Oita is a sightseeing area that can be highly recommended to international travelers, because it has typical Japanese history, culture and nature all in one place, and that makes it possible to enjoy places to see, things to do, places to eat and traditional Japanese hospitality within a short period of time.
The people of Oita are known for their flexible ways of thinking. As such, they welcome travelers from various different areas. Oita is a very mountainous area with rich nature, and famous hot springs are dispersed throughout the mountain regions. Oita is proud of having the largest annual yield of hot springs and the largest number of springheads in Japan, and this rich resource allows visitors to enjoy high-quality hot springs in various locations in the prefecture. Among them, Yufuin and Beppu are famous around the world, attracting over 10 million visitors a year from Japan and abroad. There are many inns and hotels in which to enjoy hot springs, and each accommodation competes in providing a unique ambience for its baths. You can select from a rich variety of baths, including an outdoor hot bath surrounded by trees, an ocean-view bath, a hot spring mixed with mineral mud and hot water, a bath with cobalt-blue water, etc.
In addition to the hot springs, Oita is known for its great food culture. You simply must try the seafood. Not to mention the horse mackerel and mackerel known as their famous brand names, Seki Aji and Seki Saba, the flounder and tiger puffer are really tasty. You can enjoy them in any seaside town. Particularly, the sushi made from fresh seafood in Saiki City is said to be the most delicious sushi in Japan. There is also a variety of local cuisine using chicken meat. In fact, Oita’s per capita consumption of chicken is the largest in Japan. Chicken is often served as tempura or karaage in the local Oita style. Oita’s seafood and chicken cuisines, along with tender Bungo beef, are not to be missed
The historical landscape is still preserved in Oita Prefecture. Usuki and Kitsuki in the eastern region of the prefecture, facing the Pacific Ocean, are known for their historical landscapes, which preserve the ambience of old Japan. At Kitsuki, there is a platform from where you can enjoy a panoramic view of Usuki Castle and the urban Usuki area. We recommend taking a picture with the beautiful landscape as a background. Old samurai residences are still preserved near Kitsuki Castle, which is one of the few places in Japan where you can feel the atmosphere of the Edo period (the seventeenth to mid-nineteenth centuries). Because Kitsuki is a coastal city, you can taste great seafood such as tempura donburi (rice with tempura) with huge deep-fried shrimp on top at a very reasonable price. You can travel from Kitsuki to Usuki in about an hour, either by bus or by train. At Usuki, you’ll want to take a casual walk, since the city cherishes its old Edo castle-town landscape. Additionally, we recommend a visit to the stone Buddhas of Usuki in the vicinity, which are designated as national treasures.
When you visit Oita Prefecture, please enjoy its great nature, hot springs and regional delicacies as well as the landscapes reminiscent of the Edo period. Seeing is believing. Once you visit Oita, you’ll discover that this region is full of enchanting elements that will make your trip a memorable one.