What to Eat in Beppu: 10 Famous Foods in Beppu

Located on the Eastern coast of Kyushu, Japan’s second-most southern island, Oita Prefecture is a fantastic destination for those who seek an abundance of nature spots, hot springs and unique local foods. 

Beppu is one of the most popular destinations in Oita, and for good reason. Known for its “hell” hot springs and jigokumushi (hell-steamed food), there’s lots to do in this city. 

Today, we’ll be sharing famous foods to eat in Beppu, as well as some food experiences that will allow you to try these dishes.

Known as the wagyu beef of Oita, Bungo beef comes from the high-quality cattle raised in the pastoral parts of Oita Prefecture. 

It’s rich in flavor, soft in texture and so delicious that it’s won the Emperor’s Prize and an award from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries! 

If you’re visiting the scenic Kokonoe Yume Grand Suspension Bridge, be sure to stop by one of the local burger joints for the Kokonoe Yume burger. 

Choose from a variety of ingredients, including a natto fermented soybean patty, rice buns, yakisoba, bungo beef and chicken nanban for a hearty meal after a day in Kokonoe.

Deceptively simple, Oita’s fried chicken (called toriten in Japanese) is the fried chicken of your dreams. Lightly battered in wheat flour, these puffy, bite-size pieces are then dipped in ponzu sauce to cut through the heaviness. 

You can find chicken tempura across the prefecture, but we recommend trying them at an izakaya and perhaps pairing it with a local beer or sake.

Not to be confused with the Ryukyu fish in Okinawa, the term “ryukyu” in Oita refers to a specific style of serving fish. Local fish including mackerel, sea bream and sardines are coated in a sauce made from soy sauce, sake, mirin, sesame and ginger. 

We recommend enjoying this saucy combination in the form of sashimi for maximum flavor and texture. 

Translating to “hell steaming,” jigokumushi refers to the famous steamed cuisine of Beppu. Foods such as seasonal vegetables, buns filled with meat and desserts like pudding are steamed to perfection, resulting in a supposedly healthier dish that’s cooked without oil. 

Unlike the sweet dango you might eat on skewers in Honshu, dango-jiru is a savory dumpling soup. Wheat flour is stretched and flattened by hand into long noodles, which are then cooked in a soup with vegetables and a miso-based soup.

This dish is perfect for the cooler months to warm you up from the inside out.

Named for the Saga Seki fish port where they’re caught, seki aji and seki saba are two different types of mackerel that are highly regarded in Oita. 

Enjoy in sashimi form for a firm, chewy appetizer from March to April for seki aji or September to December for seki saba.

Oita Prefecture is the home of shiitake mushrooms, one of the most well-known mushrooms both inside and outside of Japan. You can enjoy them in vegetable dishes like dango-jiru mentioned above or veggie stir-fries at izakaya. 

If you’re a seafood lover, you have to try Oita’s seafood along the Saiki coast, whose blue waters are fed by the fertile Kuroshio sea current. 

One recommended dish to try? Ise-ebi, or spiny lobster — a dish so well-loved that there’s a season-long festival from early September to late November when the spiny lobsters are in their prime. 

You’ll have no problems finding a restaurant along the coast to serve this to you!

Drier and cleaner than its Honshu counterparts up north, you can taste Oita’s high-quality sake at small breweries and distilleries across the prefecture.

As any decent brewer will tell you while you’re in Beppu, we recommend adding some local kaboshi lime for a sour kick, just like the locals love to do!

If you’re looking for food experiences where you can try out the famous dishes of Beppu, look no further than these ByFood-original culinary experiences. 

Saunter through the steamy onsen town of Kannawa, home to the “hells” of Beppu, on this Kannawa Onsen tour and hot springs cooking class. 

First, you’ll embark on a walking tour of the streets of Kannawa before dipping into the onsen yourself. You’ll have the choice between Hyotan Onsen or a steam onsen experience — both revitalizing you for the day ahead. 

Then, you’ll enjoy a jigokumushi cooking class where you’ll cook fresh produce and meat. Savor your meal and deep conversation with your English guide before being dropped off at Beppu Station.

On this private tour of Myoban Onsen town, you’ll be able to take in the picturesque rural scenery and milky waters while learning about the local traditions. 

Try out the medicinal bath salts produced in the traditional timber huts and taste a pudding steamed with water from the hot spring with a knowledgeable English guide.

Immerse yourself in Beppu’s foodie culture on this coffee and food tour of Beppu. Our host is a German-born Japanese person who speaks three languages, ensuring you’ll have full linguistic access to the gastronomic delights of Beppu. 

Try out the famous rice rolls at Beppu Station Market, fried chicken in a meat shop and baked goods at a traditional Japanese bakery. Wash it all down with an onsen water-made coffee at Space Beppu, a traditional house-turned-cafe.

Those familiar with Japanese cuisine might think of dango mochi skewers when they hear “dango,” but in Oita, “dango” refers to flat, rectangular noodles served in a hearty broth. 

Learn how to make the dish that is considered the pride of Beppu in this Beppu noodle soup cooking class. Get guidance in multiple languages from our host, who speaks English, Japanese and Chinese.

If you’re planning to visit Kyushu during the summer, there’s no better way to cool down than with a lunch of nagashi somen. 

Enjoy the Japanese tradition of catching your own noodles as they fly down an icy bamboo chute and dipping them into a refreshing sauce on this bamboo noodle lunch in Beppu.

For a Japan trip worth boasting about, explore everything Beppu has to offer: Best places to eat, things to do in Beppu and things to do in Oita Prefecture.

Yes! Beppu is one of the most well-known destinations in Kyushu, known around the world for its Japanese hot spring culture. 

Beppu is best known for its “Hells,” seven regions of bountiful onsen hot springs. Outside of this, Beppu is also known for stunning lakeside and mountainside hiking trails, and the unique steam-cooking method of jigokumushi.

Beppu is the number one onsen city in the world, blessed with over 2,000 hot springs.