5 Photogenic Gourmet & Souvenir Picks of Oita

Oita Prefecture, a treasury of hot springs and nature, is in fact also a treasury of photogenic gourmet. Here are 5 special photogenic gourmet items and souvenirs that will surely earn you lots of "likes" on social media.

01 | Jigoku Pudding / Jigoku-Mushi Pudding Kannawa (Beppu City)

This carefully made pudding, prepared with Beppu Onsen's specialty "jigoku-mushi (hell steaming)," has an exquisite golden, melting appearance. Eat it in the Kannawa area where steam drifts, and you can take a fantastical shot with the white steam of the hot springs in the background.

• Photogenic point: The contrast of the glossy golden color and the steam in the background is mystical
• Best time: Morning to late morning is recommended as the steam comes out thick. Autumn to winter is even more fantastical
• Shooting angle: Look down slightly from above at an angle, and blurring the white steam in the background is great

Access: Right at the "Kannawa" bus stop on the Kamenoi Bus from JR Beppu Station

02 | Beppu Cold Noodles / Rokusei (Beppu City)

Beppu cold noodles, beautiful with clear soup served in a pure white bowl and smooth noodles. The tangy, spicy sauce and vivid toppings are just like a work of art.

• Photogenic point: The transparency of the clear soup and the colorfulness of the toppings whet the appetite
• Best time: At lunchtime, natural light streams in by the window and the soup sparkles
• Shooting angle: A perfect overhead shot (the "top-down shot" taken straight from above) is by far the most stylish

Access: About a 15-minute walk from JR Beppu Station

03 | Yaseuma / around Ekimae Koto Onsen (Beppu City / Yufu City)

Oita's local sweet "yaseuma" charms with the simple beauty of chewy flat noodles generously coated in kinako (roasted soybean flour). The contrast of the golden kinako and the white noodles finishes as a Japanese-style photo.

• Photogenic point: The texture of a heartwarming Japanese sweet that is simple yet picturesque
• Best time: Shooting under soft natural daylight gives a warm photo
• Shooting angle: Use a wooden tray or Japanese-patterned cloth as a tablecloth and shoot from 45 degrees at an angle to boost the photogenic factor

Access: Also available for purchase at the roadside station "Yufuin" in Yufu City and elsewhere

04 | Yufuin Pudding & Sweets Food-Walking (Yufu City / Yufuin)

Yufuin's main street "Yunotsubo-kaido" is a parade of photogenic sweets! Take out colorful soft-serve ice cream or melty pudding, shoot it with Mt. Yufu in the background, and a perfect travel shot is complete.

• Photogenic point: The collaboration of Yufuin's old-folk-house-style streetscape and Mt. Yufu is one of a kind
• Best time: Late morning to early afternoon. Especially in the spring (cherry blossoms) and autumn (foliage) seasons, the background is the best too
• Shooting angle: Holding the sweets in hand and shooting in vertical composition with Mt. Yufu in the background is the Instagram standard

Access: About a 10-minute walk from JR Yufuin Station to Yunotsubo-kaido

05 | Zabieru / Zabieru Honpo (Oita City)

Oita's representative souvenir sweet "Zabieru" is a Western-style bun with a buttery flavor scented with rum. The luxurious gold-and-white elegant packaging is so photogenic you could use it as is for a flat-lay (flat-placement shot)!

• Photogenic point: The classical packaging design is perfect for antique-style photos
• Best time: Anytime is OK. It looks great even in indoor shots
• Shooting angle: Shooting from straight above together with dried flowers or a lace cloth makes a stylish souvenir photo

Access: Widely sold inside Oita Station, at airport souvenir shops, and elsewhere

Oita's photogenic gourmet, combined with the atmospheric backgrounds unique to hot-spring areas, becomes a special shot you cannot take anywhere else. By all means eat, shoot, and share to keep memories of your trip.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Opening hours / regular closing days: Jigoku-mushi Kobo Kannawa is open 10:00-19:00 (last order 18:00) and closed on the third Wednesday of each month (the following day when it falls on a public holiday). Okamotoya Baiten in Myoban Onsen is open 8:30-18:30 (last order 17:30; the seating area is available until 18:00) and open every day. Rokusei Matsubara Honten, known for Beppu cold noodles, is open 11:30-14:00 and 18:00-20:00, closed every Wednesday, and closes as soon as the soup runs out.
• Guide to budget and prices: At Jigoku-mushi Kobo Kannawa you pay a fee for the use of a steaming pot (kama) plus the cost of the ingredients. The amounts can be checked on the Menu and Prices page of the official website. For prices at the other establishments, please check each official website or the displays in the shop.
• Access: To reach Jigoku-mushi Kobo Kannawa, take a local bus from the west exit of JR Beppu Station (routes 2, 5, 7 and 41) for about 20 minutes (330 yen one way for adults), or about 30 minutes from the east exit (340 yen). On routes 60, AS60, 61 and AS61, get off at Kannawa Onsen and walk 4 minutes. Okamotoya Baiten is in Myoban Onsen, about 30 minutes by bus from JR Beppu Station. Rokusei Matsubara Honten is at 7-17 Matsubara-cho, Beppu City. Yunotsubo Kaido is about a 10-minute walk from JR Yufuin Station.
• Parking: Jigoku-mushi Kobo Kannawa has a free car park for 26 vehicles (23 ordinary cars, 2 kei cars and 1 wheelchair-accessible space), plus 5 more spaces nearby. Vehicles larger than a microbus cannot enter the site. Rokusei Matsubara Honten also has a car park.
• Photography rules: Always ask the establishment for permission before photographing the interior or the kitchen. Take care not to capture other customers in your photos, and avoid using a tripod when the place is busy. The steaming pits used for jigoku-mushi release hot spring steam at around 98 degrees Celsius, so do not bring your lens or face too close.
• Points to note: The steam and vapour are extremely hot and can cause burns. Lenses fog up easily in winter and near the steam, so it is reassuring to bring a towel. Rokusei sometimes closes early when the soup runs out, so it is best to arrive early.

Note: Opening hours, prices and bus fares are subject to change. Please check the latest information on each facility's official website before you set out.

(Sources: official website of Jigoku-mushi Kobo Kannawa / official website of Okamotoya Baiten, Myoban Onsen, Beppu / official website of the handmade cold noodle specialist Rokusei / official website of Beppu City)