Oita Prefecture on the southern island of Kyushu has a lot to offer. Of course one can't think of Oita without mentioning the ubiquitous hot springs that domestic and international tourists flock to on holiday, there are many great places to explore all around the prefecture and today I'd like to introduce one of them.

Usuki

Usuki is a small town that lies next to Oita city on its east border. In the past Usuki served as a castle town. Usuki castle was built by Otomo Sorin in 1562 and while it may have burned down years ago, there are some ruins left over such as the castle walls and main gate. From the hill where the castle ruins are located, you can see a great view of the town of Usuki. Site of the Usuki castle ruins.

The view from the top.

Shopping Street

With so much of Japan paved over with concrete and covered by uniform apartment blocks that are hard to distinguish from each other, it is rare to get a glimpse of the Japan of the past. The Shopping street in Usuki will transport you to a Japan that is almost all but lost. One of the old store fronts in the historic shopping area.
Lunch in the shopping street.

Samurai Residences

Because Usuki was a castle town, there would have been a need for retainers to live nearby in order to protect the castle in case the need should arise. Usuki has some examples of beautiful preserved 16th century Samurai Yashiki in its downtown area, and truth be told is one of the reasons I wanted to take a day trip here in the first place.
There aren't many places that you can see these kind of old buildings in Japan

We stopped into a little cafe inside one of the old buildings to have dessert.

Closing Thoughts

I really enjoyed our day trip to Usuki. It is a small peaceful town that can be visited for a day trip from either Oita or Beppu, and I will definitely be heading back in the future to explore. If you are looking for a taste of Japan's past and a quiet place off the beaten path, then I definitely recommend taking a trip out to Usuki.