Takeda, Taketa 878-0013 Oita Prefecture

The ruins of Oka Castle, once a famous and impregnable castle, are located in Taketa, Oita Prefecture. It is now a National Historic Site. Today, only the stone walls remain, but the castle's enclosures, gateways, turrets, and other structures were constructed out of stone, and these impressive stone walls provide a glimpse of the great castle that once stood here. The ruins of Oka Castle are located 325 meters above sea level on land created by pyroclastic flows from Mt. Aso. The grounds are vast, covering an area of approximately 1 million square meters. The cherry blossoms inside the castle are especially beautiful and were selected as one of the 100 best viewing spots in Japan. Public transportation: Take bus from Bungo-Taketa Station on the JR Hohi Main Line bound for Ogata/Mie and get off at Okajo Iriguchi bus stop (about 5 min.) / By car: 10 min. from Taketa IC on the Naka-Kyushu Odan Road (Route 57) Hours: 9:00-17:00 Admission: ¥300 yen for adults, ¥150 for kids

4050 Kujumachi Kuju, Taketa 878-0201 Oita Prefecture

The Kuju Flower Park located in Aso-Kuju National Park. It is where the time goes slowly to yourself be with the nature.

Taketa Oita Prefecture

Taketa Oita Prefecture

Located in Taketa, Oita Prefecture, the 1,786-meter-high Mt. Kuju, along with Mt. Nakadake (the highest mountain on Kyushu), Mt. Inahoshi, Mt. Tengugajo, Mt. Mimata, Mt. Taisen, and Mt. Kurodake, make up the Kuju Mountain Range. The mountain is made up of hornblende andesite rock. It has two craters (the Kitasenrigahama crater and the Io-zan crater), each with many sulfur gas-emitting holes along the crater walls. The mountain is a popular tourist spot not just for its spectacular view of Mt. Sobo and Mt. Aso, but also for the many Miyama-kirishima rhododendrons and lingonberry bushes (a Natural Monument) that inhabit the area. Many visitors flock to the mountain throughout the year for hiking, excursions, and sightseeing. Access by car: 26 km from the Kokonoe IC of the Kyushu Expressway to the Makinoto Pass trailhead parking lot. Access by public transportation: Take Hita Bus from Bungo Nakamura Station on the JR Kyudai Line to the Makinoto-toge bus stop (1 hour and 4 minutes).

Kujumachi, Taketa 878-0201 Oita Prefecture

989-1Sugo, Taketa 879-6184 Oita Prefecture

Ogimachi, Taketa 879-6132 Oita Prefecture

On account of its elegant appearance, Hakusui Dam is sometimes called the most beautiful dam in Japan. Hakusui Dam was designated as a National Important Cultural Property in 1999 as a representation of Japan's agricultural modernization. The dam is a concrete gravity dam. There are two parking lots on either side of the dam. The right bank overlooks the Shiramizu Dam, while the left bank offers a view up at the water cascading over the dam. Please decide which side of the dam you wish to visit as you cannot cross the dam and even by car it takes a long time to go around to the other side of the dam. Access Right bank (view from above): 3732-2, 3732-5, Tsugikura, Taketa (about 1 km walk from the parking lot) Left bank (view from below): 6225-3, 6225-4 Shigita, Ogi-machi, Taketa The reservoir is undergoing renovation until mid-June of 2022, and water flow over the dam has been suspended during this period.

663-1 Yonai, Taketa 878-0145 Oita Prefecture

Taketa 878-0001 Oita Prefecture

2120-1 Taketa, Taketa 878-0013 Oita Prefecture

Takeda, Taketa 878-0013 Oita Prefecture

This is the site of a Christian cave chapel left in a small valley of the Tonomachi neighborhood, an area once filled with samurai residences. The cave is now designated as a Prefectural Historic Site. The cave is dome-shaped. The interior is approximately 10 square meters in size and the ceiling is 3.5 meters high at its highest point. The front has five windows and a hollowed-out roof section that lend an air of majesty to the entrance. Cave chapels like this are exceedingly rare in Japan. The cave next door is supposedly where the priest lived in hiding. Even after Christianity was prohibited, missionaries continued their work in Taketa while hiding in caves. This chapel seems to have been a place of faith for these Christians in hiding. Access: 15-minute walk from Bungo-Taketa Station (no parking available; please use the parking lot in front of the station).

Nyuta, Taketa 878-0033 Oita Prefecture

Hinatame Ogimachi, Taketa 879-6124 Oita Prefecture

Shiramizu Falls is a registered National Monument and the waterfall and its surroundings have been selected as one of the 100 most scenic spots in Oita Prefecture. This majestic waterfall, 72 meters high and 8 meters wide, cascades down the cliffside surrounded by virgin forest, resulting in a spectacular natural scene. It takes about 15-20 minutes to walk from the Meisuichaya parking lot to get to Shiramizu Falls. The surrounding trees usually begin to change color in early October, and by the end of the month visitors can enjoy a lovely combination of autumn leaves and the beautiful waterfall. Access: 15 minutes by car from Bungo Ogi Station