Beppu is the leading hot spring resort of Japan with as many as 104 public baths. In an excellent natural setting, 130,000 kiloliters of hot spring water (enough to fill 3,600 2-meter swimming pools) gushes out daily from approximately 2,700 sources scattered over an area of 50 square meters. Since earlier times, Beppu has flourished as a hot spring resort and in 1950 it was designated as an international spa tourist cultural city. It boasts of its large variety of hot springs according to their mineral contents including acid, sulfur, salt, iron, and alum. Beppu has nine out of 11kinds of hot springs designated in the international hot spring conference. Eight areas with especially large amounts of gushing water, namely Hamawaki, Beppu, Kankaiji, Horita, Myoban, Kannawa, Shibaseki and Kamegawa, are called the "Eight Major Hot Springs Areas of Beppu", each featuring its own characteristics as to the mineral contents and natural surroundings. They serve as places for hot spring treatment, recuperation and recreation not only for tourists but also for local residents.