Traditions | Oita, Japan | Tourism Information

Usuki

Usuki’s grand temples hints at the power it once held and wealth it accumulated in the Edo Period, when the samurai ruled the land. Today, it is a compact and quiet town of stone-paved streets, lined by a number of traditional buildings, that are pleasant to stroll around.

Deities of Kunisaki and Beyond

Shaka NyoraiShakyamuni

Shakyamuni is the historical Buddha ‘of our times’. He was born into the noble Indian clan of the Shakyas. Shakyamuni literally means “sage of the Shakyas”.

At a glance

Buddhas, Shinto gods and ancient sect leaders of Kunisaki and Japan.

Hita

Hita, in the west of Oita, is at the centre of northern Kyushu. Serving as the shogun’s most important stronghold on the island, roads fanned out in all directions allowing the rapid transmission of information and dispatch of military forces to suppress any dissent.

At a glance

Historic town

Rural location

Tsukumi

Travel on the railways and highways of Oita is usually through verdant, forested mountains or occasionally cityscapes. However, the scenery changes in dramatic fashion at Tsukumi, where the hillsides have been dug, gouged, and scraped into gaping voids surrounded by towering cliffs of bare, grey rock.

Ukai Comorant Fishing

200 years ago the then daikan, the shogun’s representative in Hita, brought the ancient art of ukai cormorant fishing to Kyushu from Edo, the old name for Tokyo.

Tennen-ji & Kawanaka Fudo

Like so much to be found in Kunisaki, nothing fully prepares one for Tennen-ji temple, a beautifully rustic and understated thatched structure protruding from a cave at the base of a monumental cliff.

Takezaiku Bamboo Weaving

Takeizaiku is the ages-old craft of weaving bamboo, an innately flexible and robust material, into every day, functional objects for the home and at work. It has also long been used to create utensils for the tea ceremony.

At a glance

Takezaiku, an ancient craft turned into an art form in Beppu.

Tajimaya Roho

Not only does Tajimaya produce the best wagashi confectionary in Oita, its delicious products undoubtedly count amongst the best in Japan.

At a glance

An elegant, traditional Japanese shop that has been making and selling delightful wagashi Japanese sweets since 1804.

Onta & Onta-yaki Pottery

Verdant mountains close in on both sides as the road from Hita reaches Onta, a beautiful and peaceful hamlet aside the Oura-gawa river. Tucked into the furthest reaches of a narrow valley, Onta’s charm and the pottery, which it gives its name to, are well-worth making the journey.

Kunisaki Long Trail

The Kunisaki Hantou Minemichi Long Trail, to give its full name, is a meandering, 134km-long hiking route that weaves through the Kunisaki Peninsula following in the footsteps of the Rokugo-Manzan monks, who first came here for their ascetic practices 1,300 years ago.

Gion Festivals

Three Oita cities, Nakatsu, Hita and Usuki, hold Gion festivals on 21st and 22nd July each year. Resembling its famous counterpart of the same name and held in the same month in Kyoto, the colourful and sumptuous Gion festivals recall an earlier, courtly period of Japan.

At a glance

Sumptuous, hand-pulled floats parading around historic streets are one of the great, festive sights of summer each year in Oita.

Futamigaura New Year Sunrise

Seeing the first sunrise of each year is a popular pastime throughout Japan but few places match the awe-inspiring spectacle at Saiki’s Futamingaura.

Beppu Traditonal Bamboo Crafts Center

This small, exhibition centre has lovely displays on the development of takeziaku bamboo crafts, and its growth into an art form and the artist instrumental in this. It also an broad collection of their works on display.