Beppu Jigoku Meguri 12 April 2004

Beppu is the touristy hot spring capital of Japan. Besides plenty of hotels and resorts that feature hot spring baths for bathing, Beppu's unique geothermal landscape is also dotted with a number of "jigoku" or "hells" that are big, colorful, mineral-rich geothermal pools that are too hot for bathing. These jigoku have been turned into tacky tourist traps. At some jigoku, the geothermal heat has been utilized to raise exotic plants and animals from more tropical climes. Unfortunately, many of the animals are kept in sad and appalling conditions.

This hippo lives in a tiny pool. For 100 yen, about 1 US dollar, tourists can buy a plate of potatoes to feed to the hippo. The hippo is so conditioned to tourists feeding it that is just stays at the edge of the pool with its mouth open. Closer inspection reveals that the hippo's teeth have been filed down.

The sign says "African Elephant" in Japanese. Like the hippo, it also lives in a a tiny enclosure. For 100 yen, you can throw crackers at the elephant and it will pick them up and eat them with its trunk. Below is a condor that inhabits a cage the size of a chicken coop. They also had a really sad looking chimpanzee in a bare, concrete cell, as well as some other monkeys and some llamas.