A weekend in Oita: If the city’s not enough, head to the country
Nestled along the east coast of Kyushu, the city of Oita is home to almost half a million people, making it by far the largest urban center in Oita Prefecture. However, aside from the prefectural art museum, there is little that is unique about ...
'Super volunteer' Haruo Obata, who found missing 2-year-old, honored by hometown Hiji
Haruo Obata, who has been called a "super volunteer" after finding a missing two-year-old boy last month, was honored Monday by his hometown of Hiji, Oita Prefecture, for his actions and spirit of volunteerism. Police had yet to find any clue as to the whereabouts ...
The deafening report of war is such that the cries of its victims are often hard to hear, even decades later. Japanese Reflections on World War II and the American Occupation, by Edgar A. Porter and Ran Ying Porter.256 pages AMSTERDAM UNIVERSITY PRESS, Nonfiction. This is why ...
Off to the races: The Super GT at Oita's Autopolis course
Drive an hour south of Fukuoka and take a right at the city of Hita and you'll find yourself skirting the edge of Lake Bairin. Mountains rise up from the water's edge, the slopes crowded with cedars, and the road alternates between dense forest and ...
Soaking weary bones and saving a sole on Kyushu's Mount Yufu
It's a rare day that the top of Oita Prefecture's Mount Yufu (or Yufudake) isn't obscured by clouds, claims Lonely Planet's "Hiking in Japan" guidebook. Luckily, our visit happens to coincide with one of those rare days — there is nothing but an unbroken ...
Kitsuki's double visions of delight
The guesthouse I was staying at in Kitsuki was named after the owner, a tough but warm-hearted example of Kyushu womanhood, someone who had learnt to stand her own ground on an island known for its almost theatrical levels of machismo.
A visit to Usa, the Japanese city that knows how to win
It is the time of the year when many people get nervous about winning and losing. Students are cramming hard to pass entrance exams to get into the high schools and colleges of their dreams.
