What To Do In Oita: A Beautiful City On The Island Of Kyushu
If you plan to travel to Japan, you cannot miss Oita prefecture. It is located on the island of Kyushu and is one of the most beautiful areas in the country. It includes the beautiful and interesting cities of Oita, Usuki, Tsukumi, Bungoono and Saiki.
On this occasion, we are going to focus on the city that gives the prefecture its name. It is a fantastic city that makes up the center and heart of the region and about which we want to give you more details. Take note.
What to visit in the city of Oita
Oita is a city that has dozens of tourist attractions, most of them related to nature. A nature that is respected and cared for with authentic care. For example, a few kilometers from the city, between Oita and Beppu, is the Takasakiyama nature reserve.
It is a unique place, since more than 1,300 Japanese macaques live here in their natural habitat. And visitors can calmly observe them.
The reserve, on the other hand, forms a comfortable space for the macaques, so any conduct that may scare or threaten them is totally prohibited. In addition, every 30 minutes a manager feeds them, being a very fun moment for those who see it.
Also on the outskirts of Oita is the Umitamago aquarium and it is very interesting. It is home to dozens of different species of fish, as well as sharks, rays and dolphins that put on incredible shows.
The entrance to the aquarium costs 2,200 yen (€ 18), 1,100 (€ 9) for students and 700 (€ 6) for children under 4 years old. To get there, you can take a bus from Oita to the Takasaki-yama Shizen Doubutsuen-Mae stop.
Other places of interest
An attraction that you cannot miss is the ruins of the Funai castle, which are located in the Oita-Joshi park. Although it is not very standing, you will be able to see the stone wall, the moats and the towers that still remain.
It is also quite known for being a beautiful viewpoint, with more than 70 cherry trees around it. It may not be the most impressive of the ones you can visit, but the aura created by these trees reflected in the water is absolutely magical.
And another unmissable place in the city is the Prefectural Museum of Art. The building is already a work of art. It is a design by the Japanese architect Shigeru Ban. It is shaped like a large box with folding doors on the ground floor so that it can be left open to the public.
Lastly, we must mention Kaisei-kan. It is a complex in which we find an astronomical observatory and a wonderful viewpoint. It is a place that can be enjoyed from day to night.
You will be able to see the sky and the sea and, when the sun goes down, even the moon, the stars, the nebulae or the sunspots through one of the many telescopes that it has. There is also an interesting museum that will allow you to know everything related to astronomy.
Getting around in Oita
The first thing to consider is how to get to the area and to the city in particular. One of the most used options by tourists is the train. The problem is that many places of interest are far from the stations.
Therefore, it is best to rent a car to move with total comfort. The main cities of the island are perfectly connected to Oita.
It also has an airport, which makes the journeys much more comfortable. From the airport to the city center you can take a bus, which takes about an hour. By plane you can get there from many parts of the country, for example, the flight from Tokyo to Oita takes just an hour and a half.
