Soak in 7 types of hot springs paired with Gyu beef – Miss Beppu promotes tourism in Taiwan

▲Miss Beppu Aya Hayakawa has a lovely smile. (Photo / Reporter Chen Rui-zhong, same as below)

Reported by Chen Rui-zhong / Taipei

Beppu City in Oita Prefecture, located in the northeastern part of Kyushu, Japan, is renowned in Japan for its abundant hot springs and also boasts rich tourism resources. To promote exchange with Taiwan’s tourism industry, Beppu Mayor Yasuhiro Nagano, Miss Beppu Aya Hayakawa, and over 20 local tourism operators came to Taiwan, with Taipei Deputy Mayor Chen Jing-jun also attending. Mayor Nagano stated that Beppu has a unique cultural atmosphere and can also be combined with gourmet food and hot spring experiences.

Beppu City has over 200 public hot springs, and among the world’s 10 types of hot spring water qualities, Beppu has 7; there are 2,832 hot spring vents in Beppu, accounting for 1/10th of Japan’s total, with a discharge volume of 95,190 liters per minute — the highest in Japan. The local spring waters come in colors such as blue and white, and the constant plumes of white steam have also earned Beppu the nickname “Beppu Hell.”

▲Today, around 50 Beppu tourism operators came to Taiwan to attend the travel exchange event.

Mayor Nagano said that Beppu is very safe, has many tourist spots, and can be combined with gourmet food experiences. In addition, visitors can also enjoy the seasonal hot springs, explore the local historical streets, and even experience local performing arts, which will give travelers a deeper understanding of the area. He added that because of Beppu’s distinctive features, in recent years the number of Taiwanese tourists has been growing by about 10% each year, with over 60,000 Taiwanese visitors coming to Beppu in 2015.

▲Beppu Mayor Yasuhiro Nagano (left) with Taipei Deputy Mayor Chen Jing-jun