5 Photogenic Buildings and Townscapes in Oita

Oita Prefecture has many stunning buildings that make you want to grab your camera! From historic castles to Western-style buildings full of exotic charm, we have carefully selected and present some photogenic spots.

01 | Funai Castle Ruins (Oita City)

Castle ruins (Oita Castle Ruins Park) remaining in the heart of Oita City. The surviving Shumon Yagura and Hitojichi Yagura turrets, along with the reconstructed corridor bridge and white earthen walls, are the highlights. The main keep no longer exists; only its stone foundation remains. The contrast of castle walls and stone ramparts reflected in the moat is breathtaking, and you can capture a stunning water-reflection shot. Early morning when mist hangs in the air is the prime time, wrapping the scene in a fantastical atmosphere. Shooting from the center of the bridge in a straight-on composition brings out the left-right symmetry beautifully.

📍 Access: About 15 minutes on foot from JR Oita Station. Open to the public free of charge as Oita Castle Ruins Park

02 | Taketa Castle-Town & Bukeyashiki-dori (Taketa City, Oita Prefecture)

"Bukeyashiki-dori (Rekishi no Michi)," the samurai-district street that flourished as the castle town of the Oka Domain, features a continuous row of white-plastered walls that make you feel as though you've stepped back into the Edo period. Note: the castle ruins famous as the "castle in the sky" are located in Asago City, Hyogo Prefecture — a completely different place. The castle ruins in Taketa City, Oita Prefecture, are the nationally designated historic site "Oka Castle Ruins." Take care not to mix them up when planning your itinerary. At sunset in autumn, the moment the raking light dyes the white walls orange is the most spectacular. Shoot in a vertical composition with the stone-paved road stretching deep into the distance for a travel photo full of depth. Add a kimono rental and your shot will be picture-perfect.

📍 Access: About 10 minutes on foot from JR Bungo-Taketa Station. The "Taketa City Castle Town Exchange Plaza" in the heart of the castle town has a paid parking lot, public restrooms, and a bus stop

03 | The Old Townscape of Mameda-machi (Hita City)

Hita's Mameda-machi area, known as "the little Kyoto of Kyushu," is a nationally designated Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings where traditional machiya townhouses line the streets. The nationally designated Important Cultural Property Kusano Family Residence (Kusano Honke) and the main hall of Chofukuji Temple also remain. During cherry blossom season (March–April), the collaboration of old folk houses and soft pink blossoms is achieved, and Japanese beauty is in full bloom. Shoot from a low angle looking up the street to capture both sky and buildings in a dynamic composition. With cafés and craft shops throughout, casual strolling is a delight too.

📍 Access: About 15 minutes on foot from JR Hita Station. Public viewing of the Kusano Honke is limited to four periods a year: Hinamatsuri (Doll Festival), Tango no Sekku (Boys' Festival), Gion Festival, and Tenryo Festival. As the townscape is a living space for residents, please do not enter private property without permission

04 | Nioza Rekishi no Michi and the National Treasure Usuki Stone Buddhas (Usuki City)

"Nioza Rekishi no Michi," a street of stone-paved slopes and white walls, is located within Usuki's city area and within walking distance of JR Usuki Station. The nationally designated National Treasure Usuki Stone Buddhas (cliff-carved Buddhist images), on the other hand, are located in Fukata, Usuki City, about 6 km from the city center and cannot be reached on foot. As these are two separate locations that cannot be explored on foot in one trip, please note this when planning. The summer morning just after the rainy season ends is fantastical, with green moss seeping into the stone pavement and the damp stones reflecting light and glistening. Deliberately blur the dappled sunlight falling on the stone pavement in the background and shoot the stone wall in the foreground sharply for a noticeably professional result.

📍 Access: Nioza Rekishi no Michi = about 15–20 minutes on foot from JR Usuki Station. National Treasure Usuki Stone Buddhas = about 20 minutes by route bus from JR Usuki Station (fare ¥200), get off at "Usuki Sekibutsu." Viewing hours 9:00–17:00 (last admission 16:30), open year-round. Admission: adults (high school students and above) ¥550, children (elementary/junior high school students) ¥270. Free parking available

Oita's historic architecture shows a new expression every time you visit. Find your favorite angle and capture your one-of-a-kind shot!

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Best seasons and times of day: The ruins of Funai Castle are best in the early morning mist. The samurai residence street in Taketa is best at dusk in autumn. Mameda-machi is best during the cherry blossom season in March and April. Nioza Historical Road is best on a morning after rain.
• Opening hours / closing days: The Usuki Stone Buddhas (National Treasure) are open 9:00-17:00 (last admission 16:30), open all year round. The ruins of Funai Castle (Oita Castle Park), the samurai residence street in Taketa, the historic townscape of Mameda-machi and Nioza Historical Road are outdoors and can be visited at any time, but please check the opening days and times of individual buildings with each facility. Kusano Honke is open to the public only four times a year, during the Hina Doll Festival, the Boys' Festival (Tango no Sekku), the Gion Festival and the Tenryo Festival.
• Admission: The Usuki Stone Buddhas (National Treasure) cost 550 yen for adults (high school students and above) and 270 yen for children (elementary and junior high school students). The ruins of Funai Castle (Oita Castle Park) are free of charge. Strolling through any of the historic townscapes is free of charge.
• Access: Ruins of Funai Castle = about a 15-minute walk from JR Oita Station. Samurai residence street in Taketa = about a 10-minute walk from JR Bungo-Taketa Station. Mameda-machi = about a 15-minute walk from JR Hita Station. Nioza Historical Road = about a 15-20 minute walk from JR Usuki Station. The Usuki Stone Buddhas (National Treasure) are reached by local bus from JR Usuki Station in about 20 minutes (fare 200 yen), getting off at the Usuki Sekibutsu stop, and are a separate site about 6 km away from Nioza Historical Road. You cannot walk between the two.
• Parking: The Usuki Stone Buddhas (National Treasure) have a free car park for 80 ordinary cars and 8 large buses. In Taketa, the Taketa City Joka-machi Koryu Plaza in the centre of the former castle town has a paid car park and public toilets.
• Photography rules: Mameda-machi, Nioza Historical Road and the samurai residence street in Taketa are all places where residents live their daily lives. Do not enter the grounds of private homes or shops without permission, and take care not to capture laundry or the interiors of homes in your photos. At the Usuki Stone Buddhas and elsewhere, always follow the on-site signs and the instructions of staff regarding whether photography is permitted inside halls and shelter buildings, and whether tripods may be used.
• Safety notes: Nioza Historical Road is a narrow, stone-paved slope that becomes slippery in the rain or where moss has grown. Please wear non-slip shoes. The visitor route at the Usuki Stone Buddhas includes stone steps. The streets of the historic districts in Taketa and Hita are narrow and cars also pass through, so avoid taking photographs on the roadway.

Note: Taketa Castle, known as the castle in the sky, is a different castle located in Asago City, Hyogo Prefecture. The castle ruins in Taketa City, Oita Prefecture are the ruins of Oka Castle, a National Historic Site, so take care not to confuse the two when planning your itinerary.

(Sources: official website of the Usuki Stone Buddhas (National Treasure), official website of Usuki City, official website of Hita City, Taketa City Tourism Association Take Tabi, official Oita Prefecture tourism information website)