Chinoike jigoku in Beppu

[bakubo]

A couple of weeks ago we took a 3 hour ferry from Shikoku to Kyushu for a short one week trip. The first few days we stayed in Beppu. I was last there in 1985 on my very first trip to Japan!

While in Beppu I visited the Chinoike jigoku (Blood Pond Hell -- hot spring). I was there in 1985 on my first trip to Japan too and hadn't been back since. I found an old slide photo (Kodachrome 64) I took then and a photo from the recent trip from the same position. The old visitor center is gone and now they have a new, modern one. Other than that it hasn't changed so much. 1985 on the top, 2016 on the bottom. By the way, there was plenty of steam this time too, but there was some wind so it would get cleared away. These aren't good photos, but I thought others might be a little interested. I like seeing photos of the same place many years apart.

[Birma]

Hi Henry, I agree, always interesting to see the changes. Also interesting to see the difference between the scanned film and the digital picture. I wouldn't say one was better than the other, just different

[sury]

It was fun trying to figuring out changes Henry. I went back and forth few times comparing the photos.
I was admiring how little has changed in three decades. Even the fence (style) remains identical. I wonder
what caused its formation.

Sury

[bakubo]

Hi Henry, I agree, always interesting to see the changes. Also interesting to see the difference between the scanned film and the digital picture. I wouldn't say one was better than the other, just different

Both of these could use some more work to get the color balance, etc. a bit better. I didn't spend a lot of time on them. The digital was just a jpeg, not raw.

[bakubo]

It was fun trying to figuring out changes Henry. I went back and forth few times comparing the photos.
I was admiring how little has changed in three decades. Even the fence (style) remains identical. I wonder
what caused its formation.

In 1985 I think I was only there for maybe 20 minutes and then a couple of weeks ago I was back again after a span of 31 years. It was interesting to see that it was much like I remembered it except for the modern, new visitor center (mostly can't be seen behind the trees in the upper left of the 2016 photo). Inside it though there are several old B&W photos in frames of various times over the last 100 years or so including photos of the old building that you can see in the 1985 photo.

Here is a bit of info about Chinoike jigoku:

http://www.chinoike.com/en.html

Here are 2 more from 1985 and 2016 from the same position:

[bakubo]

Some people looking at the steam and jigoku:



And an old jigoku oni:

[sury]

Interesting shots. The one second from left in the onlookers shot was leaning far too much to be safe.

Sury

[aster]

.

Very impressive, Henry.

I'm glad you didn't take or process these shots in B&W, otherwise we wouldn't be able to see the colour of the Blood Pond. Probably rich in iron..(haven't taken a look at the info link yet.)

Thanks for sharing,

Yildiz