I Looked Into Futabaso in Kannawa Onsen

On this blog, I've been slowly building up a kind of series covering not only campsites but also day-trip hot springs and inns that catch my interest as 'hokansu' (hotel-vacation) detours.

This time, I looked into Futabaso, located in Kannawa Onsen in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture. The idea of an old-fashioned toji (hot spring cure) inn where guests cook for themselves during long stays caught my interest as an indoor type, so I decided to look into it for now.

What Kind of Inn Is Futabaso?

According to the official website, Futabaso is a self-catering inn located in an area of Kannawa Onsen known as Jigokubaru. It apparently has around 20 rooms of various sizes, each consisting of two connected rooms ranging from 4.5 to 6 mats, and the style seems closer to an old-fashioned toji inn than a typical hotel or ryokan.

Reservations aren't accepted online—apparently they're only taken by phone or fax. The rate is room-only at 4,500 yen per night (before tax) plus a 100 yen bathing tax, though it seems prices may go up during New Year's and long holiday weekends. Curfew is said to be 10pm, though I also saw information suggesting they'll accommodate guests who contact them if running late. Many guests stay for extended periods, and there's apparently a culture of 'toji friends' who gather at the same time every year, which gave me a real sense of the inn's atmosphere.

• Room type: Two connected rooms ranging from 4.5 to 6 mats, about 20 rooms of various sizes
• 1st floor: 5 rooms reportedly have high ceilings, each with its own kitchen
• 2nd floor: There's a shared kitchen area, and pots, cooking equipment, dishes, and futons all seem to be available for rent
• Rate: 4,500 yen per night (before tax) plus a 100 yen bathing tax, room-only
• Reservations: By phone or fax only—no online booking appears to be available

Komorin

Just the fact that self-catering is the norm here felt fresh to me as an indoor type. Having cooking equipment available for rent might be designed with people who come for extended toji stays in mind.

The 'Jigoku-gama' and Rock Bath Fed by Its Own Hot Spring Source Seem to Be the Highlights

The biggest feature of Futabaso does seem to be its facilities using its own hot spring source. From hell cooking and heating, to an ondol-style floor used for drying laundry, a mixed-bathing rock bath with a steam room, and separate baths for men and women, I got the impression that the hot spring is put to use throughout daily life at the inn. The steam room is said to be effective for whiplash, neuralgia, and lower back pain.

What caught my attention in particular was the jigoku-mushi steaming using the jigoku-gama. Apparently you just wash your ingredients and put them in the cooker, and you can steam eggs, sweet potatoes, rice, and more—a fitting feature for a self-catering toji inn. This area is also designated as a national health resort hot spring area, and the official website states that it's said to be effective for rheumatic conditions, movement disorders, wounds, and infant eczema, and for drinking, chronic digestive conditions and chronic constipation. Since effects likely vary by individual, it's probably best to treat this as reference information only.

• Hot spring: Own source, used for hell cooking, heating, ondol flooring, a rock bath (mixed bathing with a steam room), and separate baths for men and women
• Jigoku-gama: Apparently lets you do jigoku-mushi steam cooking just by putting ingredients in
• Access: I found information suggesting it's about a 27-minute walk from the nearest station, Beppu-daigaku Station
• Parking: External reviews suggested space for around 6-7 cars, though this doesn't appear to be stated explicitly on the official website

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

When I checked this location using the official "My Area Connectivity Simulation" tool, no result was displayed—instead I got a message saying something like "currently undergoing temporary maintenance." This might be how the tool behaves when there isn't enough data for a given area, but either way, I've decided to treat the signal conditions here as unknown for now.

Since I wasn't able to confirm whether the signal is good or not this time, I'll just share the result as it is, plainly.

Komorin

Not getting a result at all was actually a first for me, so it stuck in my mind. If you're considering staying there, it might be reassuring to check on-site or with the official tool yourself, just in case.

Wrapping Up

To sum up, Futabaso struck me as an old-fashioned self-catering inn with a rock bath fed by its own hot spring source and jigoku-mushi steam cooking using a 'jigoku-gama'. With 4.5- to 6-mat rooms, self-catering facilities, a shared kitchen area, and a toji culture that weaves the hot spring into daily life, it felt like a place offering a stay that's a bit different from a typical tourist hotel.

As for the Rakuten Mobile signal conditions, the official tool couldn't produce a result either, coming back as unknown, so if this matters to you, it's probably worth checking with the official Rakuten Mobile tool yourself.

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Related Links

• Official Site