You thought the spa was a modern concept? Well, the Emperor of Oita had ordered people to pay for a bath in spas way back in 1684! Millions visit Oita every year, a city of highland plateaus, 752 km of beautiful coastline, rivers and hot springs. Heavily bombed during World War II, Oita has rebuilt itself to a thriving metropolitan centre.

There is natural heating of the earth's crust making Oita "Jigoku", or Hell's Areas. The main hot springs are in the Beppu and Yufuin districts of Oita. Healing properties aside, hot springs have fired the imagination of resort owners and you can take taki yu (hot waterfall bath), mushi-yu (sauna), mushu yu (sand bath), utase yu ('waterfall massage') or bara yu (rose-petal bath). Many sides of yu will undoubtedly emerge from this experience. Shops, restaurants and hotels have sprung up around the hot springs.

The Seki Butsu of Usuki is a collection of 60 elaborate rock carvings of the Buddha in various poses. Why would something built to this magnitude with so much devotion be hidden in an obscure little place? No one has an answer yet. The Seki Butsu has been designated as a "Special Place of Historical Importance" and is a quiet, awesome experience. The carvings were made of dense lava and have stood the test of 1000 years of weathering well. Take a bus from Oita Eki or the bus-stand in front of the Tokiwa Department Store in the downtown area. The entrance fee to the site is very reasonable but there is a separate entrance fee to the Museum. The town of Usuki grew up around the castle Niujima-jo, which is, unfortunately, in ruins today. The hill is a splendid sight in spring resplendent in cherry blossoms.

The Usa Hachimangu Shrine, the chief shrine of the Shintos, designated a National Treasure was founded in the eighth century. Japan is home to some 40, 000 Hachimangu shrines scattered all over. It is worth a visit if only to see the structure of the shrines.

Places worth a visit in the downtown area Urukawa Park, Yuho Koen (Promenade Park) and Funai-jo Castle. Urukawa Park is quiet and well manicured, like most Japanese Gardens, built in the memory of a child who died prematurely. Yuho Koen is great for strolling and has a main pathway with statues of many prominent figures from Oita's history. Built after World War II, this park was designed as a breather for the commoner. Funai-jo Castles were built in 1599 and had a moat surrounding it long ago. There is not much remaining of the castle today except the Oita Event Hall.

Restaurants cater to international tastes but Oita also has its own specialities. Dango Jiru, a stew with noodles, Bungo beef, prawn and fugo (globefish) sashimi are some of the delicacies. Yufuin is famous for sweet dishes, mostly take-offs on the Japanese o-manju.

Getting There: There are regular flights from Tokyo (an hour and a half) and Osaka (50 minutes) to Oita. Korea also has regular flights to the city since 1992. Nearby Shinkansen connects Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto, Yokohama and Tokyo by bullet train. There are trains from Fukuoka to Oita that take 2 ½ hours and ferries from Kobe and Osaka that take 15 and 17 hours respectively.

Accommodation: There are plenty of hotels in Oita, ranging from expensive ones to modest rooms with basic amenities. Being a city of spas, there are several resorts at Beppu and Yufuin that offer lodging to suit all pockets. There are quite a few ryokans - the traditional Japanese inns in Shizuoka and depending upon the level of service and amenities offered, can range from exorbitant to fairly affordable.

For detailed country & visitor information, see Japan.