Tatsumaki Jigoku is the geyser of the Beppu hells: a hot spring that periodically erupts in a column of water and steam, drawing crowds who wait on benches around the enclosed area for the next show. The eruptions happen roughly every 30 minutes and last a few minutes. It is more dynamic than the other hells, which are essentially static pools.
The site is compact and the waiting time between eruptions can be spent in the surrounding garden or at the small café nearby. Tatsumaki is located next to Chinoike Jigoku in the southern Kannawa area. Both can be visited together efficiently on a circuit of the hells before returning north to the main cluster around Umi Jigoku.