Takegawara Onsen

Takegawara is a public bathhouse in the middle of Beppu, and has been in use for about 150 years. The bathhouse was founded in 1879. The first building had a roof of bamboo, and the one that replaced it was tiled, which is where the name comes from: bamboo and tile.

The present building went up in 1938. Its front carries a karahafu, the deep curved gable used on temple gates and castle entrances, and the shape has become one of the marks of the town. Inside, the lobby is high-ceilinged and little changed since the 1930s.

The bath itself is small, holding about a dozen people. Water is led straight from the source and runs hot, above 43 degrees. There are no showers, only basins.

In the sand bath, bathers put on a yukata and lie down on the sand, and an attendant covers them with sand warmed by the hot spring. The number of places for the sand bath is limited to eight, so there is often a wait. Anyone using the sand bath can use the hot bath as well at no extra charge. The bathhouse suggests taking the water afterwards rather than before, since it is hot enough to leave a bather too warm for the sand.