The best Onsen in Oita 2024

Access

Oita Prefecture is located in the northeastern part of the Kyushu region of the Japan archipelago.

Oita Prefecture, which is surrounded by beautiful nature, accounts for about 70% of the forest area, but access and movement within the prefecture are relatively good. There are various ways to get to Oita Prefecture, including air, sea, railway, and automobile.

First of all, Oita Airport is an airport with good access. Oita Airport is located in the northeastern part of Oita Prefecture and is the starting point for accessing the prefecture. The nearest international airport is Kansai International Airport, and there are direct flights to Oita Airport, which is convenient. As for the railway, you can take the Shinkansen and limited express trains from Shin-Osaka to Oita Station in about 4 hours. If you use the sea route, it takes about 12 hours by ferry from Osaka Nanko to Beppu International Sightseeing Port.

If you use a car, you can get from Oita Airport to Beppu and Yufuin, which are famous for their onsen resorts, in about 40 to 50 minutes. In addition, public transportation is also available in various places, so you will not have any trouble getting around. As you can see, Oita Prefecture has a well-developed transportation network and public transportation, so it can be said that sightseeing in various parts of the prefecture is very smooth.

From Haneda Airport

<Airplane>
Haneda Airport →Oita Airport 1 hour 30 minutes

From Narita International Airport

<Train>
Narita International Airport→ Oita Station 9 hours
<Bus>
Narita International Airport→Oita Station 22 hours 40 minutes

From Kansai International Airport

<Train>
Kansai Airport Station→ Oita Station 5 hours 30 minutes
<Bus>
Kansai International Airport Terminal 2 →Oita Station 9 hours 50 minutes

From Nagoya

<Train>
Nagoya Station→ Oita Station 4 hours 40 minutes

From Osaka

<Train>
Shin-Osaka Station→ Oita Station About 4 hours

History

Oita Prefecture has many historical tourist destinations in various places, and various heritage sites such as ruins and castle ruins remain.

Oita Prefecture has a long history, and in Bungo-Ono City, you can visit the Paleolithic "Iwato Ruins" that represent Kyushu. During the Kofun period around 300-400 AD, various anterior and posterior mounds, including the Onizuka Kofun and Tsukiyama Kofun, were built, and it is known as a tourist spot. In addition, in Oita Prefecture, the ruins of various castles such as Funai Castle, Oka Castle, and Nakatsu Castle remain, and are popular with tourists.

In 1871, during the Meiji era, the name was changed to the current Oita Prefecture, and it has developed while protecting its rich nature and culture. In addition, traditional crafts such as "Oshikata ware" and "Tsuge work" that have been passed down from generation to generation in Oita Prefecture are also very attractive. Oshikata ware is a traditional craft in Hita City, Oita Prefecture, and pottery baked by traditional methods has high strength and produces a good tone.

Tsuge work is a traditional craft in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture, and the beautifully carved wooden brush is a gem that has been used mainly by women. We have introduced the history and culture of Oita Prefecture, but the history of onsens, which are famous as the best in Japan, is also very attractive. Oita Prefecture has a long history of onsens, and there are records of the Nara period in the 700s AD, such as the "Bungo Fudoki" and the "Iyo Kokufudoki". In particular, Beppu Onsen and Yufuin Onsen are known as popular onsen resorts and have been loved by many people. In areas where there is an abundance of hot water, onsens are used in the homes of ordinary households, and onsens are incorporated into daily life as a familiar presence.

As a tourist destination, the transportation network has developed over time, and as access to Oita has improved, the number of tourists to the onsen resort has gradually increased. It can be said that the onsens of Oita Prefecture, which are blessed with a large number of springs and the amount of gushing water, have been indispensable to the development of history.

Beppu Onsen

Beppu Onsen is a onsen resort located in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture.

Beppu City is very famous as a onsen resort and has a very long history. The number of onsens in Beppu has exceeded 2,000, overwhelming other onsen resorts, and is the world's number one hot spring where people can bathe. Beppu Onsen is also called "Beppu Hachiyu" and consists of onsens from Beppu, Tetsuwa, Kankaiji, Aketsu, Kamegawa, Shibaishi, Hotta, and Hamawaki. These onsens were independent until the merger of municipalities took place during the Taisho period. Each onsen has a different quality, so you can enjoy the onsen to your heart's content.

The oldest history of Beppu Onsen dates back to the 8th century, and is recorded in the ancient document "Iyo Kokufudoki". There is also an episode in which a sanatorium was set up to heal the bodies of soldiers in onsens. In addition to the onsen tour, there is also a "Beppu Hell Tour" in addition to the onsen tour. This is a sightseeing course that goes around various places while looking at the natural eruption of the source called "hell" in Beppu City. The Beppu Hell Tour consists of seven places: Sea Hell, Blood Pond Hell, Ryumaki Hell, Shiraike Hell, Demon Stone Hell, Oniyama Hell, and Furnace Hell. Among them, "Sea Hell" and "Blood Pond Hell" are very popular and can be said to be spots worth seeing. Sea Hell is a onsen that appeared about 1,200 years ago due to a volcanic eruption.

The surface of the water is very beautiful and it is named Sea Hell because it looks like a cobalt blue sea. The water temperature is 98°C, which is very high and you need to be careful, but the scenery reflected in the eyes with the roar of smoke is truly fantastic. The other Blood Pool Hell is characterized by the red surface of the water. This is because iron oxide and magnesium oxide contained in thermal mud cause a chemical reaction. In addition to enjoying a foot bath in the hall, you can purchase an ointment made from mud gushing out of the blood pool hell. As you can see, the area around Beppu Onsen has a great many attractive sightseeing spots, and it can be said that it is a onsen resort where you can enjoy the extraordinary.

Yufuin Onsen

Yufuin Onsen is located in Yufu City, Oita Prefecture, and is a onsen resort located almost in the center of the prefecture.

Yufuin Onsen is a onsen village consisting of onsens such as Takemoto, Ishimatsu, Yazan, and Otomaru, and is spread out at the foot of the beautiful Mt. Yufu. In the majestic Yufuin Basin, you can enjoy nature in all four seasons, with rape flowers and cherry blossoms in full bloom in spring, and mountains dyed red with autumn leaves in autumn.

Yufuin Onsen is one of the largest spots in Oita Prefecture, along with Beppu Onsen, and has about 900 onsens and an abundant flow of 38,000 liters per minute. Most of the quality of the springs in this blessed source is simple onsens and alkaline simple hot springs, and the hot water without habit has been loved by many people. The main effects are wide-ranging, such as fatigue recovery, insomnia, neuralgia, and muscle pain. There are more than 100 day-trip onsens and accommodations around Yufuin Onsen. At the accommodation, you can enjoy meals that use plenty of local ingredients, and "Bungo beef", which is a brand beef from Oita Prefecture, is very popular.

In addition, there are many attractive sightseeing spots in Yufuin Onsen, and you can enjoy the onsen resort to your heart's content. Famous spots include "Golden Scale Lake" and "Narrow Fog Table". Lake Kinroko is famous as a tourist spot representing Yufuin, and if you visit early in the morning during the cold season, the surface of the lake is covered with fog, and you can see a fantastic scenery.

Sagiridai is an observatory where you can overlook the basin of Yufuin, and it is a popular spot where you can be captivated by the magnificent scenery. Another attraction is that you can stroll around Yufuin using horse-drawn carriages, rickshaws, and rental bicycles. The experience of traveling through beautiful nature while feeling the pleasant breeze is an unforgettable experience. Yufuin Onsen is a recommended onsen resort for those who want to spend a relaxing time in nature.

Sujiyu onsen

Sujiyu Onsen is a onsen resort located in Kue Town, Kusu District, Oita Prefecture.

Sujiyu Onsen is located in a place surrounded by the majestic mountains of Oita Prefecture, and there are about 20 inns lined up with beautiful nature.

The history of Sujiyu Onsen is very long, more than 1000 years, and it has been familiar to many people since ancient times.

The name Sujiyu Onsen is named because it is good for the muscles of the body. The quality of the onsens is simple hot springs and sodium-chloride springs, and the spring temperature is around 60°C. The main effects are wide-ranging, including muscle pain, fatigue recovery, neuralgia, joint pain, and frozen shoulder. The biggest attraction of Sujiyu Onsen is the "Uchitase Yu" that is effective for muscles, which is the origin of the name "Sujiyu".

The onsen is famous as the best in Japan, and the hot water flowing from a height of 3 meters relaxes the body and heals the fatigue of daily life. In addition, there are plenty of sightseeing spots in the vicinity, such as "Kue "Yume" Great Suspension Bridge" and "Longmen Waterfall". First of all, the Kue "Yume" Great Suspension Bridge is a suspension bridge with a length of 390 m and a height of 173 m, and is known as the tallest bridge in Japan in terms of walkability. From the top of the bridge, you can see the beautiful nature of the valley and the "Earthquake Falls", which has been selected as one of the 100 best waterfalls in Japan, and the spectacular scenery is so overwhelming that you will forget the time.

The next waterfall we will introduce is Ryumon Falls, which is a two-tiered waterfall with a width of 40 meters, and it is very powerful. In autumn, the mountains around the waterfall are dyed red with autumn leaves, and you can see the beautiful scenery. In addition, there is a ski resort around Sujiyu Onsen, which is crowded with many skiers during the season. From the magnificent scenery to the onsens and activities, it can be said that Sujiyu Onsen is a fulfilling onsen resort.

Yunohira Onsen

Yunohira Onsen is a onsen resort located in Yufu City, Oita Prefecture. Yunohira Onsen, which is famous as a famous onsen, has a long history and has developed as a onsen town for 800 years. The Hanaino River flows through the center of the onsen town, and there are about 20 inns in the vicinity.

The quality of the spring in Yunohira Onsen is sodium-chloride sulfate spring, and the spring temperature is 68°C. The main effects are wide-ranging, such as gastrointestinal diseases, neuralgia, muscle pain, joint pain, and frozen shoulder. In addition, the atmospheric scenery of Yunohira Onsen is very popular with tourists, especially the stone pavement in the center of the onsen town gives a sense of history. This stone pavement was built in the Edo period by a man named Sansuke Kudo and has been carefully protected to this day.

At Yunohira Onsen Ryokan, you can enjoy a variety of onsens and enjoy seafood and mountain food made with local ingredients. In addition, although Yunohira Onsen is located in the mountains, access is relatively good, and you can enjoy sightseeing in other onsen resorts smoothly. Yunohira Onsen, where you can relax and soak in the onsens while listening to the quiet murmur of the Hanaino River, is a very attractive onsen resort.