Oita

Beginning around the time of the late sixteenth century, Oita prospered as a trading town, but since the 1970s it has become known as an industrial city, with petrochemical plants and factories producing steel and electronic goods appearing one after another. From around the mid-sixteenth century, theater was brought to Oita, along with things like Western medicine, by the Portugese, so Oita recognizes itself as the birthplace of Western theater in Japan. Plays are quite popular there.

World Cup Games to Be Held in Oita
Tunisia vs. Belgium (June 10)
Mexico vs. Italy (June 13)
Winner, Group F vs. Second-place, Group A (June 16))

Fun Facts About the Stadium
Of the 10 stadiums in Japan, Oita Stadium Big Eye is the only one with a retractable roof. The oval roof (210 meters by 130 meters) (about 690 feet by 425 feet) is controlled electrically and takes 20 minutes to open or close. The field also boasts an underground heating system that allows the grass to be green year-round.

Famous Local Foods
Oita faces the Bungo Channel, a place where especially high-quality chub mackerel and horse mackerel can be caught, two types of fish enjoying great popularity recently as part of a gourmet boom. The current in the Bungo Channel is quick, so the fish there are strong, and their meat is delicious. These fresh fish are usually eaten in Oita as either sashimi or tataki (a method of preparing minced fish) and sprinkled with the juice of kabosu (a green citrus fruit).

Famous Sights
At the western edge of town lies Mt. Takasaki National Park, which contains a "republic of monkeys." At present there are about 1,800 monkeys divided into three groups. In order to avoid conflict among the different groups, a the strong group eats first, followed by the other groups.

Oita Prefecture is also famous for its hot springs, having so many that it is often called the "hot-spring kingdom." Beppu City alone has 2,849 springs, the most in the world. Of the 11 types of springs that exist on the planet, 10 of them can be found in Beppu.

Festivals
Every year in June and early July the Firefly Festival is held all over Oita Prefecture. Oita prefecture is overflowing with nature, and it has an abundance of water, so it is a good place for fireflies to breed. All over the prefecture, people gather to watch the swarms of fireflies at night and enjoy concerts and local arts.