Kamado Jigoku (Cooking Pot Hell)

Kamado Jigoku, the "Cooking Pot Hell," takes its name from an old tradition in which rice for festivals at the nearby Kamado Hachiman shrine was cooked using steam rising from these springs. Today it is the most varied and interactive of Beppu's seven hells, packing six distinct pools and demonstrations into a single compact site in the heart of the Kannawa district, all watched over by a bright red statue of a demon cook perched atop a cauldron - one of Beppu's most-photographed mascots.

Each of the six "pots" shows a different face of the region's geothermal activity. Some hold clear blue water, one bubbles with grey mud, and another famously changes colour through the day and with the weather, shifting between blue, green and milky white as mineral concentrations and light conditions vary. Together they function almost as an open-air museum of hot-spring chemistry, letting visitors compare the effects of temperature, clay content and dissolved minerals side by side within a few paces.

What sets Kamado apart is how much you can engage with the springs rather than just look at them. There is drinkable hot-spring water, dispensed at a small fountain and said to aid digestion; a steam vent where staff invite you to breathe the warm mineral vapour, promoted as good for the throat and skin; and both a footbath and a hand bath fed by the springs. A steam facial station lets you hold your face over gently rising vapour. This tactile, participatory quality makes Kamado especially popular with families and a reliable choice on cold or rainy days.

The site sits within easy walking distance of Umi Jigoku, Oniishibozu, Oniyama and Shiraike, the five hells clustered in Kannawa that most visitors tackle on foot before busing north to Chinoike and Tatsumaki. Kamado's central location and the sheer number of things to do make it a natural place to pause mid-tour. A cafe and food stalls sell the local speciality jigoku-mushi - seafood, eggs and vegetables steamed in the geothermal heat - along with steamed custard pudding cooked over the vents.

As one of the seven, Kamado shares in the national Place of Scenic Beauty designation, but its appeal is less about grand scenery and more about intimacy and interaction. The red demon statue, the small shrine, the steaming pots and the cheerful staff give it a lively, almost carnival atmosphere compared with the more austere Chinoike or Tatsumaki.

Paths are mostly flat and easy, with a few short steps between pools, making Kamado one of the more accessible hells. Allow around 40 minutes, longer if you work through all the footbaths, drinking fountains and steam stations. For first-time visitors trying to understand what a Beppu "hell" actually is - and why a whole city grew up around water too hot to touch - Kamado Jigoku is arguably the single most instructive and enjoyable stop on the entire tour.