Sand baths

Kyushu Island's natural geothermic forces don't just heat water, but sand too!

Beppu is home to several places famous for sand baths known as sunamushi in Japanese. On the beach or in a bath house visitors put on a cotton bathrobe and lie in the sand as assistants pour on more warm sand to bury you up to your neck. After a 10 to 15 minute snooze, you can clean off and head for the more traditional baths. Apparently the sand has great benefits to your circulation, while more than one member of the InsideJapan team swears by the exfoliating properties the sand provides!