May 11, 2011

Beautiful azalea at the hillside of Tatsumaki Jigoku

What a beautiful scenery it is!  The lump of the azalea fully blooms in profusion at the hillside near Tatsumaki Jigoku (or Tornado hell), one of Beppu's popular sightseeing spots.




Tstsumaki Jigoku is a geyser that is designated as a natural monument by the city of Beppu. The temperature goes up as high as 105. The word geyser means a hot spring that spouts out boiling water and steam in certain intervals. Tatsumaki Jigoku blows off approximately every 35 minutes and it lasts for about seven to ten minutes.  Because of the appearance that hot water blows looks like the tornado or Tatsumaki in Japanese, it is called Tatsumaki Jigoku or Tornado Hell.





It is a good choice for the tourists to see Tatsumaki Jigoku at the end of eight hell tour starting from Kannawa hot spring area. This beautiful azalea blooming can be seen until the end of May.(K.K.)