Perched outside JR Beppu Station, this striking and eccentric bronze monument honors Aburaya Kumahachi, widely celebrated as the father of modern tourism in the region. Depicted charging forward in Western attire with his fist raised and a child clinging to his billowing coat, the sculpture radiates the boundless spirit of the visionary who originated the famous Beppu Hells Tour. A globetrotter and beloved community figure once dubbed 'Shiny Uncle' by local children, Kumahachi helped transform the area into Japan's ultimate hot-spring getaway. It makes for a delightfully quirky and uplifting first stop the moment you step off the train.
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