The Kunisaki Peninsula, Nakatsu, and Usa areas offer tourist attractions such as Kiyomizu Temple, Usa Jingu Shrine, and Mt. Hidehiko; sightseeing events such as the Tenjin Festival, Tsuruichi Hanagasanboko Festival, and Usa Natsukoshi Festival; and local gourmet foods such as waffles, Nakatsu Karaage, and sweet potatoes.
Nakatsu is also known as the place where Yukichi Fukuzawa spent his life until the age of 19. The main house where he was born and the storehouse that was converted into his study room are open to the public at the former residence of Yukichi Fukuzawa. There are also valuable museums related to medicine and Dutch studies, such as the Oe Medical House Museum and the Murakami Medical House Museum.
Nakatsu Castle, built by Kuroda Nyosui, is able to draw seawater through a sluice gate, and together with Takamatsu Castle and Imabari Castle, is considered one of the three most famous water castles in Japan. The area is a must-see for history buffs, with its earthen walls and whitewashed samurai residences that are reminiscent of those days.
To extend your visit to the Usa area, a drive around the Kunisaki Peninsula is recommended to visit mountain Buddhist temples and stone Buddhist monuments. The Kumano Magaibutsu, a giant Fudo Myoo and Dainichi Nyorai carved into the cliff, and Usa Shrine, the head shrine of all Hachiman shrines in Japan, are just a few of the sights to see.
In "Bungo Takada Showa no Machi," the shopping street has been renovated to look exactly as it did in the Showa period (1930s). The town has been so realistically recreated that it has been called a "living museum." Visitors can see retro meat cutters, rice cake pounding machines, and other equipment. In the "Showa Roman Storehouse," you can enjoy a time-slip experience by viewing old-fashioned anime figures and other items such as candy.
If you want to enjoy an energetic outdoor life, cycling in Yabakei is recommended. The Maple-Yama Bike Path winds through a magnificent natural setting of oddly shaped rocks and majestic peaks.
You can also ride around the Ao no Doumon (Blue Cave Gate), a tunnel carved into the rock face, and Yabakei Bridge, which has eight arches and is the only one of its kind in Japan. The scenery changes with the seasons, from fresh greenery to autumn foliage to snowy landscapes. If you need a break, we recommend the café "Kijeiza," which is housed in a closed elementary school building.
For gourmet dining, the best choice is the local cuisine, which uses an abundance of delicacies from the mountains. At "Grenadier's Peak," where you can enjoy your meal while gazing at the famous mountain peaks, a wide variety of local chicken dishes can be enjoyed, including sashimi, tataki, grilled skewers, fried chicken, and nabe (hot pot).
Usa Jingu is one of Japan's most important Shinto shrines, located at the foot of Mount Omoto, which rises to 647 meters above sea level, in Usa City, Oita Prefecture. Known as the principal shrine of the Hachiman tradition, it serves as the head shrine for a nationwide network of approximately 44,000 Hachiman shrines. Usa Jingu is regarded as one of Japan's oldest shrines and has held an importa...»
Nakatsu Castle stands near the mouth of the Nakatsu River in Nakatsu City, Oita Prefecture. Its distinctive riverside location and connection with the surrounding waterways have earned it a place among Japan's Three Great Water Castles, together with Imabari Castle in Ehime Prefecture and Takamatsu Castle in Kagawa Prefecture. The castle's reconstructed keep has become a familiar symbol of Nakats...»
Showa Town, located in Shinmachi, Bungotakada City, Oita Prefecture, is a nostalgic destination where visitors can experience an atmosphere inspired by Japan's Showa era, which lasted from 1926 to 1989. The town offers an opportunity to discover the history and culture of an earlier period through its traditional commercial streets and retro atmosphere. Rather than focusing solely on modern attra...»
Nakatsu Karaage is a famous local specialty from Nakatsu City in the northwestern part of Oita Prefecture. The city is known for its historic Nakatsu Castle and the scenic Yabakei area, but it is equally celebrated for its love of Japanese-style fried chicken. In Nakatsu, karaage is much more than an occasional restaurant dish. It is enjoyed at festivals, parties, family meals, and as a snack for...»
Usa Karaage is a famous local specialty from Usa City in Oita Prefecture. The city is widely regarded as the birthplace of Japan's specialty karaage shops and is an important destination for anyone interested in Japanese-style fried chicken. Oita Prefecture is particularly well known for its high consumption of chicken. Among its cities, Usa and neighboring Nakatsu are especially famous for their...»
Noppe-jiru is a traditional vegetable soup from the Yamakuni River basin, which extends across the border between Oita and Fukuoka Prefectures. It is particularly associated with Yamakuni Town in Nakatsu City, Oita Prefecture, where it originated as a dish of Buddhist vegetarian cuisine. This hearty soup is prepared without meat or other animal-based ingredients as its main components. Instead, i...»
Himejima, located at the western end of the Seto Inland Sea in Oita Prefecture, is blessed with abundant marine resources. The waters surrounding the island are an excellent fishing ground for Japanese tiger prawns, known in Japan as kuruma-ebi. Both wild prawns and farmed prawns are produced in the area, making tiger prawns one of Himejima's best-known seafood specialties. The prawns are enjoyed...»
Oita Prefecture is known for its soft-shelled turtle cuisine, made with suppon, a freshwater turtle that lives in shallow areas of rivers, ponds, and marshes. The Ajimu area, which stretches from the base of the Kunisaki Peninsula into the surrounding mountain country, is recognized as one of Japan's leading regions for soft-shelled turtle farming. Ajimu benefits from an environment well suited t...»
Nakatsu Karaage Donburi is a hearty rice bowl that brings together two well-known specialties of Oita Prefecture: Nakatsu karaage, the famous Japanese-style fried chicken from Nakatsu City, and tori meshi, a traditional local chicken rice dish. Nakatsu is widely celebrated as a sacred place for Japanese fried chicken. Its specialty karaage is loved throughout Japan, and the city is home to numero...»
Bungo Aigamo is a local specialty of Bungotakada City in Oita Prefecture, a city well known for recreating the atmosphere of Japan's Showa era in its “Showa no Machi” district. This crossbred duck combines desirable characteristics from two different types of duck. It inherits the delicious flavor of the mallard, while also benefiting from the ability of the Pekin duck, known in Japan as the Aoku...»
Oita Prefecture is one of Japan's leading producers of soft-shelled turtles, known in Japanese as suppon. The prefecture is blessed with abundant hot-spring resources and a favorable natural environment, and its soft-shelled turtle farming has earned a strong reputation for quality. One factor contributing to the quality of Oita's soft-shelled turtles is the use of specially developed feed known ...»
Misaki Gazami is a brand of swimming crab caught offshore from Kakae in the former town of Kakae, now part of Bungotakada City in Oita Prefecture. It is a highly regarded local seafood specialty, prized for its large body and generous quantity of sweet, flavorful meat. The crab has a greenish-brown shell and is relatively large, measuring around 20 centimeters across. Its substantial body is fill...»
Japanese tiger prawns, known as kuruma ebi, are considered one of Japan's finest types of prawns, alongside Japanese spiny lobster. They are highly valued for their sweet flavor and firm, springy texture, and are used in a wide variety of dishes. Among shrimp and prawns, kuruma ebi are particularly prized as a luxury ingredient. Their excellent flavor and versatility have made them a familiar fea...»
Shiroshita Flounder is a prized local specialty caught in the coastal waters near the former castle town of Hiji, in Oita Prefecture. The name refers to Japanese flounder, or marbled flounder, caught in the sea overlooked by the ruins of Hiji Castle. The fish is particularly valued for its thick flesh and rich flavor. It is a well-known delicacy associated with Hiji Town and the surrounding water...»
Cutlassfish, known in Japanese as tachiuo, is a distinctive marine fish whose name has two possible origins. One explanation is that it comes from the fish's habit of swimming upright, while another is that its brilliant silver-colored body resembles a Japanese sword, or tachi. Among the cutlassfish caught off the Kunisaki Peninsula in Oita Prefecture, the fish known as Kunisaki Gintachi is parti...»
Kunisaki Kiwifruit is grown in the sunny natural environment of the Kunisaki Peninsula in Oita Prefecture. Cultivated with care under abundant southern sunshine, these kiwifruits are a local specialty known for their natural appeal. The Kunisaki area has one of the largest kiwifruit cultivation areas in Japan. The fruit is grown using a reduced-pesticide cultivation method that involves placing p...»
Oita Ajiichi Negi is a branded variety of small green onions developed through the persistent efforts of local farmers who set out to produce some of the finest green onions in Japan. The name “Ajiichi” conveys the idea of being number one in flavor, reflecting the producers' ambition to create an outstanding local product....»
Choshu Somen Kaichi is a traditional variety of Japanese wheat noodles made in the Nagasu area of Usa City, Oita Prefecture. These somen noodles are carefully dried outdoors under the sun, where they are exposed to the refreshing sea breeze. This traditional process gives them a distinctive aroma, a firm yet pleasantly chewy texture, and a rich wheat flavor. Choshu noodles have been produced in t...»