What do you think of

when you talk about Beppu?

Hot Springs!

Beppu is famous for its 8 hells of Beppu (Jigoku), which consists of 8 spectacular hot springs more for viewing than for bathing.  However, many of them do not know of the rich history of the streets along Takegawara Shopping Street and the nearby shops. Today, we will be introducing more of these hidden places in our blog.

Firstly, Takegawara Shopping Street. This street used to be famous for its ｂars and night life. It was a place where many businessmen went to after work to have a drink or as a way of relaxation. What used to be a busy and lively street has now turned into a quiet and empty street, with few people roaming the street.

The buildings that we saw in Beppu were very old and ancient as compared to the city.

However, buildings that are old and worn out poses as a problem as they might be demolished due to the building being too run down and not able to sustain. Such as the oldest (biggest) prostitute house which has been torn down when we went to visit there. Therefore, although they wish to preserve the buildings for the long run, however, if they are not renovated or improved on, the buildings will not be able to last for a long time.

If you have a chance to go there, be sure to drop by this street to have a glimpse of how life was like in the past. Along this street, there are also places that attract people to visit Beppu, such as the Takegawara Onsen and Koto Onsen.

Takegawara Onsen

From the class trip to Beppu, I found out many interesting places and one being the Takegawara Onsen!

One of the most significant characteristics of Beppu would be the hot springs due to the richness of the resources it offers. Out of many recommended Onsens available in Beppu, one which I am most interested in would be one of the oldest onsen available in Beppu, named Takegawara Onsen. 

Firstly, I would like to introduce the history behind the Takegawara Onsen, the first building was founded in 1879. The reason behind the name of Takegawara which translates to bamboo tile in English is because bamboo was used in the construction of the roof which later undergoes reconstruction with tiles. 

Currently, the present building which was constructed in 1938 is now a symbol of Beppu Hot Spring with a oriental luxurious gabled roof. Inside the onsen consist a high-ceilinged lobby where customers are allowed to sit and relax after their baths, this place hopes to provide their customers with an experience of being in the early Showa period. 

Takegawara Onsen also provides sand bath which seems to be very famous among people. While wearing your yukata, you will be asked to lie faced up on the sand while the attendant would cover you with warm sand which are heated up by thermal springs all the way up to your neck. As described, it is definitely something very relaxing and a must try when you are given a chance. 

Personally I am amazed by how such old infrastructures are still being preserved and hopefully it would last as long as possible. However, I could tell that Beppu doesn’t have a lot of tourist due to the lack of attractions. It would have been better if there are more attractions besides Onsens.

Beppu station market

After enjoying a nice dip in one of beppu's finest onsen, most people tend to get a little hungry. If this is the case, Beppu station market is the perfect place for you! Turn left after reaching Beppu Station and in a few minutes you will be able to find Beppu station market, べっぷ駅市場 in Japanese.

It is a very old street. The people working there welcomed us with “Irassyai”, which is a short form of “Irassyaimase” and means “Can I help you?” in English. The people there made me feel nice and warm inside which reminds me of my childhood. I felt like I was in an anime or a movie because it is very hard to find the street like this in Japan nowadays.

Over here you can find fruit and vegetable shops, flower shops, fish shops, Bento shops, meat shops, drug stores, and so on. What I want to recommend to you is the vegetables. They were selling at an amazing price. One Chinese cabbage costs just 100 yen, while it costs 300 yen in the supermarkets in Oita city. I wanted to buy it but it was a little heavy so I decided to get it some other time. 

Below is a map of the Beppu station market, everything is written in Japanese though.

http://www.beppu-sc.jp/ichiba/map.html

The first time I walked through here I could really see the renewal that this place has undergone! In addition there was a empty space, where residents and tourists alike could take a rest and chat. I think its great that they are trying to liven up the market like this. A friend of mine from Beppu said that he went there many times with his friends when he was a student in Beppu.

However, as I continued walking, I found a lot of shops with their shutters lowered. This really made the market seem absolutely dead. The market is currently in the process of recruiting new tenants to fill this lonely shops. If these shops becomes more lively, hopefully it will attract more people to this market and in turn, Beppu city would be able to see a slight boost in tourism.

別府の色とは
 

「湯～園地」の動画が話題となり、

今ホットな街、別府。

あの動画が撮影された場所は別府ラクテンチ。

経営不振、閉園、事業譲渡....

様々な困難を乗り越えて今もなお、存在し続ける歴史ある遊園地。

イマドキの若者は大分の遊園地といえば城島高原パークかもしれない。

しかし、こうしてまたラクテンチが注目される時代が来ている。

年間800万人の観光客が訪れる華やかな観光地、別府だが

今回はそんなイメージとは少し違った、

隠れた別府を探していく。

別府北高架商店街。

雑然としたその風情は、観光客が多く通るゆめタウン付近の町並みとは一味違う。

天井や入り口にはアートの世界が広がっている。

この商店街の中にはレトロな雰囲気漂うレコードショップ「ReNTReC.(レントレック)」という店がある。

この場所を知るために、店主の日名子さんに出店することとなった経緯を伺ってみた。

もともと日名子さんのレコードショップは以前、違う場所で経営していたが、

その場所が全く違う目的で使用されるという理由で立ち退きを余儀なくされた。

そこで日名子さんのご友人の誘いでこの北高架商店街に出店することになったのだが、

日名子さんは最初「ここはないでしょ。」と声を漏らすほど寂れた商店街だったという。

しかし、一週間ほど通ううちに商店街の人情味に絆され、出店を決意した。

もう一つの顔

別府と言えばやはり温泉だが、別府は温泉だけではなく、別の一面も持っている。北部旅館街と言われる仲間通りがあるあたり、実は元は遊郭の跡地であり、夜の街としての側面が色濃く出ている。

こちらの北部旅館街、いわるゆ観光向けの通りから少々離れた所にあり、お世辞にも賑わっているとはとてもいい難い。現在でも旅館は営業しているようだが、一般の観光客は利用するのだろうか…？

今回の目玉であった築80年を誇る「旅館かおり」はなくなってしまっていたが、それでも他の旅館は数多く残っている。それらは旅館とは言っても大きな作りではないし、決して煌びやかな建物でもない。だがそれもまた温泉街としての風情があると言えるだろう。

地域とともに歩んでいく

地元のアーティストによる作品が入り口、天井、トイレなどの場所を彩っている。

また、フリーマーケットの開催などによって地元の人々との関係を強めている。

欠点を強みに

第二次世界大戦の際、爆撃を受けなかったためこの街は古き良き景観を残しているが、通路が狭いため車での移動は不便。
しかし、その欠点を強みに変えている。
現在ではこの狭い路地の趣を楽しむ路地散策が人気だという。
実際に訪れてみると、木の枝でアートが施されていたり、大通りにはない魅力を楽しめたり、一つの観光スポットとして成立していた。

この街を活かしていく

歴史や景観を大切にする観光地はある問題に直面する。
それは革新と懐古の均衡。
若者を誘致するために新しい商業施設を作ろうとしても、土地が狭いために古い建物を取り壊す必要がある。
しかし、革新に革新を重ねることは、古き良き温泉街の風情を失ってしまうことにつながる。
そうした中で、商店街でのイベント開催・アートとのコラボや、路地散策…
このような今あるものを活用し、新しさを見出していく姿勢こそが別府の魅力であると思った。
"古き良き"という言葉に甘えず、イノベーションを繰り返すこの街に、これからも目が離せない。