Nakatsu Castle

The daimyo Kuroda Yoshitaka, who governed this region in 1587, began building Nakatsu Castle (Nakatsu-jo). It was completed by the daimyo Hosokawa Tadaoki, who subsequently came to govern this region. The total area of the castle grounds was about 78,000 sq m. The shape of the whole castle grounds resembles an open fan. The entire castle was destroyed by fire in the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877. The present five-tiered donjon was rebuilt in 1964. Heirlooms of families that governed this region in the past are exhibited inside the donjon. The top floor is an observation level.

Oita Kenritsu Geijutsu Kaikan (Art Gallery)

Oita-shi Bijutsukan

Oita-shi Bijutsukan (The Oita Municipal Museum) stands in Ueno-oka Koen, a park in the city of Oita, Oita Prefecture, and houses a collection of around 1,000 works of modern and contemporary art. The modern art collection includes Tanomura Chikuden's Bungo Nanga, Japanese-style paintings much influenced by Sung China, which are designated an Important Cultural Property by the Japanese government. Artworks from the last 100 years are mainly by artists with close links to Oita Prefecture, such as the Japanese-style painters Tatsuo Takayama and Heihachiro Fukuda, and are on permanent exhibition classified by genre.

Fuki-ji Temple

Fuki-ji was built in the year 718. Its Amida-do is generally called Fuki-ji O-do. It is the oldest wooden structure in Kyushu. Inside the main hall are colorful pictures portraying various themes of the Buddha, indicating the fervent Buddhist worship among the believers at this temple. The main hall is designated as a National Treasure. The seated image of the Amida-Nyorai contained in the main hall is designated by the national government as an Important Cultural Property.Fuki-ji is located on the Kunisaki peninsula. At around the end of the 12th century there were more than 50 temples with 800 temple buildings on this peninsula, where Buddhism flourished at that time.

Usa-jingu Shrine

There are many shrines in Japan which are named Hachiman-gu. The Emperor Ojin, who was deified as Hachiman-jin (the god of military power), is enshrined in these shrines. Usa-jingu was the first of these shrines. It is said that Hachiman-jin appeared at this place around the beginning of the 8th century. He was widely worshipped throughout Kyushu, and was subsequently worshipped as the protective deity of the Imperial Capital. The shrine has enjoyed the close protection of the Imperial Family. The present sanctuary, which is designated as a National Treasure, was built around the middle of the 19th century. Its white earthen walls and vermilion pillars against its black and golden fittings produce a splendid contrast. This characteristic form, by which two buildings are situated one in front of the other, is called Hachiman-zukuri. The front portion, called the Ge-in, is where the deity stays during the daytime, while the back portion, called the Nai-in, serves as the deity's sleeping chamber. The two buildings are connected by an eaves-trough which is called Usa-no-Ogondoi.