Oita

The province

Get to know Oita

Oita is in northeastern Kyushu, facing the Seto Inland Sea, and has the largest number of hot springs and the greatest thermal water volume in Japan. For that reason it is known as the hot-spring prefecture. Fish from the Saganoseki area, such as mackerel and Seki jack mackerel, is served raw.

In Beppu, steam rises from the streets, from sewers and from hillsides. The city has eight hot-spring districts, with historic public bathhouses, hot sand baths, mud baths and steam baths. The hells—hot-spring ponds with strong colors, like the blue of Umi Jigoku and the red of Chinoike Jigoku—are for viewing, not for bathing. In the Kannawa neighborhood, vegetables and eggs are cooked in the steam of the springs.

Yufuin sits at the foot of Mount Yufu, in a valley with Lake Kinrin, which is covered in mist on cold mornings. The main street has galleries, cafés and shops, and the inns spread across the fields, many with outdoor baths. A panoramic train connects Yufuin to Fukuoka.

In Usuki, Buddhas carved in rock between the 12th and 14th centuries are a national treasure. The Kunisaki Peninsula has mountain temples, such as Fuki-ji, one of Kyushu’s oldest wooden buildings. The Yabakei Gorge features rock formations and hand-carved tunnels, and the Kokonoe suspension bridge spans a valley of waterfalls. At Takasakiyama, hundreds of monkeys come down the mountain into the park.