Area Characteristics
Located in eastern Kyushu, Oita Prefecture, which has a famous reputation as being the province for hot springs, is an area well known throughout the nation for Beppu Onsen which faces Beppu Bay and Yufuin Onsen in the center of Oita. It boasts the largest number of source springs and greatest quantity of spring water gushing through and it has a great variety of onsen scattered all over the prefecture including Hita and Bungotakada in the north, Takeda in the south, and Usuki. Oita is also blessed by examples of Mother Nature such as mountains including Mt. Yufu and Mt. Kuju and a long coastline.
Major Sites
Beppu is popular for its tour of 8 source springs known as Hells. Its highlights also include steam-cooking seminars where you can cook some of the foods with geothermal heat and an observation point in the middle of steam. Yufuin has many spots to enjoy such as the symbolic Mt. Yufu, Lake Kinrin, and Sagiridai Observation Point. Besides the hot springs, there are historical sites including Nakatsu Castle and the town around Kitsuki Castle as well as other scenic spots such as Oita Marine Palace Aquarium Umi Tamago, an African safari, the Takasakiyama Nature Zoo where you can encounter wild monkeys, Harajiri Falls and Kokonoe Yume Suspension Bridge.
Food
Oita Prefecture is known for its chicken-based cuisine with its toriten chicken tempura and deep-fried chicken. There is also a lot of seafood such as mackerel, blowfish, flatfish and the local famous dish of ryukyu which consists of marinated fish over hot rice. Along with the popular noodle dishes of Beppu reimen and Hita yakisoba, Bungo beef is also a hit. Good souvenirs would include sabieru which is cake filled with sweet bean paste and Hell-steamed custard along with yaseuma noodles.
Transportation
It’s usual to head to Oita by airplane from Tokyo. A flight from Haneda Airport takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes. There are buses leaving from Oita Airport which can reach Yufuin station and Oita Station within an hour, and Beppu Station in 45 minutes. There are many buses and trains in Yufuin and Beppu although in other areas, having a car would be convenient.
Accommodations
There is a good selection of hotels and ryokan with onsen facilities in Beppu and Yufuin. Accommodations are also available around Oita Airport, Nakatsu, Oita Station and Kokonoe among other areas.