Hello! It’s Hitapapa!
I’m a working dad with three boys and I love hot springs 😆
When I was a student, I became obsessed with hot springs and visited over 88 hot springs in Beppu, earning the title of “Hot Spring Master” !
His love for hot springs, which he has had since his student days, has never cooled down and continues to grow stronger.
I have many favorite hot springs, but I especially love Beppu.
It’s great that it’s located in the city and easy to get to!
There are countless hot springs all over the city, and it’s amazing that there are hot springs everywhere!
It’s amazing that it has everything: the sea, mountains, hot springs, and town!
A variety of spring qualities!
Most of the hot springs are of high quality, with water directly from the source!
I think it’s quite rare to find such a wonderful hot spring resort.
That’s why I love Beppu so much😆😆
This time, we came to Ekimae Koto Onsen, a public bath in front of Beppu Station.
There are many public baths in Beppu, but Ekimae Koto Onsen is located on the main street in front of Beppu Station, so I think it is easy for tourists to visit .
What’s more , despite its convenient location in front of the station, the bathing fee is an incredibly cheap 250 yen !
As expected of Beppu! Beppu is amazing!
Built in 1924 with donations from local residents, Ekimae Koutou Onsen celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2024!
The building, which is full of Taisho-era romanticism, remains exactly as it was back then and is still run by the local residents’ association.
It’s a very interesting public bath.
Now let’s introduce Ekimae Koto Onsen.
It’s a public bath in front of the station that’s easy for tourists to enter.
- Basic information about “Ekimae Koto Onsen”
- The atmosphere in front of Beppu Station
- Recommended items for visiting Beppu hot springs
- The exterior of “Ekimae Koto Onsen”
- The atmosphere inside “Ekimae Koto Onsen”
- Take a bath in “hot water”!
- Take a bath in “warm water”!
- Hot spring analysis report
- Conclusion
- Related Posts
Basic information about “Ekimae Koto Onsen”
＜Station Front High-Level Hot Spring＞
[Address] 13-14 Ekimae-cho, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture
[Opening hours] 8:00-23:00
[Closed] Several times a year (irregular holidays)
[Bath fee] 250 yen for adults, 150 yen for children
[Parking] 5 spaces
[Telephone number] 0977-21-0541
[Spring quality] Simple hot spring
[Official website] https://onsendo.beppu-navi.jp/y7/
You can also stay overnight at a cheap price!
The atmosphere in front of Beppu Station
Arrived at Beppu Station!
There is a hot spring mark on the station sign♨️
As expected from Beppu, the hot spring powerhouse!
We arrived in Beppu!
In front of the station there is a statue of Aburaya Kumahachi, the man who was instrumental in spreading Beppu as a tourist destination across the country.
It was just Christmas season at the time, and Aburaya Kumahachi was dressed as Santa Claus.
Kumahachi Aburaya has become Santa Claus ♪
As you’d expect from Beppu, a hot spring powerhouse, there is a hand bath in front of the station.
What’s more, this hand bath is incredibly powerful; the hot spring doesn’t just trickle out, but rather gushes out from the rocks !
Furthermore, the rocks where the hot spring is spouting out are stained brown by deposits from the hot spring . This is proof that the hot spring is rich in color!
The hot spring gushes out with incredible force!
There’s hot spring water coming from the bank in front of the station!
It’s probably quite rare to find a hot spring coming from a bank, even in parts of Japan.
What’s more, the quality of this hot spring is excellent!
The smell of iron is strong !
When I touched the hot spring with my hands, my hands became smooth.
The areas where the hot spring flows are brown with deposits.
There’s hot spring water coming out of the bank!
There is hot spring water even at the business hotel in front of the station!
This hot spring also has a brown color due to precipitation where the hot spring flows.
It’s amazing that there are hot springs everywhere in front of the station!
If you like hot springs, you’ll be excited just by walking around the station😊😆
There is a hot spring at the entrance of the business hotel in front of the station!
Recommended items for visiting Beppu hot springs
A must-have item for touring the hot springs in Beppu is the “Beppu Hatto Onsen Book” (660 yen including tax).
There are over 100 hot springs in Beppu that you can take a day trip to bathe in.
The hot springs are listed by area in Beppu, making it very useful when visiting various hot springs.
What’s more, it also comes with discount tickets for Beppu’s tourist facilities and hot springs, so just by using the discount tickets you can easily make back the cost of the book (660 yen), making it a great value book.
It is sold at convenience stores in Beppu Station and bookstores in Beppu city.
When touring the hot springs in Beppu, it’s useful to have the “Beppu Hatto Hot Springs Book” ♪
Another item to accompany you on your hot spring excursions is the “Spaport.”
It’s not a passport but a “spa port”!
If you enter a hot spring that is listed in the hot spring book mentioned above, you can have a stamp printed on this spa port.
If you collect 88 hot spring stamps (apparently 88 is a reference to the eight hot springs of Beppu), you can be given the title of “Hot Spring Master.”
When I was a student, I visited over 100 hot springs in Beppu and was given the title of “Hot Spring Master”!
Spa Port can be purchased at the Tourist Association attached to Beppu Station for 110 yen including tax.
If you visit all 88 baths you will be given the title of “Hot Spring Master”!
The exterior of “Ekimae Koto Onsen”
Ekimae Koto Onsen is located a few minutes walk from Beppu Station along the main street in front of the station.
It has been 100 years since it was constructed in 1924, but the building remains exactly as it was when it was constructed !
The building is filled with Taisho-era romanticism and is so beautiful!
It’s a retro building full of Taisho-era romance.
There is a parking lot for 5 cars at the entrance to the hot springs.
I think it’s unusual for a public bath to have a parking lot.
And it’s free and located in front of the station!
In front of Ekimae Koto Onsen is the main street in front of the station, which looks like this.
Beppu is amazing, having a hot spring right in front of the station!
It’s located just a few minutes walk from Beppu Station.
Hot spring water flows out from the entrance of the hot spring in front of the station.
Unfortunately, there was no hot spring water on this day, but the hot spring ingredients were left stuck to the water in brown deposits.
It’s a rich hot spring!!
At Ekimae Koto Onsen there are two types of hot springs, “hot water” and “warm water”, each with its own separate bath.
Both are 250 yen.
“Atsuyu” is really hot even in winter!! It’s too hot to get in!
The lady at the reception desk also said, “I can’t fit into the hot water either.”
How hot is it!!
The “lukewarm” water is lukewarm enough that you can relax in it for a long time, so unless you’re confident in taking a bath in a very hot spring, we recommend the “lukewarm” water.
However, the “atsuyu” baths are kind enough to have both hot and lukewarm baths, so if you choose the “atsuyu” option, you can just take a lukewarm bath even if you don’t want to try the hot bath .よ。
If you set it to “hot water” for now, you can also bathe in lukewarm hot springs.
The atmosphere inside “Ekimae Koto Onsen”
There is a ticket counter as soon as you enter the building.
Very retro!!
There are lockers with locks in front of the counter, so you can put your valuables in these and leave the key with the counter attendant.
Behind the counter there are stairs leading up to the second floor.
There are actually rooms for guests to stay in on the second floor!
A private room costs 3,500 yen per night on weekdays and 4,000 yen on weekends and holidays, which is extremely cheap.
This is the entrance to “Hot water.”
This is the entrance to the “warm water”.
Both the hot bath and the warm bath cost 250 yen, but you can only use one of them .
Buy your ticket from the ticket machine and hand it over to the attendant.
You can only enter either the “hot” or “warm” baths. The entrances are separate.
Take a bath in “hot water”!
“Atsuyu” has both hot and lukewarm baths .
The lady at the reception desk gave me some advice: ” If it’s too hot to get in, just go for lukewarm water .”
I wanted to try a hot bath, so I chose “Atsuyu”!
Dressing room
Clean and tidy changing room.
There are lockers in the dressing room, but please note that they do not have locks.
If you are worried about your valuables, you can use the locked lockers in front of the reception desk.
There is a fan attached.
The hot springs in Beppu are very hot, so if you don’t have a fan, you’ll be drenched in sweat as soon as you step into the changing room, especially in the summer.
It’s a clean changing room.
Bathroom
The bathroom is a semi-underground style common in Beppu’s public baths, where you descend a flight of stairs from the changing room.
Nowadays we have pumps, but before they did, the ground was dug and the bathtub was placed below the surface in order to efficiently collect the hot spring water that bubbled up above the surface.
In other words, the semi-underground public bath is proof that this is a historic hot spring that has existed since the days before pumps .
In the photo above, the tub in the foreground contains hot water, and the tub in the background contains lukewarm water.
There is a shower and a washbasin.
It’s quite old and quite nostalgic!
The warning signs are old and very retro.
And if you look closely, you’ll see that it’s handwritten.
It’s a wonderful sign that gives you a sense of the times😆
It’s a public bath with a sense of history.
Hot bath
This is the hot tub.
There is a tap for adding water, but no water comes out.
Later, I spoke to the lady at the front desk and she told me that they don’t add water to the sake, even in the middle of summer!
This is a genuine hot spring that is 100% flowing directly from the source !
(No circulation, no water addition, no heating, no chlorine disinfection)
The bath is designed in a way that is common in Beppu’s public baths, with the hot spring source coming out from the bottom corner of the tub, rather than from above.
The hot water flows to a place diagonally opposite from where the spring water is poured.
By pouring the hot spring water from the bottom of the bath, the hot spring water in the bath is replaced efficiently!
It’s a 100% natural hot spring.
There are lots of hot spring deposits, which are crystallized hot spring ingredients, floating on the surface of the hot spring !
(Don’t worry, it’s not dirt.)
The hot spring has a slight yellowish color .
There are lots of hot spring deposits floating in the water.
The areas where the hot spring water overflows are covered with a thick brown deposit of hot spring ingredients!
This is proof that the hot spring is rich.
It’s full of hot spring deposits!
The edge of the bathtub is also covered with hot spring deposits!
By the way, I tried to get into the hot spring, but the moment I put my toes in, it burned!!
Even if I try my best, I can only manage to touch one knee to the ground for a moment.
It’s quite a hot bath .
It’s so hot that you can’t even pour your own water over yourself , so please be careful if you decide to try a hot bath💦
Apparently, locals enjoy bathing in this hot spring without adding water, even in the summer (ﾟДﾟ)!
Amazing!!
It’s really hot so be careful!
Lukewarm bath
This is the lukewarm hot spring bath.
It’s the same temperature as “lukewarm water.”
Even if you select “hot water,” there is a bath at the same temperature as the lukewarm water, so you don’t have to worry!
The hot bath was so hot that I was afraid it would be too hot even though it was supposed to be lukewarm, but when I got in I was shocked to find that it was really lukewarm !!
Yay!! It feels great and it’s not hot at all!!
The bath wasn’t hot at all, but rather lukewarm, and it felt so comfortable I could stay in it for a long time.
As someone who likes lukewarm water, I’m very happy!
I never expected to find such lukewarm water in Beppu, a place where hot baths are common!
The hot springs are almost odorless .
When I tasted it from the source, it was almost tasteless but had a slight salty taste .
(It is not for drinking, so taste it at your own risk!)
This hot spring is very warm and pleasant, so you can soak for a long time.
The lukewarm bath looks like a little cave bath.
This is the place where the lukewarm water for the bath comes out, and the hot spring deposits have formed spikey stones that look like icicles !
Amazing! They are crystals of hot spring ingredients!
The hot spring ingredients look like icicles
The area where the hot spring flows out is also lumpy due to the hot spring components.
The walls and other surfaces have turned brown, probably due to deposits from the steam from the hot springs.
This photo was taken while soaking in a lukewarm bathtub.
It’s so retro!!
So wonderful!!
We had so much fun in the hot spring that there were no other customers and we had it all to ourselves for just 250 yen.
Too cheap!!
By the way, there were a few customers in the “warm water” area at the time.
It’s a charming bathhouse with a retro feel.
Take a bath in “warm water”!
Changing room
As soon as you open the door to the “warm water” room you’ll find the changing room.
There are only shelves, no lockers with locks.
The bathroom and dressing room are integrated, so security isn’t a problem.
The dressing room and bathroom are integrated.
Bathtub
It has a semi-underground structure, which is common among public baths in Beppu.
Go down the stairs to the bathtub.
The “warm water” room simply has one bathtub.
I’m going to take a bath♪
It’s warm and feels good♪
It’s just the right comfortable warmth 😊👍
Beppu’s public baths are often too hot even in winter, so this warm bath feels really nice ♨️
For me, who loves lukewarm hot springs, this is the best hot spring because I can take my time and soak in it for a long time.
On the other hand, people who like hot springs may find it too lukewarm.
It was just the right temperature and felt great!
100% natural hot spring water
The hot spring water was not poured from the bottom of the bathtub, but rather poured from a hose into the faucet inside the bathroom.
The hose is submerged at the bottom of the bathtub, and the hot spring water is poured from the bottom, so the hot spring water in the bathtub is replaced efficiently.
The hot spring water flows out from the edge of the bath.
This is a simple hot spring with water flowing directly from the source!
After all, simplicity is what makes a real hot spring great!
It is 100% natural spring water, without adding tap water.
The edges and surrounding areas of the bathtub are brown and bumpy due to deposits from the hot spring.
This is proof that the spring water is rich.
100% natural hot spring water feels amazing!
Hot spring analysis report
I always casually look at the hot spring analysis report after taking a bath.
It’s not a given, but I always watch it.
Hot springs that contain a lot of metasilicic acid are known as “beauty skin baths,” and are said to make your skin moist and smooth.
The hot springs at Ekimae Koto Onsen contain 216 mg of metasilicic acid per 1 kg, which is quite a lot.
Indeed, after taking a bath, my skin felt moisturized and smooth.
The power of hot springs is amazing!
By the way, whenever I go into a hot spring, I always pour a lot of hot spring water on my face too♪
Since I’ve come all the way to the hot springs, I want to apply the hot spring ingredients to my face as well, and turn into an old man with smooth, moisturized skin 😆
Metasilicic acid makes your skin moist and smooth
Conclusion
There are many public baths in Beppu city, but for first-time visitors or tourists, they can often be intimidating.
Ekimae Koto Onsen is located on the main street in front of the station and is featured in many guidebooks, so I think it’s a public bath that is easy for even first-time visitors and tourists to enter!
Moreover, the bathing fee is very reasonable at just 250 yen !!
As expected from the hot spring powerhouse, Beppu!!
What ‘s more, the hot spring water flows directly from the source, 100% straight from the source .
(No circulation, no water addition, no heating, no chlorine disinfection)
Even in famous hot spring areas, there are many hot spring facilities that recycle, add water, heat, and disinfect with chlorine, but the great thing about Beppu’s hot springs is that most of them are free-flowing from the source! (Although sometimes the source is too hot and water is added.)
This traditional semi-underground public bathhouse has been in operation for over 100 years since its establishment in 1924, and has a retro feel to it.
This building, which exudes the romantic atmosphere of the Taisho era, is said to have been in place for 100 years, just as it was when it was first built!
It’s worth the visit just to see the building.
It is conveniently located in front of Beppu Station, so if you arrive in Beppu by train, it’s a good idea to visit Ekimae Koto Onsen first!
(When I go to Beppu by train, I usually go to the high-class hot spring in front of the station because I want to get in the hot spring as quickly as possible 😆)
Please come and visit the retro “Ekimae Koto Onsen” where you can feel the romance of the Taisho era.
It’s a public bath that’s easy for first timers and tourists to enter.
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I hope this article was of some help to you!
See you soon!
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