Rainy Day in Oita: Best Indoor Spots & Activities

Beppu Onsen (Communal Bathhouses)

Beppu is famous for the "Hell Tour," but on a rainy day, by all means head to the "communal bathhouses" beloved by locals. In this town, which boasts the largest volume of gushing water in Japan, plebeian communal bathhouses you can enter for around 100 yen are dotted around the city. With steam rising profusely, the time of entrusting your body to superb hot water while listening to the sound of rain is an experience of touching "the essence of Beppu" that you can never taste just by touring tourist spots.

How locals enjoy it: Deliberately choosing the stylishly rustic communal bathhouses patronized by locals, such as "Nagaishi Onsen" and "Tanoyu Onsen," is the connoisseur's way of enjoying it. In spaces with the very air of the Showa era, different from facilities aimed at tourists, you forget time before you know it. Many bathhouses are open from 6 a.m., so getting up early to have the morning bath all to yourself with no one around is also a recommended luxury.

Best season / recommended time of day: It can be enjoyed year-round, but on a chilly rainy day in autumn to winter the warmth of the hot spring sinks into you all the more. Weekday mornings, when locals are few, let you bathe relatively at ease.

Access: Several communal bathhouses gather within walking distance of JR Beppu Station, and searching for a favorite one while strolling mainly around the station is also a pleasant time.

Tips for travelers: Since most bathhouses do not provide towels or soap, be sure to bring them. Having plenty of 100-yen coins ready makes things smooth. The changing rooms are often of an old-fashioned simple construction, so be careful with managing valuables.

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Yufuin's Art Museums & Galleries

Yufuin, where you walk the moist, rain-soaked streetscape with Mt. Yufu hazy in the mist as a backdrop, shows its true beauty precisely on a rainy day. On such a day, an art stroll touring the distinctive art museums and galleries is recommended. At the "Yufuin Art Museum" you can appreciate works by artists connected to Kyushu in a calm space, and at "Comhouse," which also has a miscellaneous-goods shop and café, a warm time flows where art and daily life blend.

How locals enjoy it: Between hopping museums, by all means also stop by Yufuin's small gallery shops. An unexpected encounter with a one-of-a-kind accessory or pottery by a local artist becomes a memento of your trip. As a rainy-day exclusive, slowly enjoying lunch or café time while gazing at Mt. Yufu from a café window is also exceptional.

Best season / recommended time of day: October–November in the autumn-foliage season is especially recommended, with beautiful scenery around the museums too. Late morning right after opening is relatively empty, letting you appreciate the works carefully.

Access: The major art museums gather within a 15–20-minute walk of JR Yufuin Station. Getting a free sightseeing map in front of the station before setting out lets you tour efficiently. About 1 hour 20 minutes from Oita Station on the JR Kyudai Main Line.

Tips for travelers: Yufuin gets very crowded with tourists during peak periods such as Golden Week and summer vacation. On a rainy day, conversely, there are fewer people, a chance to enjoy the museums at ease. Having a folding umbrella makes moving between museums comfortable too.

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Usuki Stone Buddhas (With Shelter)

The Usuki Stone Buddhas, which still hold gentle smiles even now across more than a thousand years of time. This group of stone Buddhas, said to have been carved from the late Heian period through the Kamakura period, is a truly one-of-a-kind cultural heritage—the first cliff-carved Buddhas in Japan to be designated as a National Treasure. Since almost all the stone Buddhas are protected by sturdy shelters, a welcome point is that you can tour them slowly without an umbrella even on a rainy day. The expressions of the stone Buddhas lit by spotlights within the dim shelters give off a mystical atmosphere different again from a sunny day.

How locals enjoy it: The group of stone Buddhas is divided into 4 groups—"Furuzono Stone Buddhas," "Hoki Stone Buddhas First and Second Groups," and "Sannosan Stone Buddhas"—and just walking along the route gives a fulfilling tour of about an hour. Among them, the "Dainichi Nyorai statue of the Furuzono Stone Buddhas" is famous for the fact that its head, once fallen, was miraculously discovered and restored, and your heart quiets at its calm expression. If you request a volunteer guide knowledgeable about the stone Buddhas (advance reservation required), you can be invited into an even deeper world of history.

Best season / recommended time of day: The cherry-blossom season (late March to early April) is especially popular, with a beautiful collaboration of the stone Buddhas and cherry blossoms. A moist rainy day, with few visitors, is a perfect chance to face the stone Buddhas quietly. First thing in the morning right after opening is wrapped in the most silence and is recommended.

Access: About 15 minutes by bus, or about a 30-minute walk, from JR Usuki Station. About 30–40 minutes by JR from Oita Station. Using a rental car makes access from Beppu and within Oita City smooth too.

Tips for travelers: Since there are many gravel paths and stone paving within the grounds, visiting in easy-to-walk shoes is strongly recommended. There are also a shop and rest area, so you can stay a long while with peace of mind even on a rainy day. Admission is 530 yen for adults (as of 2024).

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Oita Prefectural Art Museum (OPAM)

OPAM, located in the prime spot of just a 5-minute walk from Oita Station, is one of the places I want you to visit first on a rainy day of Oita sightseeing. The design was handled by the world-class architect Shigeru Ban, also known for cardboard architecture and paper-tube structures. The exterior with the motif of Oita's traditional craft "bamboo crafts," and the glass-walled, open, atrium entrance overflowing with light, are worth a look in themselves. It is no exaggeration to say the building itself is a work of art.

How locals enjoy it: At the permanent exhibition you can carefully appreciate works by artists connected to Oita such as Heihachiro Fukuda and Chikuden Tanomura. Also, the first-floor museum shop stocks Oita crafts and refined design goods, perfect for souvenir hunting too. Taking a break at the museum café before appreciating is the local connoisseur's way of enjoying it.

Best season / recommended time of day: The degree of crowding varies greatly depending on the content of the special exhibition. Check the exhibition currently on the official site before visiting. Weekday mornings let you appreciate relatively at ease. The "museum at night," using the evening opening (until 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays), also has a mood and is recommended.

Access: About a 5-minute walk from JR Oita Station, with excellent access. Since you can head over right after arriving at the station, it is also easy to fit in at the start or end of your trip, which is a charm.

Tips for travelers: Admission differs for the special exhibition and the permanent exhibition. Since the end of a major special exhibition's run is often crowded, visit with time to spare. Coin lockers are plentiful, so even travelers with a lot of luggage can stop by with peace of mind.

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Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden (With Indoor Exhibits)

Wild Japanese macaques living on Mt. Takasaki, which overlooks Beppu Bay. Their number is an overwhelming scale of over about 1,300, and a powerful wild experience you can taste only here awaits. An observation building safe even on a rainy day is maintained, letting you carefully observe the monkeys' natural ecology from a comfortable, roofed space. During feeding times, the dynamic society of the troop centered on the boss monkey unfolds right before your eyes, and from children to adults, you cannot help getting absorbed.

How locals enjoy it: On Mt. Takasaki there are multiple troops called "Troop A," "Troop B," and "Troop C," and which troop appears differs by day. The staff will tell you that each troop has a different personality and characteristics, so by all means speak to them. Also, the experience of riding the monorail running through the grounds up to the top of the mountain is very popular with children. If it is sunny, a superb view of Beppu Bay spreads, but on a rainy day the fantastical scenery wrapped in mist is also exceptional.

Best season / recommended time of day: Spring and autumn, when the monkeys are active, are recommended. Visiting to match feeding time (several times a day) lets you witness powerful scenes. Confirm the times with the staff or check the official site before visiting.

Access: About 15 minutes by bus from JR Beppu Station. Since it is adjacent to the Oita Marine Palace Aquarium "Umitamago," enjoying them as a set lets you play plenty for a full day.

Tips for travelers: Since the monkeys are wild animals, making eye contact or showing food is strictly forbidden. Observe while firmly following the staff's instructions. Since there are spots where footing becomes slippery even on a rainy day, choosing non-slip shoes is better. Admission is 520 yen for adults (as of 2024).

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Access Information

The base for Oita sightseeing is JR Oita Station, where the Shinkansen also stops. From here as the starting point, access to Beppu, Yufuin, and Usuki can all be made comfortably by rail or bus.

• Beppu Onsen (communal bathhouses): Many communal bathhouses are dotted around JR Beppu Station. About 15 minutes by JR from Oita Station, or access by Kamenoi Bus is convenient too.
• Yufuin's art museums & galleries: About a 15–20-minute walk to most facilities from JR Yufuin Station. About 1 hour 20 minutes from Oita Station on the JR Kyudai Main Line.
• Usuki Stone Buddhas: After getting off at JR Usuki Station, about 15 minutes by bus or about a 30-minute walk. About 30–40 minutes by JR from Oita Station.
• Oita Prefectural Art Museum (OPAM): About a 5-minute walk from JR Oita Station. Excellent access, reassuring even on a rainy day.
• Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden: About 15 minutes by bus from JR Beppu Station. Adjacent to "Umitamago," so set sightseeing is recommended.

Using a rental car, it is also possible to combine these spots efficiently. Enjoy rainy Oita to the fullest with its diverse charms—hot springs, art, nature, and history.