Oita Prefecture Travel Guide: Beppu Hells, Yufuin Onsen and Usuki Buddhas

Plan a trip to Oita, Japan: Beppu hot springs and Hells tour, Yufuin, Usuki stone Buddhas, Kunisaki Peninsula, toriten chicken tempura and how to get there from Fukuoka.

Published October 18, 2026 at 1:04 AM JST | By Tokyo Paul

Quick answer: Oita Prefecture is in northeastern Kyushu, with Oita City as its capital. It is known for having more hot spring sources than any other prefecture in Japan, including Beppu and Yufuin, as well as the Usuki stone Buddhas and toriten chicken tempura. Beppu is about two hours from Fukuoka by limited express and about an hour and forty minutes from Tokyo by air.

Oita at a Glance

Oita faces the Seto Inland Sea on the east and rises to volcanic mountains in the west, and the result is a land of steam. Hot water flows from the ground in nearly every town, and the prefecture is often called the hot spring capital of Japan. Visitors can bathe in an old bathhouse, soak in an open-air bath with a view of the sea or watch the steam rise from the colorful pools of the Beppu Hells.

The prefecture is also a quiet place of old temples, stone carvings, mountain scenery and rich seafood. Oita City is the capital, but most travelers head straight to Beppu and Yufuin, and many continue to the Kunisaki Peninsula, Usuki and the Kuju mountains for a longer stay.

History and Culture of Oita

Oita was once the Bungo province, ruled by the Otomo clan, a family that welcomed European missionaries and traders in the sixteenth century. The region has some of Japan's oldest Buddhist stone carvings, including the Usuki Stone Buddhas, carved in the cliffs more than a thousand years ago and designated as National Treasures.

The Kunisaki Peninsula is a unique cultural landscape where Shinto and Buddhism blended into a mountain faith called Rokugo Manzan. Usa Jingu, the head shrine of about 40,000 Hachiman shrines across Japan, stands nearby. Hita, an old merchant town in the west, keeps its Edo-period streets and is known for its summer float festival.

Getting to Oita and Moving Around

Oita Airport has flights from Tokyo Haneda in about an hour and forty minutes and from Osaka. A bus links the airport to Beppu in about 45 minutes and to Oita City in about an hour. By rail, the JR Sonic limited express runs from Hakata through Kokura to Beppu in about two hours and fifteen minutes, and highway buses connect Beppu and Yufuin with Fukuoka.

In Beppu, local buses and a hop-on tourist bus reach the main hot spring areas, and a day pass is a good value. For Yufuin, take the JR Yufuin no Mori train or a bus from Beppu in about an hour. A rental car is best for Usuki, the Kunisaki Peninsula and the Kuju highlands, and a ferry connects the coast with Ehime in Shikoku.

Top Sights in Oita

The Beppu Hells, called Jigoku Meguri, are a group of eight colorful boiling springs that are meant for viewing rather than bathing. One is a vivid blue, another is a red pond and a third is full of bubbling gray mud. Beppu also has public bathhouses such as Takegawara, where visitors can try a sand bath buried in warm black sand.

Yufuin is a mountain resort town on a plain below the twin peaks of Mount Yufu, as described in the Yufuin guide, with art galleries, craft shops and a lake that fills with morning mist. The Usuki Stone Buddhas are a quiet and moving sight, and the Kokonoe Yume Otsurihashi is one of the highest pedestrian suspension bridges in Japan, with a long view over a deep gorge and waterfalls.

What to Eat and Drink in Oita

Toriten is the signature dish of Oita, pieces of chicken coated in a light batter and deep fried, then dipped in a tangy sauce with mustard. Dango-jiru is a rustic soup with flat hand-pulled dumplings and vegetables, and Ryukyu is a marinated sashimi served over rice or eaten as a side dish, flavored with soy sauce, sesame and ginger.

The Hells of Beppu are also used to steam food, a style called jigoku-mushi, in which vegetables, eggs and fish are cooked in the natural steam, a kind of cooking that is related to the onsen tamago guide. Seki-aji and seki-saba, a fine horse mackerel and mackerel caught off the Saganoseki coast, are premium local fish, and fugu from Usuki is a winter treat. Kabosu, a green citrus, flavors everything from soup to drinks, and Oita is Japan's top producer of dried shiitake mushrooms.

Festivals and Traditions in Oita

The Beppu Hatto Onsen Festival in April celebrates the hot springs with parades, performances and bath events. The Hita Gion Festival in July sends large decorated floats through the old town to the sound of flutes and drums, and it is a recognized UNESCO intangible heritage.

In Yufuin, a film festival and a music festival draw crowds in summer, and the Kunisaki Peninsula has seasonal fire and harvest rituals at old temples. Many festivals in rural villages are small and local, and visitors are generally welcome to watch.

Best Time to Visit Oita

Spring and autumn are the best seasons, with cherry blossoms in late March and colorful leaves in November, when the hills near Yufuin and the Kokonoe bridge are at their most beautiful. Winter is the season for hot springs, steam and fugu, though mountain areas can be snowy.

Summer is hot and humid on the coast, but the Yufuin plateau and the Kuju mountains are cooler. Typhoon season can bring heavy rain, so check the weather. The hells and sand baths are enjoyable in every season, though the sand bath can feel very warm in summer.

A Sample Itinerary for Oita

With two days, spend the first day in Beppu visiting the Hells in the morning, eating a steamed lunch and trying a sand bath in the afternoon. On day two, take the train or bus to Yufuin for a stroll along the shopping street, a walk around the lake and a soak in a hot spring inn.

With four days, add a drive to Usuki to see the stone Buddhas and eat fugu, a trip to the Kunisaki Peninsula for old temples and a visit to the Kokonoe suspension bridge. Oita pairs well with Fukuoka and Kumamoto, because the Aso area is only a short drive across the Kuju highlands, and with Ehime by ferry.

For a slow plan, stay three nights in Beppu and use the public bathhouses in the morning and evening. Spend an afternoon walking through the Kannawa district, where steam rises from the streets, and enjoy a quiet evening with a local shochu. A final day in Yufuin adds a gentler mood.

Souvenirs and Local Crafts from Oita

Kabosu products, dried shiitake, Oita shochu, yuzu pepper and Beppu steam-cooked sweets are classic edible gifts. Beppu bamboo crafts, which are among the finest in Japan, Oita-style Hita geta sandals and local ceramics are lovely keepsakes, and bath salts made from the hot spring minerals are a popular souvenir.

Practical Tips for Visiting Oita

The Beppu Hells are open all year and are best visited with a combined ticket. Allow half a day to see all eight, and bring a towel for the foot baths. Many public bathhouses have a small fee and a simple changing room, so bring your own towel and follow the bathing rules.

If you plan to try a sand bath, go early and wear a light yukata. People with certain health conditions should check with the staff first. In Yufuin, the main street fills up by late morning, so arrive early for a quieter walk, and consider staying overnight to see the village after the day visitors leave.

Nearby Prefectures to Combine with Oita

Oita borders Fukuoka to the northwest, Kumamoto to the southwest and Miyazaki to the south. Ferries cross the sea to Ehime in Shikoku.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Oita known for?

Oita is known for Beppu and Yufuin hot springs, the Beppu Hells, the Usuki stone Buddhas, toriten chicken tempura, kabosu citrus and having the most hot spring sources in Japan.

What is the best time to visit Oita?

Spring and autumn for scenery, winter for hot springs and fugu, and April for the Beppu Hatto Onsen Festival.

How do I get to Beppu from Fukuoka?

Take the JR Sonic limited express from Hakata Station to Beppu in about two hours and fifteen minutes, or take a highway bus.

Keep Exploring

More guides from Tokyo Paul: Japan's 47 Prefectures: A Region-by-Region Travel Guide, Kumamoto Prefecture Travel Guide: Kumamoto Castle, Mount Aso and Kurokawa Onsen and Yufuin: Oita's Stylish Hot Spring Town.