Beppu is a city located in Oita Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. In 2008, the city had a population of 123,000. The city was founded on April 1, 1924 and is famous for its thousands of onsen (hot springs), which are regarded as sacred. Beppu is Japan's onsen capital with the largest volume of hot water in the world aside from Yellowstone National Park, and the largest number of hot spring sources in Japan. Beppu claims nine major geothermal hot spots, referred to as the "nine hells of Beppu."