is located on
Kyūshū Island,
Japan. The prefectural capital is the city of
Ōita.
History
After the
Meiji Restoration,
Bungo and southern
Buzen Provinces were combined to form Ōita Prefecture: These provinces were divided among many local
daimyo and thus a large castle town never formed in Ōita.
Geography
Map of Ōita Prefecture.
Ōita Prefecture is located on the north-eastern coast of the island of Kyūshū. Surrounded by the
Suo Channel and
Honshū Island to the north, the
Iyo Channel and
Shikoku Island to the east, it is bordered by
Miyazaki Prefecture to the south, and
Fukuoka Prefecture and
Kumamoto Prefecture to the west.
Ōita Prefecture is almost entirely covered by mountains and has only narrow coastal plains.
Region
Currently, the Prefecture has 14 cities, 3 districts, 3 towns, and one village.
From 2005 to 2006, all municipalities but Beppu, Tsukumi, Himejima, Hinode, and all towns in Kusu District, merged, and the total municipalities went down from 58 on
December 31,
2004, to 18 after the creation of the city of Kunisaki by merging with 4 towns from Higashikunisaki District on
March 31,
2006. It will make the prefecture with less municipalities within Kyūshū, and fourth least in Japan. However, Oita Prefecture now has the fewest towns (3) and fewest towns and villages combined (4) all over Japan.
Current municipalities
Cities
Towns and villages
★
Hayami District:
Hiji
★
Higashikunisaki District:
Himeshima
★
Kusu District:
Kokonoe,
Kusu
Mergers and dissolutions
If the district dissolved, then the link will be in place.
★
Ōno District:
Notsu,
Asaji,
Chitose,
Inukai,
Kiyokawa,
Mie,
Ogata,
Ōno
★
Ōita District:
Notsuharu,
Hasama,
Shonai,
Yufuin
★
Kitaamabe District:
Saganoseki
★
Shimoge District:
Hon'yabakei,
Sanko,
Yabakei,
Yamakuni
★
Minamiamabe District:
Honjō,
Kamae,
Kamiura,
Naokawa,
Tsurumi,
Ume,
Yayoi,
Yonōzu
★
Hita District:
Amagase,
Kamitsue,
Maetsue,
Nakatsue,
★
Usa District:
Ajimu,
Innai
★
Nishikunisaki District:
Kakadi,
Matama,
Ōta
★
Naoiri District:
Kuju,
Naoiri,
Ogi
★ Hayami District:
Yamaga
★ Higashikunisaki District:
Aki,
Kunimi,
Kunisaki,
Musashi
Economy
Oita Prefecture is known for its production of
kabosu (a kind of citrus fruit) as well as its horsemeat.
Economic development of Oita was greatly aided by the
One Village One Product movement of long-time governor
Morihiko Hiramatsu.
Demographics
Culture
Sports
The sports teams listed below are based in Oita.
Football (soccer)
★
Oita Trinita
Basketball
★
Oita Heatdevils (
Beppu)
Volleyball
★
Oita Miyoshi Weisse Adler (
Oita city)
Tourism
Ōita Prefecture is famous for its hot springs, particularly those in and around the city of
Beppu, known as the 'hells', or ''jigoku''. Many are of tourist interest only and cannot be used as
onsen (notably the Blood Pond Hell (reddish water) and the Oniyama Hell). The city's
ryokans and public onsen are amply supplied by the same volcanic source. Visitors particularly relish the effects of burial in steaming hot volcanic sands.
Beppu offers a wide range of cultural experiences, from an annual international music festival, to the unabashed Hihokan Sex Museum.
The elaborate public aquarium "Umi-tamago" on the shoreline outside Beppu features basketballing
sea otters, performing
archer fish, and puzzle-solving octopuses, along with more naturalistic displays of freshwater and marine fish from around the world.
Near the marine park, Mount Takasaki Monkey Park rises steeply from the shoreline. Two distinct troupes of wild
macaque monkeys make regular visits to the feeding grounds here, which were initially established to entice the monkeys away from raiding the region's fruit crops, a behaviour that brought them into conflict with farmers. The wild macaques ignore the small crowds that gather at these feeding sessions, and may be observed at close quarters.
Beppu is a busy passenger port with regular ferry links through the inland sea to
Osaka and several other destinations.
Other attractions of Ōita Prefecture include the
Sanrio theme park
Harmonyland.
Ōita's Mt. Hachimen is also home to the popular music festival,
Concert on the Rock. This annual charity event sees over 30 international acts performing over a June weekend for the pleasure of Japan's music lovers. The natural surroundings make it one of the most picturesque rock festivals in the world.
Prefectural symbols
Miscellaneous topics
Medias
★
Oita Broadcasting System(OBS)
★
Television Oita System(TOS)
★
Oita Asahi Broadcasting(OAB)
External links
★
Official Ōita Prefecture homepage
★
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