Oita prefecture is located in the eastern part of Kyushu Island within easy access to the mountains and the sea. Each season brings its own unique charm to the region making it a popular destination to tourists all year round.
Oita is famous throughout Japan for its wide choice of spa resorts such as Beppu-onsen, which has over 100 hot spring locations to offer and the Yufuin-onsen known for the music and film festivals held every summer, which are visited by many tourists from all over the country. There are eight different types of hot spring in Beppu collectively known as “Beppu Hatto”, each of which has its own unique type of spa.
Along the east coast line is the city of Usuki, famous throughout Japan for the sixty Budda statues carved in the natural rock face dating back to around 1100.
Another very popular tourist destination is Mount Takasaki, home to over 1,600 wild monkeys. The monkeys live freely in the mountainside, but come down to the park in separate groups at regular times during the day to be fed by the wardens and to entertain tourists with their friendly playful antics.
For more information about Oita prefecture, see their official tourism website.
Air - Oita has its own airport which operates domestic flights to and from Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. The airport is accessible by bus, but not by train. For further details, click here for its English website.
Yufin Onsen is regarded as one of the best hot spring resorts in Japan. Unlike the more traditional style resorts, the main street is packed with trendy cafes, art galleries, modern restaurants and stylish boutiques.
Sandwich Style Castle Town - The only “sandwich style” castle town in Japan, given its name because samurai resided on the north and south sides of the town while merchants lived in the middle.
Beppu Onsen is one of the most popular spa resorts in Japan and has the largest number of hot spring sources in the country. There are eight onsen areas in the city, each with its own unique characteristics.
Usa Jingu was founded in 725 AD and is the heaquarters of over 40,000 shrines in Japan. The present shrine was built in the 19th century and is designated as a National Treasure.