Kicking it in Oita

A Guide to the Onsen Prefecture

Welcome back to another installment of my area guide series. Lately, it seems like I’m pounding out these incredibly in-depth articles at a breakneck pace. Today, we’ll be exploring Oita Prefecture in Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s main islands. Often hailed as the “onsen prefecture,” Oita and its mountainous terrain is home to many natural hot spring. Of course, chief among these is the famous Beppu onsen which is often hailed as one of Japan’s premier hot spring getaways.

While best known for its many onsen, Oita Prefecture is home to a rich cultural heritage that rivals many well known spots such as Nara and Kyoto. For example, the area’s remote Kunisaki Peninsula was one of the first locations where Shinto and Buddhism began to intermingle into a single belief system. Though these religions would later be forcibly divorced by the early Meiji government in the 19th century, there are stunning examples littered throughout the Kunisaki Peninsula documenting their symbiotic relationship.

In addition to Oita’s historical legacy and hot springs, the prefecture also sports an intriguing international chillness. This is in no doubt thanks…