Oita Hidden Gems
Japan's hot-spring capital — more thermal water and more sources than any other prefecture, from steaming resort towns to quiet mountain baths.
5 spots
Climate & Best Season
Mild and rainy; the Kuju highlands are cooler with light snow. Onsen are best in autumn and winter.
Famous For (Food)
- Toriten (chicken tempura)
- Seki mackerel
- Dango-jiru
- Bungo beef
Signature Sights
- Beppu 'hells' and baths
- Yufuin
- Usa Jingu
- Kunisaki Peninsula stone Buddhas
Yufuin Floral Village — European Fairy Tale Street
Yufuin Floral Village is a small commercial development designed to replicate a Cotswolds village — stone-paved lanes, h…
Hita — Edo-Period Merchant Town on the River
Hita prospered in the Edo period as a direct Tokugawa territory (天領, tenryo) controlling river transport along the Mikum…
Oka Castle Ruins — Castleless Castle in the Sky
Oka Castle (岡城) was built on a 100-meter-tall volcanic plateau in 1594, defended by sheer cliffs on three sides and acce…
Myoban Onsen — Yunohana Sulfur Huts
Myoban Onsen is a hot spring district on Beppu's western hillside famous for yunohana (湯の花, 'hot spring flowers') — crys…
Rokugo-manzan Temples — Kunisaki Buddhist Trail
Stand at the base of the Kumano Magaibutsu cliff at 7:30 on a November morning and you'll understand why monks chose thi…