Steamy Hot Japanese Town Boasts More Than 3,000 Volcanic Steam Vents | The Weather Channel
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This Japanese town offers a tour of hell.

ByPam WrightNovember 18, 2016



There is one steamy Japanese town that boasts more volcanic vents than any other place in the country and is second only to Yellowstone National Park in having the most in the world.  

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Beppu on the island of Kyushu has more than 3,000 volcanic vents and a slew of famous hot springs on the Beppu Hell circuit or Jigoku Megur, which draws thousands of visitors each year, according to the Japan National Tourist Organization.

The town is strewn with spas offering mud and luxurious steam baths.

The Beppu-onsen Spa consists of eight hot spring areas including Hamawaki, Beppu, Kankaiji, Myoban and Kannawa, which are collectively called "Beppu Hatto." 

The Tour of Hell follows a path in the Kannawa area and includes the Umi-jigoku, or sea hell, which is a bright cobalt blue; the Chi-no-ike-jigoku, or blood pond hell, where hot water containing red melted clay gushes out; and the Tatsumaki-jigoku geyser, or tornado hell.

(MORE: Mount Aso Erupts in Western Japan; Flights Disrupted)

These "hells" are unsuitable for bathing, with temperatures ranging from 122 to 211 degrees Fahrenheit. 

The steamy hot water is also piped into homes and businesses and is used for cooking, according to Amusing Planet.

The steam vents are part of Japan’s most active volcano, Mount Aso, which rises 5,200 feet into the air some 60 miles southwest of the town.


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Umi Jigoku or ocean blue hell is a cobalt blue color. There is also an ashiyu foot bath here as well with water a more comfortable temperature at 40C. Umi was the first of the hells to be designated as places of scenic beauty by the government of Japan.




 

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