Beppu

Beppu is, according to Lonely Planet, a (hot spring) tourist mecca that rivals Las Vegas in tackiness. The secret, according to them, is to enjoy and appreciate the tackiness.
Okay…
Arrived at JR Beppu Station around 1900 this evening. After searching for about 15 minutes with a woefully inadequate map, we located the Minshuku Kokage just off the main drag that leads to the station. Here’s the sign that shows you where it is.
It�s a small family run place that has curfew (00:00) and has a hot spring in the back (well, it�s actually more of a warm spring, but more on that later).
The room is big and I have a bathroom with a very cramped western style toilet that looks like it was grafted onto a Japanese squat toilet. Verrry cramped!
And now, enough potty talk! Heh heh.
Dinner time drew near which means that it�s time to stroll around looking around for food. After browsing through several used CD/DVD shops (not my idea), we went to the end of the street where you can see the Beppu Tower.
I read somewhere that each major city has an observation tower of some sort. Maybe it�s a law…
Anyhoo, it was my idea to walk back via a parallel street. And boy, was that some street! Strip clubs! Hostess clubs! Bars! Ramen shops. And a really neat restaurant that made various forms of donburi. And apparently old too.
Here�s the menu. And a very happy customer!
Good stuff, that katsu don.
Afterwards, we went back to JR Beppu Station to shop at the Daiei (owned by Wal-Mart, I think) for tomorrow�s snacks. I got yoghurt and coffee for tomorrow AM and pudding and drinks for this evening.
Then I tried out the hot spring in the Minshuku. It was relaxing and all, but more of a warm spring. Not hot enough! The hot onsens are for tomorrow.