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HOME > Japan’s Local Treasures > Toyonokuni Millennium Heritage Journey
Discover 1,000 years of history in this diverse region in north-east Kyushu
Toyonokuni Millennium Heritage Tourism Zone
Toyonokuni Millennium Heritage Tourism Zone is a place where you can immerse yourself in a completely unknown Japan. Comprising eight coastal municipalities in the north of Oita, Kyushu, the area has a pleasant, seaside climate and many facets.
Travel from the steep, volcanic terrain of the Kunisaki Peninsula – which is swathed in oak forests, rice paddies and irrigation ponds – to the urban bustle of the famous onsen resort of Beppu – a town with more hot springs than anywhere else in the world.
The region is home to many ancient religious practices – the most important being the fusion of Buddhism and Shintoism known as shinbutsu shūgō, which was Japan’s only organised religion until the Meiji period (1868-1912). The practice of shinbutsu shūgō spread from Usa-Jingu, an important old shrine in the heart of a sacred forest on the Kunisaki Peninsula, and its legacy can still be seen and felt in the local culture and traditions.
Being adjacent to the Seto Inland Sea, Toyonokuni Millennium Heritage Tourism Zone is a great destination for seafood. Be sure to try the Nakatsu conger pike, the tiger prawns from Hime-shima and the Shiroshita flounder from Hiji, an old castle town. Oita’s fried chicken is also famous Japan-wide, while in Beppu you can have your meal cooked using steam from the hot springs.
If you are looking for a truly undiscovered part of Japan, head to Toyonokuni Millennium Heritage Tourism Zone and unravel its surprising history, landscape and culture.
How to get there
Toyonokuni Millennium Heritage Tourism Zone is 60 minutes by bus from Oita Airport. From Beppu City you take take one-day sightseeing buses to explore the Toyonokuni Millennium Heritage Tourism Zone. Choose from the Kunisaki archaeotourism route or the magnificent sceneries of Yabakei course. For more information see https://www.millennium-roman.jp/english/.
