Beppu, Oita
Encyclopedia
is a city
located in Ōita Prefecture
on the island of Kyushu
, Japan
, at the west end of Beppu Bay
. As of January 1, 2011, the city has an official population
of 125,664 and a total area of 125.13 km², with a population density
of 977 persons per km².
(hot springs
).
Beppu contains nine major geothermal
hot spots
, which are sometimes referred to as the "nine hells of Beppu". Beppu is also divided into eight major hot spring areas, listed below and known as Beppu Hatto.
Beppu is a tourist town sandwiched between the sea and the mountains.
. In 2000, the city subsidized the creation of the Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
, an international university which focuses on International Relations
and Business
. The university has an enrollment of 5,633 students originating from 98 countries and regions, making it one of the most culturally diverse universities in Japan.
, Beppu also has an aquarium called Umi Tamago (lit. "Sea Egg" but in English "Oita Marine Palace") featuring dolphins at the base of Takasaki yama (Mt. Takasaki), which is known for its large population of wild monkeys (Japanese macaque
s).
The city is part of the course of the annual Beppu-Ōita Marathon
, which traces a path between Beppu and its neighbouring city of Ōita
. The competition has been held every year since 1952 and is classed as an IAAF Silver Label road race.
Since the 1980s, Beppu has had a sex museum, Beppu Hihokan, which commemorates the resort town's sex industry with waxwork exhibits. The Hihokan was founded by an aficionado of sex-related artifacts, many of which are on display.
, Japan Bath, United Kingdom Beaumont, Texas
, United States Jeju
, South Korea Mokpo
, South Korea Rotorua
, New Zealand Yantai
, China
Cities of Japan
||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...
located in Ōita Prefecture
Oita Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan on Kyūshū Island. The prefectural capital is the city of Ōita.- History :Around the 6th century Kyushu consisted of four regions: Tsukushi-no-kuni 筑紫国, Hi-no-kuni 肥国, and Toyo no kuni...
on the island of Kyushu
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, at the west end of Beppu Bay
Beppu Bay
Beppu Bay is an arm of the western end of the Seto Inland Sea of Japan.Beppu Bay is located on the northeast coast of Kyushu in Ōita Prefecture. The city of Ōita lies on its southern coast and the city of Beppu at its western end....
. As of January 1, 2011, the city has an official population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 125,664 and a total area of 125.13 km², with a population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 977 persons per km².
Hot springs
The city was founded on April 1, 1924, and is famous for its onsenOnsen
An is a term for hot springs in the Japanese language, though the term is often used to describe the bathing facilities and inns around the hot springs. As a volcanically active country, Japan has thousands of onsen scattered along its length and breadth...
(hot springs
Hot Springs
Hot Springs may refer to:* Hot Springs, Arkansas** Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas*Hot Springs, California**Hot Springs, Lassen County, California**Hot Springs, Modoc County, California**Hot Springs, Placer County, California...
).
Beppu contains nine major geothermal
Geothermal
Geothermal is related to energy and may refer to:* The geothermal gradient and associated heat flows from within the Earth- Renewable technology :...
hot spots
Hotspot (geology)
The places known as hotspots or hot spots in geology are volcanic regions thought to be fed by underlying mantle that is anomalously hot compared with the mantle elsewhere. They may be on, near to, or far from tectonic plate boundaries. There are two hypotheses to explain them...
, which are sometimes referred to as the "nine hells of Beppu". Beppu is also divided into eight major hot spring areas, listed below and known as Beppu Hatto.
Beppu is a tourist town sandwiched between the sea and the mountains.
Hot spring areas
- Beppu Onsen
- Kankaiji
- Kamegawa
- Shibaseki
- Kannawa
- Myoban
- Horita
- Hamawaki
Asia Pacific University
Recently, Beppu has been undergoing an urban renewalUrban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
. In 2000, the city subsidized the creation of the Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
, or APU, is a private institution inaugurated April 2000 in Beppu, Ōita, Japan. APU was made possible through the collaboration of three parties from the public and private sectors: Ōita Prefecture, Beppu City and the Ritsumeikan Academy. APU has an enrollment of over 6,000 students...
, an international university which focuses on International Relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
and Business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
. The university has an enrollment of 5,633 students originating from 98 countries and regions, making it one of the most culturally diverse universities in Japan.
Visitor attractions
Besides the various onsen, at the edge of the city at the border with ŌitaOita, Oita
is the capital city of Ōita Prefecture located on the island of Kyushu, Japan.- Demographics and geography :Ōita is the most populous city in Ōita Prefecture...
, Beppu also has an aquarium called Umi Tamago (lit. "Sea Egg" but in English "Oita Marine Palace") featuring dolphins at the base of Takasaki yama (Mt. Takasaki), which is known for its large population of wild monkeys (Japanese macaque
Japanese Macaque
The Japanese macaque , historically known as saru , but now known as Nihonzaru to distinguish it from other primates, is a terrestrial Old World monkey species native to Japan....
s).
The city is part of the course of the annual Beppu-Ōita Marathon
Beppu-Ōita Marathon
The ' is an annual men's marathon race that takes place every February between the cities of Beppu and Ōita on the island of Kyushu in Japan. First held in 1952 as a 35 km race, the looped marathon course begins at the bottom of Takasaki Mountain and reaches Beppu's Kankoko International Port...
, which traces a path between Beppu and its neighbouring city of Ōita
Oita, Oita
is the capital city of Ōita Prefecture located on the island of Kyushu, Japan.- Demographics and geography :Ōita is the most populous city in Ōita Prefecture...
. The competition has been held every year since 1952 and is classed as an IAAF Silver Label road race.
Since the 1980s, Beppu has had a sex museum, Beppu Hihokan, which commemorates the resort town's sex industry with waxwork exhibits. The Hihokan was founded by an aficionado of sex-related artifacts, many of which are on display.
International relations
The city of Beppu has sister city relationships with the following locations. Atami, ShizuokaAtami, Shizuoka
is a city located in the eastern end of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2010, the city has an estimated population of 39,755 and a population density of 645 people per km². The total area is 61.56 km².-Geography:...
, Japan Bath, United Kingdom Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
, United States Jeju
Jeju City
Jeju is the capital of Jeju province in South Korea and the largest city on the island of Jeju. Its geographical location is . The city is served by Jeju International Airport ....
, South Korea Mokpo
Mokpo
Mokpo is a city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, on the southwestern tip of the Korean Peninsula. Mokpo has frequent train service to Seoul and is the terminus for a number of ferry routes serving islands in the adjacent Yellow Sea...
, South Korea Rotorua
Rotorua
Rotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns...
, New Zealand Yantai
Yantai
Yantai is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. Located on the southern coast of the Bohai Sea and the eastern coast of the Laizhou Bay, Yantai borders the cities of Qingdao and Weihai to the southwest and east respectively.The largest fishing...
, China