Toritenとり天
Chicken tempura dipped in vinegar-soy sauce with karashi mustard, a staple on Oita lunch menus.
Kyushu
Oita Travel Guide
Local tips, regional food and places off the tourist trail
Japan’s hot spring heartland on Kyushu’s east coast. Beppu steams with onsen and its “hells”, Yufuin is a quieter resort town under Mt. Yufu, and the Kunisaki Peninsula hides old mountain temples.
Open Oita on the map43 places on the map · 8 local favourites
Local tips
- TipBeppu and Yufuin are linked by frequent buses over the mountains, so you can base yourself in one and visit the other.
- DoTry one of Beppu’s local communal bathhouses that welcome visitors (some are residents-only); bring your own towel and soap.
- TipYufuin gets crowded with day-trippers; stay overnight to enjoy the town early morning and evening.
- TipOn cold autumn and winter mornings, mist rises off Yufuin’s Lake Kinrin, a lovely early walk.
- TipFor a hidden gem, drive the Kunisaki Peninsula to see Futago-ji and quiet Buddhist sites among the hills.
What to eat
Jigoku-mushi地獄蒸し
Vegetables, eggs and seafood steamed in Beppu’s natural hot spring steam, often cooked yourself in Kannawa.
Seki-saba関さば
Line-caught mackerel from the straits off Saganoseki, firm enough to eat as sashimi.
Local favourites
Places mostly visited by people who live here — quieter, and often the highlight of a trip.
Miyakomachi
都町 NightlifeOita city's dense entertainment district of izakaya and bars. Good for trying toriten, seki saba and local shochu.
● Mostly localsOnta Pottery Village
小鹿田焼の里 ShoppingMountain village where pottery clay is still crushed with water-powered pestles.
● Mostly localsKumano Magaibutsu
熊野磨崖仏 Sights & HistoryGiant Buddha images carved into a cliff, reached by a steep, uneven stone stairway said to be built by a demon in a single night.
● Mostly localsNioza Historic Road, Usuki
二王座歴史の道 Sights & HistoryStone lanes lined with temples and samurai houses in Usuki, a peaceful place to wander.
● Mostly localsRokusei Beppu Reimen
六盛 Local FoodLocal shop for Beppu reimen, chewy cold noodles in a light soy broth with kimchi, a local comfort food.
● Mostly localsSeki Aji Seki Saba Kan
関あじ関さば館 Local FoodRestaurant at Saganoseki port serving seki-aji and seki-saba, premium line-caught mackerel and horse mackerel from the Hoyo Strait.
● Mostly localsYayoi Gintengai
やよい銀天街 ShoppingRetro covered shopping arcade in central Beppu with fishmongers, old sweet shops and small cafés.
● Mostly localsFuki-ji Temple
富貴寺 Temples & GoshuinchoSights & HistoryHome of Kyushu's oldest wooden building, a small Amida hall with a graceful roof in a quiet grove.
● Mostly localsThe famous sights
The places most visitors come for. Worth it — just go early.
Lake Kinrinko
金鱗湖 Nature & ScenerySmall spring-fed lake in Yufuin; on cold autumn and winter mornings mist rises dramatically from the warm water.
Umi Jigoku
海地獄 Sights & HistoryHot SpringsThe most famous of Beppu's 'hells', a steaming pool of cobalt-blue water in a garden with giant lotus leaves.
Yunotsubo Kaido
湯の坪街道 ShoppingLocal FoodYufuin's main street of snack stalls, craft shops and cafés leading to Lake Kinrinko.
B-speak
B-speak Local FoodYufuin cake shop famous for its P-roll sponge roll cake, which often sells out.
Chinoike Jigoku
血の池地獄 Sights & HistoryA blood-red steaming pond, one of the oldest recorded of Beppu's hells, coloured by iron-rich clay.