Beppu, Ōita
Beppu, Ōita
| Beppu 別府市 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| — City — | |||
 |
|||
|
|||
 |
|||
 Beppu
|
|||
| Coordinates: 33°16′46.3″N 131°30′0.1″E / 33.279528°N 131.500028°ECoordinates: 33°16′46.3″N 131°30′0.1″E / 33.279528°N 131.500028°E | |||
| Country | Japan | ||
| Region | Kyūshū | ||
| Prefecture | Ōita | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Hiroshi Hamada | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 125.13 km2 (48.3 sq mi) | ||
| Population (January 2011) | |||
| - Total | 125,664 | ||
| - Density | 977/km2 (2,530.4/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) | ||
| City symbols | |||
| - Tree | Sweet Osmanthus and Camphor Laurel | ||
| - Flower | Ōmurasaki (Rhododendron x pulchrum) | ||
| Phone number | 0977-21-1111 | ||
| Address | 1-15 Kaminoguchi-chō, Beppu-shi, Ōita-ken 874-8511 |
||
| Website | City of Beppu | ||
Beppu (別府市 Beppu-shi) is a city located in Ōita Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. 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.
Contents |
Hot springs
The city was founded on April 1, 1924, and is famous for its onsen (hot springs). It has the second largest volume of hot water in the world after Yellowstone in the United States and has the largest number of hot spring sources in Japan.
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 considered a tourist town by the Japanese. Like many other Japanese cities, it is 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 renewal. 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.
Visitor attractions
Besides the various onsen, at the edge of the city at the border with Ōita, 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 macaques).
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 been known for its 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.
Twin cities
According to the city of Beppu, it has sister city relationships with:
Atami, Shizuoka, Japan
Bath, United Kingdom
Beaumont, Texas, United States
Jeju, South Korea- Mokpo, South Korea
Rotorua, New Zealand
Yantai, China
Buildings
- Beppu Tower
- ^ Beppu City Government
- ^ APU
- ^ http://umitamago.jp/
- ^ Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon. ARRS (2009-12-24). Retrieved on 2010-02-08.
- ^ ""Sister City Introduction" Beppu City Official Web". http://www.city.beppu.oita.jp/51englishpage/sister/index.html. Retrieved 2010-07-17.
|
||||||||||||||||
Ōita Prefecture