Things to Do in Oita
Hand-picked sights and experiences across Oita, with day trips from Fukuoka.
When to catch the colours in Oita?
Average cherry blossom and autumn foliage dates for Oita, from the Japan Meteorological Agency's 1991–2020 normals — the fortnight to aim for, not a promise for any particular year.
- Cherry blossom
- First flowersMar 24
- Full bloomApr 4
- Autumn foliage
- Leaves turnNov 28
- Peak viewingNov 28 – Dec 12
Where to look next?
The prefectures we've mapped so far, nearest to Oita first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Onsen, on a scale nowhere else matches: Beppu, Japan's hot-spring capital, with its steaming 'hells', sand and mud baths — and Yufuin, its refined counterpart under Mt. Yufu with galleries and a lake that mists at dawn.
Seven scalding, gaudily coloured springs — cobalt blue, blood red, a geyser — that you tour rather than bathe in; they're Beppu's theatrical side. Balance them with an actual soak: the sand burial at Takegawara or an ocean-side rotemburo.
Beppu for variety and old-school spa-town energy; Yufuin for a slower, prettier overnight of craft shops, cafés and morning mist on Lake Kinrin. They're 50 minutes apart by the scenic Yufuin no Mori train, so many do both.