SPIRE 2016 will take place in the city of Beppu, Oita Prefecture, Japan. 

Beppu

Beppu, located in the Kyushu Island, is one of the most popular hot spring resorts in Japan. With approx 2,000 sources of hot springs, it offers various types and shapes of baths raging from inside/outside spas to foot baths, mud baths, sand baths, water-fall baths, etc.

A set of eight fiery hot spring and/or geothermal hot spots, known as "Hells of Beppu", is a major sight-seeing spot in Beppu, attracting tourists for viewing rather than bathing.

Beppu is located between the ocean and mountains: To the east of the city is the Bay of Beppu. The east end of the bay faces the Hoyo straight between the Kyushu and Shikoku islands, abundant in marine life due to strong current. The western side of the city is mountainous; Tsurumi-dake mountain (1,375m) just behind the city is a part of the national park.  

Conference Venue

The main conference will take place at Suginoi Hotel, located on a hill with a nice view to the downtown of Beppu and the ocean.

Access

There are several options to get to Beppu.

By Plane

• Via Oita airport: Oita airport is the closest airport to Beppu (approx. 50 mins. by bus). 

• Currently 14 daily flights are operated from/to Tokyo Haneda. Also, some regular flights are also operated from/to Tokyo Narita, Osaka Itami, Nagoya Chubu, and Seoul Incheon (Korea).

• Via Fukuoka airport: Fukuoka is the major city in the Kyushu island, from which Beppu can be reached in about 2 hours by bus or train. A great number of daily flights are operated between Tokyo Haneda and Fukuoka. Also, daily flights are operated from/to other major airports in Japan such as Tokyo Narita, Osaka Itami, Osaka Kansai, and Nagoya Chubu. There are also international direct flights from/to Helsinki (starting in May 2016), Seoul Incheon, Beijin, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei, etc.

By Train

• From Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya: After arriving at one of these cities by Plane, take Shinkansen bullet train to the direction of Hakata (westbound), and get off at the Kokura Station, which is the first station Shinkansen bullet trains make a stop in the Kyushu Island. Then, change to the JR Nippo Main Line and take Sonic limited express train to the direction of Oita (eastbound), and get off at the Beppu station.

By Ferry

• An overnight ferry is daily operated between Osaka and Beppu.

See here for more detailed travel information.

Other Information on Beppu

• http://english.beppu-navi.jp (Beppu City)

• http://www.visit-oita.jp/index.e.html (Oita Prefecture)