5 Photogenic Power Spots of Oita

Oita Prefecture is not just hot springs! It is a treasury of "photogenic power spots" where the sacred air that has continued since ancient times fuses with breathtakingly beautiful scenery. This time, here are 5 superb-view shrines and temples that will make you want to post them on Instagram.

① Usa Jingu (Usa City) — A Fantastical Space Woven by Vermilion Corridors

The head shrine of approximately 40,000 Hachiman shrines across Japan. The approach, with its vermilion-lacquered shrine buildings and beautiful continuous corridors, feels like a scene from a historical picture scroll. The soft light of early morning accentuates the vermilion and creates a mystical atmosphere.

• 📸 Best time: Just after sunrise until around 9 a.m.
• 📸 Shooting angle: Aim from a low angle toward the far end of the corridor to bring out the depth and grandeur
• 🚃 Access: About 10 minutes by bus from JR Usa Station

② Futago-ji (Kunisaki City) — A Mystical Shot of Moss-Covered Stone Steps and Nio Statues

An ancient Tendai Buddhist temple nestled in the deep forest of the Kunisaki Peninsula. The two-shot of the moss-covered stone steps and the imposing Nio guardian statues that line the approach is truly one of a kind. Just after rain, the moss comes alive and the freshness of the green reaches its peak — the perfect timing!

• 📸 Best time / season: Spring to early summer, after rain, in the morning
• 📸 Shooting angle: Frame the Nio statues and dappled sunlight from the base of the stone steps for a sense of depth
• 🚗 Access: About 40 minutes by car from Oita Airport

③ Kumano Magaibutsu (Kunisaki City) — A Spectacular View of Giant Cliff-Carved Buddhas and Steep Stone Steps

At the top of rough stone steps built from natural stones, said to have been stacked by a demon in a single night, appear these nationally designated Important Cultural Properties. Two figures stand together — the Dainichi Nyorai (approximately 7 m tall, from around the 11th century) and the Fudo Myoo (approximately 8 m tall, from around the 12th century) — and the contrast between the dynamic rocky surface and the serene expressions of the Buddhist images is overwhelming.

• 📸 Best time / season: Autumn mornings (the combination with autumn foliage is superb)
• 📸 Shooting angle: Compose the entire cliff-carved Buddha in a vertical frame with the stone steps in the foreground to convey the sense of scale
• 🚗 Access: Tajime-Hira, Bungotakada City, Oita Prefecture. About 20 minutes by car from "Showa Roman Gura" in the city center

④ Monjusenji (Kunisaki City) — The Fantastical Scenery of a Mountain Temple Wrapped in Mist

One of Japan's three great Monju (Manjushri Bodhisattva) temples, standing deep in the mountains of the Kunisaki Peninsula. When sea of clouds or mist that forms in the early morning envelops the temple grounds, it looks like a temple floating in the sky. This fantastical scene is guaranteed to cause a sensation on social media!

• 📸 Best time / season: Early morning in autumn to winter (when mist is most likely to form)
• 📸 Shooting angle: A wide composition from within the temple grounds, incorporating the mountain ridgeline and mist as the background
• 🚗 Access: About 50 minutes by car from Oita Airport

⑤ Sasamuta Shrine (Oita City) — The Stone Arch Bridge "Mannen-bashi" and a Giant Wisteria as Photogenic Highlights

An ancient shrine on the outskirts of Oita City, counted among the ichinomiya (premier shrines) of the former Bungo Province. The highlights are the stone arch bridge "Mannen-bashi" (built in 1862, designated Oita Prefecture Tangible Cultural Property) spanning the Samuta River at the shrine approach entrance, and a giant wisteria with an approximately 450-year history, designated a natural monument by Oita City. During the "Sasamuta Fuji Matsuri" festival from mid-April to early May, the grounds are dyed in shades of wisteria purple.

• 📸 Best time / season: Mid-April to early May when the wisteria is at its peak, in the morning
• 📸 Shooting angle: Capture Mannen-bashi from the side to emphasize the curve of the arch; look up at the wisteria trellis from below to fill the frame with cascading flower clusters
• 🚗 Access: About 30 minutes by car from JR Oita Station

Oita's power spots are places where simply visiting purifies the soul. Head out with your camera and feel the sacred air and spectacular views with every fiber of your being.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Opening and worship hours / closing days: The Kumano Magaibutsu cliff carvings can be visited 8:30-17:00 in summer (April to October) and 8:30-16:30 in winter (November to March).
• Admission: Admission to the Kumano Magaibutsu is 500 yen for adults (general visitors and high school students) and 150 yen for children (elementary and junior high school students); for groups of 30 or more it is 400 yen for adults and 120 yen for children (rates revised on 1 April 2026). Visiting the precincts of Usa Jingu Shrine and Sasamuta Shrine is free of charge.
• Access: The Kumano Magaibutsu are at 2546-3 Tashibu-hirano, Bungotakada City, about 20 minutes by car from the Showa Roman Kura in the city centre. Usa Jingu Shrine is about 10 minutes by bus from JR Usa Station. Sasamuta Shrine is about 30 minutes by car from JR Oita Station.
• Parking: The Kumano Magaibutsu have space for about 15 ordinary cars; large buses use the car park in front of the Kumano Kaikan hall.
• Etiquette for worship: Access to the Kumano Magaibutsu is via the mountain path that starts at the reception desk of Taizoji Temple on Mount Imagumano. Do not enter without passing through the reception desk.
• Photography rules: There are places within shrine buildings and temple halls where photography is not permitted. Please follow the signs and the instructions of the shrine or temple. The stone steps are narrow, and setting up a tripod to take photographs obstructs other worshippers coming behind you.
• Safety notes: The stone steps leading up to the Kumano Magaibutsu, said by legend to have been piled up by an ogre, are a rough stack of natural stones, uneven in both height and width. Climb in comfortable walking shoes (walking sticks are lent out at the reception desk). They become especially slippery in rainy weather and in the season of fallen leaves.

Note: The Kumano Magaibutsu consist of two figures, Dainichi Nyorai (about 7 m) and Fudo Myoo (about 8 m), both designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan.

(Sources: official Bungotakada City tourism website, Kumano Magaibutsu page)