Beppu jigokumushi: Steam cooking at Kannawa versus sightseeing hells

Learn how jigokumushi uses hot spring steam to cook food, unlike visiting Beppu's sightseeing hells, and find official details on Kannawa's rental steam pots, facilities, location and access.

Last checked:

  • Oita
  • Hot springs
  • Food

Jigokumushi () is a traditional method of cooking food with hot spring steam in the Kannawa () area of Beppu. Travellers sometimes confuse it with the Beppu Hells tour, which involves viewing hot spring attractions (see the Beppu Hells guide). Jigokumushi, by contrast, is an experience involving cooking food. This article follows the official Oita Prefecture tourism website. The official page does not list prices, opening hours or reservation rules, so this article does not provide them.

Key points

  • Jigokumushi Kobo Kannawa () rents steaming pots; bring your own ingredients and steam them yourself.
  • The official description says the method uses no oil and is therefore healthy.
  • The workshop also has a spring-water drinking area, exhibition corner, foot bath and foot steam bath.
  • About 20 minutes by car from JR Beppu Station; parking is available.

Sightseeing hells versus steam cooking

Beppu Hells tour Jigokumushi Kobo Kannawa
Activity View hot spring attractions Rent a steam pot to cook food yourself
Location Kannawa and Kamegawa areas Furomoto, Beppu City, along Ideyu-zaka
Price The official page lists 500 yen for adults and 250 yen for children at individual sites; combined ticket for seven hells costs 2,400 yen for adults and 1,200 yen for children Not listed on the official page
What to bring Nothing Ingredients

Jigokumushi Kobo Kannawa

Item Official information
Activity Rent a jigokugama steam pot (); bring ingredients and steam them yourself
Facilities Spring-water drinking area, exhibitions on local history and hot springs, and a small park with a foot bath and foot steam bath
Location Furomoto 5-kumi, Beppu City (along Ideyu-zaka)
Transport About 20 minutes by car from JR Beppu Station; parking available
Accessibility Multipurpose toilet, lift, accessible parking spaces and tactile paving
Enquiries 0977-66-3775
Hours, prices and reservations Not listed officially; enquire by telephone

Other Beppu dishes

The official Oita local cuisine guide lists these in Beppu:

  • Toriten chicken tempura (): fried chicken served with citrus ponzu vinegar, mustard or yuzu kosho.
  • Beppu cold noodles (): wheat-and-buckwheat noodles in a Japanese-style broth with kimchi and beef chashu.
  • Jigokumushi dishes: food steamed with hot spring steam. The official site notes that Kannawa has facilities where visitors can steam ingredients themselves.

Checks before departure

  1. Decide whether you want to view the hells or visit the jigokumushi workshop.
  2. For steam cooking, bring ingredients and check whether any are sold on site.
  3. Call to confirm opening hours, prices and reservation rules.

For more local dishes, see the Oita local cuisine guide. For a regional overview, see the Kyushu travel guide.

Sources