of openness. The open-air bath consists of five tiers of pools, allowing visitors to enjoy views of Beppu Bay from different heights and experience the wonderful sensation of seemingly floating in the air. Additionally, there are facilities for enjoying recreational activities in swimwear and a water garden. At the open-air bath "Keikan no Yu" in "ICHINOIDE Kaikan," guests can soak in the hot spring while admiring breathtaking scenery. Remarkably, the spring water is colorless and transparent when it first emerges, but over time it gradually turns into a cobalt blue hot spring. The bathing schedule alternates daily, with even-numbered days reserved for men and odd-numbered days for women.

There are several outdoor hot springs where you can enjoy the cityscape of Beppu and the beautiful views of Beppu Bay, including the open-air bath at Suginoi Hotel and the scenic bath at ICHINOIDE Hall. This is a long-established hot spring resort that was opened during the Kamakura period. The water quality is sodium chloride spring, which has excellent heat retention and is gentle on the skin, making it less likely to cause irritation.