TRAVEL TAKETA

Oka Castle Sakura Festival will be held this year again!

The highlight of the festival is the “feudal lord’s procession” that the parade from Oka Castle Ruins through the castle town of Taketa, which is modeled after the one in the Edo period.

● Date & Time
Saturday 4th April 2026, 12:30 pm～4:00 pm

● Place
Oka Castle Ruins and around the castle town

● Main event
□Daimyo’s procession (feudal lord procession)
　start at 12:30 pm from Oka Castle Ruins
　*Held in light rain

□Samurai warrior parade
　start at 12:40 pm from Oka Castle Ruins
　*Held in light rain

□Martial arts demonstration by a gun corps using matchlocks 
　1) Around 12:20 pm at Oka Castle Ruins
　2) Around 2:45 pm at Hon-machi street
　3) Around 3:40 pm at Taketa Bridge (in front of JR Bungo Taketa Station)
　*be canceled in case of rain.

□Mounted warriors
　 Around 2:50 pm at Hon-machi Street
　 *be canceled in case of rain.

*Please note that the schedule may change depending on the progress of the day.
*The course may be changed depending on the weather.

● At Taketa city Castle Town Plaza
 □Foodtrucks
 □Ninja stars(Shuriken) Experience 10:00am – 3:00pm
 □Samurai Armor Experience 10:00am – 3:00pm

We are looking forward to seeing you in Taketa!

For more details about the explanation of Oka castle Sakura festival.

Make and eat the local foods of Oita, Dango-jiru soup, Yaseuma and Maki-zushi.
The soup will be prepared in advance, and the participants will do kneading and rolling out the doughs.
Maki-zushi will make the rolling part of sushi
It is possible for foreigner to do this but, it will use a translation app.
Reservation required.

【Price】 5,000 yen per person (Including cooking ingredients cost)
☆Advance reservation required. (Except Fridays & Saturdays & Sundays)
【Time required】2 hours
【Number of people】2 ~ 4 people
【Language】Japanese (use a translation app)
【Contact】
TEL : (+81)90-5383-1492（Kawano）Japanese Only
Email : travel@taketa.guide (Taketa City Tourist Association)

食のアトリエkawanoの台所で体験ができるようになりました。
事前予約にて承ります。
インバウンドのお客様も対応可能ですが、翻訳アプリでの対応になります。

だんご汁・巻き寿司・やせうまを作って食べます。
お汁は準備しており、参加者様がだんごをこねて伸ばす作業をします。
お寿司は巻くだけを楽しんでいただきます。

【体験料】5,000円／お一人様（材料費込み）
☆事前予約制（金土日を除く）
【所要時間】120分
【受入れ人数】2～4名
【ご連絡先】090-5383-1492（河野）

Go to the page of ‘Kawano no Daidokoro’ (JP)kawanoの台所紹介ページはこちら

NHK WORLD Japan 「Journeys in Japan」
Taketa City was featured on ‘Journeys in Japan’ of NHK WORLD JAPAN.
Taketa city in Oita prefecture is located in the center of Kyusyu.
The program is the contents that can enjoy various attracts of Taketa, that focus on the Onsen which is one of the leading onsen in Japan and history, culture, nature and entertainment.

Anyone can watch the program for free.
Available until March 31, 2026.
Please check it out!

Clich here to watch 『Taketa: Onsen Bathing Old and New』ご視聴はこちら

Stroll the castle town of Taketa with putting on Kimono to make memories of you travel.
Enjoy the special time in Taketa city.

*There are some Kimono’s accessories.
*Male also available.
*Do hairstyling is not available.

〈Rental plan〉3,000 JPY / one person (include tax)
Included in the fees↓
1. Rental fee (Kimono, Obi, Nagajuban, Zouri)
2. Kimono fitting fee
3. Tabi fee

〈Payment〉 Cash only

〈Minimum participants〉 2 people

〈Contact〉
TEL : (+81)90-3410-3685 (Japanese only)
E-mail : travel@taketa.guide

〈Time required〉
1. Choose Kimono ⇒ Approximately 5-30 minutes
2. Choose Obi ⇒ Approximately 2-3 minutes
3. Fitting for woman ⇒ Approximately 15-20 minutes
4. Fitting for man ⇒ Approximately 10 minutes

〈About clothes〉
Please make sure to prepare thermals and leggings, etc. in the winter season.

〈Notes〉
・Please make sure to prepare your inner wear to use instead of Hadajuban.
(Hadajuban is to cover the upper body to absorb dirt and sweat)
・Do hairstyling is not available. It recommends to do your hair in advance.
・Please let us know if you can not make it on time for reservation.

Although the leaves changed color later than usual this year, Oka Castle Ruins were surrounded by beautiful autumn leaves which red, orange, yellow color.

※The autumn leaves were already past the peak.
Date taken : December 2nd, 2024

The 25th Taketa Bamboo Lantern ‘Chikuraku’ was held from November 15th to 17th
Thank you very much for coming in Taketa city during Chikuraku.
May the beautiful Satoyama woodland scenery continue from now on.

It will be held in November 21st to November 23rd, 2025.
We look forward to seeing you next year.

第25回たけた竹灯籠『竹楽』が11/15～11/17の3日間、竹田城下町で行われました。
多くの皆さんにご来場いただき、ありがとうございました。
これからも美しい里山が続くことを願います。


来年は11/21(金)～11/23(日)に開催されます。
来年も皆様のお越しを心よりお待ちしております。

Cherry blossoms at the ruins of Oka Castle today.

About half of the blossoms are currently in bloom. It is expected to be at its best by the end of this week.

*Depends on the weather this week.

Noyaki (burning fields) at Kuju Plateau in Aso Kuju National Park

The Kuju Plateau is located at the southern foot of the Kuju Mountain Range. The Kuju Plateau is now in the season of burning off the fields, and one can feel that spring is finally approaching.

Since ancient times, Japanese people have been burning fields and mountains in order to continuously use them as grassland.

The landscapes we encounter in our travels are works of art created by the life of nature and the lives of people.

The memories of each moment are connected to each other.

The Miyagi area is famous for the Ameushi Waterfall. A large statue is carved into the rock wall on the right side of the stone cave where the Shinmeisha shrine is located in the Miyagi area. The shape of the statue suggests a raven-tengu, with a human face, an exaggerated nose and large feathers on either side of the shoulders.

It is thought to have been carved in the 1853s.

If this is tengu worship, it is thought that Sarutahiko-no-mikoto, who guided the gods in the Tensonkorin (the descent to earth of the grandson of the sun goddess) , was replaced by a tengu. The belief in the role of calming and purifying the land also suggests a connection with the tengu belief in Mt Hikosan.

Location: 719 Kamisakata, Taketa, Oita Prefecture
A car or a taxi is needed to get there. Please use the parking lot at the Ameushi waterfall, which is about 20 minute walk away.
Location of Ameushi waterfall: 103-1 Kamisakata, Taketa City

This group of ancient tombs is thought to date from the late Kofun period (around the end of the 6th century).

Surveys have confirmed 11 ancient tombs, but some of them have collapsed, and only about 8 of them can be identified as ancient tombs.

One of the tombs has a gable-roofed carving above the entrance, called a “senmon,” which is said to have been carved in later times to hide the principal image of the Ichimochi-tenmansha Shrine during the war.

Originally, there was a lid on the tombs, and the groove at the entrance to the gate could be seen as a mark where the lid was inserted.However, there is no lid now, and nothing remains inside the tombs. It is said that this is due to theft.

(The entrance to the gate is 60 cm square, and the inside of the chamber that holds the remains is approximately 1 m high and 2 m wide and deep.)

Location: 236 Ichimochi, Taketa City, Oita Prefecture
There is no public transportation to reach the ancient tombs.