Oita City (大分市) is the capital city of Oita Prefecture located on the island of Kyushu, Japan.
  Oita is the most populous city in Oita Prefecture.  As of March 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 471,240 and a population density of 940 persons per sq. km.  The total area of the city, after the merger with Notsuharu Town (野津原町) and Saganoseki Town (佐賀関町) on January 1, 2005, is 501.28 sq. km.  The city is bordered by Beppu City (別府市) to the northwest, Yufu City (由布市) to the west, Taketa City (竹田市) to the southwest, Bungo-Ono City (豊後大野市) to the south, and Usuki City (臼杵市) to the southeast.  The north of the city faces the Seto Inland Sea (瀬戸内海).  The Oita area is historically known as Fu'nai (府内), the capital of Bungo (豊後).
  During the Sengoku Period (the Turbulent Age, 15th - 16th century), the powerful Otomo clan (大友氏) based in Funai and the area prospered as a key port of trade with Portugal and Ming Dynasty China (明国).  Sorin Otomo (大友宗麟), a famous Christian Daimyo, first introduced western culture.  It was in Funai that the first western style hospital was built and the first Japanese choir was formed.  
  During the 1960s and 1970s, an industrial region was formed along the Beppu Gulf coast.  Among the plants in the region were flagship plants of Nippon Steel and Showa Denko.  The blast furnaces of Nippon Steel Oita Plant (新日本製鐵株式會社 大分工場) are one of the biggest blast furnaces in the world.  In the 1970s, Toshiba and Canon built and expanded their plants in inland area.  By then, the city emerged as a major production center of electronics products such as LSIs and digital cameras.  
  The downtown and shopping districts are located to the north of Oita Station.  Recently, however, the area has been gradually declining in power, because the main commercial areas have been dispersed due to the construction of big shopping malls in the suburbs.  (Referred to the site of "Wikipedia.")

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JR Oita Station

JR Oita Station (JR大分駅)

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(Tuesday 23 March) JR Oita Station

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(Tuesday 23 March) Map of Oita City in front of JR Oita Station

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(Tuesday 23 March) Statue of [Yoshishige] Sorin Otomo (大友宗麟 [義鎮], 1530-1587) in front of JR Oita Station. He once ruled six provinces of the Nine of Kyushu (九州: lit. the Nine Provinces), basing here in Funai (府内), Bungo (豊後). Later he embraced the Christian faith and carried on commerce with Portugal and Spain. Thanks to his endeavors, Bungo became a rich country.

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(Tuesday 23 March) Statue of [Yoshishige] Sorin Otomo (大友宗麟 [義鎮], 1530-1587) in front of JR Oita Station: Take a closer look at the a crucifix worn upon his breast.

Yuho-koen

Yuho-koen Boulevard (遊歩公園; lit. "Boulevard") is a boulevard leading to Funai-jo Castle Site Park (府内城跡城址公園) between Sangyo-dori Street (産業通り) and Showa-dori Street (昭和通り) in central Oita City. The walk is full of sculptures and reliefs related to the local history.

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(Tuesday 23 March) Plaque of Yuho-koen Boulevard (遊歩公園; lit. "Boulevard"), Oita City

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(Tuesday 23 March) "Monument of the Foundling Asylum and Milk" (「育児院と牛乳の記念碑」), Yuho-koen Boulevard, Oita City. This relief is dedicated to Luis d'Almeid (1525?-1583), a Jesuit missionary from Portugal.

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(Tuesday 23 March) "Monument of the Birthplace of Western Plays Performed by Japanese" (西洋劇発祥記念碑), Yuho-koen Boulevard, Oita City. On Christmas in 1560 (永禄3年), 9 years after the introduction of Christianity to Japan, some Christian plays including "The Fall of Adam and the hope of the Atonement" (「アダムの堕落と贖罪の希望」) and "The Two Women Who Wished the Trial of Solomon" (「ソロモンの裁判を願った二人の婦人」) were performed at Funai Church by the Japanese believers. it was the first occasion of performing Western plays in Japan. Since then Christian plays had been performed at Funai Church until the ban issued by Hideyoshi Toyotomi in 1596.

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(Tuesday 23 March) Statue of Rentaro Taki (滝廉太郎, 1879-1903), composer and pianist born in Takeda, Oita (大分県武田). He died here in 1903. Yuho-koen Boulevard, Oita City.

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(Tuesday 23 March) "Monument of the Introduction of Western Medicine" (西洋医術発祥記念碑), Yuho-koen Boulevard, Oita City. Luis d'Almeid (1525?-1583), a Jesuit missionary from Portugal, opened the first Western hospital to save people in Bungo (now Oita).

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(Tuesday 23 March) Sculpture ttitled "Ken-chan" (「健ちゃん」1917) by Seibo Kitamura (北村西望, 1884-1987), Yuho-koen Boulevard, Oita City. Born in Nagasaki, his works include the famous "Peace Statue" (平和祈念像), Peace Park, Nagasaki City.

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(Tuesday 23 March) Sculpture titled "Shadows of Green" (「みどりのかげ」1950) by Fumio Asakura (朝倉文夫, born in Oita, 1883-1964), Yuho-koen Boulevard, Oita City

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(Tuesday 23 March) Equestrian statue of Mansho don Ito (伊東ドン満所, 1570?-1612), Yuho-koen Boulevard, Oita City. Born as a son of Sorin Otomo (大友宗麟)'s niece, Mansho joined "the Tensho Ken-o Shonen-shisetsu" (Boys' Envoys to Europe during the Tensho Era [天正遣欧少年使節, 1582-1590]) supported by three Christian lords of Kyushu: Yoshishige Otomo (大友義鎮), Sumitada Omura (大村純忠) and Harunobu Arima (有馬晴信) and the Italian Jesuit priest Alessandro Valignano.

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(Tuesday 23 March) Equestrian statue of Mansho don Ito (伊東ドン満所, 1570?-1612), Yuho-koen Boulevard, Oita City

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(Tuesday 23 March) A southern view of Yuho-koen (遊歩公園; lit. "Boulevard") from Funai-jo Castle Site Park (府内城跡城址公園)

Statue of Francis Xavier, Oita City

Ote Park (Ote-koen; 大手公園), Oita City is located between Showa-dori Street (昭和通り) and Yuho-koen (遊歩公園; lit. "Boulevard") or Oita Prefectural Office (大分県庁). Here a statue of Saint Francis Xavier stands. For further information of St. Francis Xavier [Francisco Javier, 1506-1552], 1. go to the "Juan Goto and Crypto-Christians" page. 2. go to the "Sakai City" page. 3. go to the "Shimonoseki City" page. 4. go to the "Yamaguchi City" page. 5. go to the "Hioki City" page. 6. go to the "Kagoshima City" page. 7. go to the "Nagasaki City" page.

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(Tuesday 23 March) Statue of Francis Xavier [Francisco Javier, 1506-1552], 'Apostle of the Indies,' Ote Park, Oita City. Xavier was a Spanish Jesuit missionary. As a cofounder of the Jesuit order (1534) with Ignatius of Loyola, he established missionaries in Japan, Ceylon, and the East Indies. Later he became the guardian saint of many Asian countries including Japan and China.

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(Tuesday 23 March) Statue of Francis Xavier [Francisco Javier, 1506-1552], 'Apostle of the Indies,' Ote Park, Oita City

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(Tuesday 23 March) Statue of Francis Xavier [Francisco Javier, 1506-1552], 'Apostle of the Indies,' Ote Park, Oita City

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(Tuesday 23 March) Statue of Francis Xavier [Francisco Javier, 1506-1552], 'Apostle of the Indies,' Ote Park, Oita City

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(Tuesday 23 March) Statue of Francis Xavier [Francisco Javier, 1506-1552], 'Apostle of the Indies,' Ote Park, Oita City

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(Tuesday 23 March) Statue of Francis Xavier [Francisco Javier, 1506-1552], 'Apostle of the Indies,' Ote Park, Oita City

Funai-jo Castle Site Park

Funai-jo Castle Site Park (府内城跡城址公園) was formerly occupied by the Otomo clan known as the Christian lords in the late sixteenth century.

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(Tuesday 23 March) Funai-jo Castle Site Park along Showa-dori Street (昭和通り), Oita City

Bungo-chaya

Oita Branch (大分店) of Bungo-chaya (豊後茶屋) restaurant group, JR Oita Station

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(Tuesday 23 March) Oita Branch of Bungo-chaya, JR Oita Station

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(Tuesday 23 March) My lunch (Dango-jiru Teishoku [だんご汁定食], 780 yen), Oita Branch of Bungo-chaya, JR Oita Station

        

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