Say the word "Beppu" to any Japanese person, and they will probably conjure up images of bubbling "hell" hot springs, steam billowing from sidewalks and pervasive smells of sulphur. Beppu is known as the hot spring capital of Japan, and for good reason. It has more hot spring spots than any other city in Japan, and from the moment you set foot in the modest, quaint town, you can't help but fall in love with it.
We once again used the 3-Day Northern Kyushu SUNQ Pass we had previously purchased, taking the direct bus from Nagasaki to Beppu. At roughly 4 hours, the trip is not a short one as it pretty much travels from one side of Kyushu to the other. We were dropped a short walk from Beppu Station, and took a taxi to our accommodation for the night: Hotel Shiragiku. But more on that later. Despite the dreary weather, we didn't want to waste a moment, and so promptly received advice on where to eat the famous Jigoku Mushi and how to get there, as well as were lent a couple of umbrellas. Conveniently, the bus stop was located right outside the hotel so it was fairly straightforward.
 
Jigoku Mushi
"Jigoku mushi", which translates literally to "hell steaming", is a unique way of cooking found in Beppu, using powerful natural steam. One of the most famous places to have a hands-on experience of this method is Jigoku Mushi Kobo. Here, you can "cook" your own food in super hot steamy ovens for 500 yen per 30 minutes (30 minutes ...