What to eat in Beppu

Written by hand, not generated. Dishes, markets, timing and prices for Beppu.

Eating in Beppu: a local guide

Steam rises across this town, and cooking with it is still part of daily life. You can eat steamed food in restaurants or steam it yourself at public facilities, which turns the cooking itself into part of the visit.

What people eat here

Jigoku mushi (hell steaming) Kannawa
Seafood, vegetables and eggs steamed in hot spring vapour. No oil involved, so the ingredients taste of themselves.
Toriten
Chicken in a thin tempura batter, dipped in ponzu. Eaten throughout Oita prefecture.
Bungo beef
The local beef brand, served as steak or shabu-shabu.
Hot spring eggs
Eggs cooked in spring water until the white sets soft. Sold singly at stalls.
Seki mackerel and horse mackerel
Fish caught in the strait, eaten raw.

Where the food is

Kannawa hot spring quarter

Steam rising from every lane, with steaming facilities and restaurants.

Around Beppu Station

The downtown cluster of restaurants and shops, and the transport base.

Takegawara

A quarter around an old wooden bathhouse.

Myoban

A hillside spring area selling products made from the spring minerals.

When to go

The springs run year round, but the steam is far more visible in winter.
Ryokan stays usually include dinner and breakfast. Check before planning to eat out.
The steaming facilities have queues; going outside normal meal hours is easier.

Worth knowing

At self-steaming facilities you either buy ingredients there or bring your own. Check the procedure first.
The steam is genuinely hot. Keep children back from it.
Straight after a long bath your body is already working; it is better not to eat heavily right away.
Buses to the hillside spring areas are infrequent. Check the return times before you go up.

What it costs — A steaming set runs JPY 1,500-2,500, a toriten set JPY 1,000-1,500, and a hot spring egg JPY 100-200.

See Beppu restaurant picks Open the food map

Other region guides