TRAVEL TAKETA

We will be closed for the holidays as below.
Thank you very much for your understanding.
We wish you a wonderful holidays season.

【Holiday Closure Dates】
◆Taketa City Tourist Information Center
◆Kuju Plateau Tourist Information Center
December 29th, 2025 on January 3rd, 2026
Reopen again on January 4th, 2026

◆Nagayu Onsen Tourist Information Center
December 30th, 2025 to January 2nd, 2026
Reopen again on January 3rd, 2026

*Chikuraku in this year has ended.
Thank you for coming.

The 26th Taketa bamboo Lantern ‘Chikuraku’ will be held in Taketa castle town from November 21st to 23rd.
Approximately 20,000 bamboo lanterns that cut down bamboos for environmental conservation, light up in the castle town at night.

◆ Date
21st – 23rd November, 2025

◆ Hours
4:00 pm ~ 9:30 pm (Last day until 9:00 pm)

◆ Dedicated parking lot
Please use the dedicated parking lot below if you come by car.

・Taketa City Hall
・Taketa City General Athletic Park
・Taketa Junior High School (Only available Saturday and Sunday)
Shuttle buses will be operating between JR Bungo Taketa Sta. and each parking lot during the event.

◆ Shuttle bus
Dedicated Parking lot ⇔ JR Bungo Taketa Station

［Available time］4:00 pm ～ 9:30 pm
［Bus fare］round trip
・High school students & older: 500 yen
・Elementary & junior high students: 200 yen

◆Traffic regulations
Traffic restrictions will be in place in the castle town from 3:00 pm (5:00 pm in some areas) to 10:00 pm from the 21st to the 23rd.

◆ JR (train)
During the event, the extra train will run toward Oita Station.
A train departs from Bungo Taketa Station at 9:26 pm heading to Oita Station.

We will inform you the details about the festival on this page as soon as it’s decided.

Go on the Chikuraku page

Go on the Map of Parking lot

Go on the Route Map

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▸Saturday 5th April 2025
Place▸Oka Castle Ruins and around the castle town
Time▸12:30 pm~4:00 pm
Main event
・Daimyo’s procession (feudal lord procession)
　start at 12:30 pm from Oka Castle Ruins
　*be carried out a little rain.

・Samurai warrior parade
　start at 12:40 pm from Oka Castle Ruins
　*be carried out a little rain.

・Martial arts demonstration by a gun corps using matchlocks
　1) Around 12:20 pm at Oka Castle Ruins
　2) Around 3:00 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 little rain.

・Mounted warriors
　*be canceled in case of little rain.
　 Around 3 pm at Honmachi Street

We are looking forward to seeing you in Taketa!

For more details about the explanation of the festival.岡城桜まつりの概要はこちら

English map

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.