Welcome to Taketa
The city of Taketa, in Kyushu’s Oita Prefecture, lies in a valley at the foot of the Sobo and Kuju mountain ranges, to the east of the vast Mt. Aso caldera. It takes just over an hour by train from the city of Oita to reach Bungo-Taketa Station, which is situated at the edge of what was once a prosperous castle town. From Beppu, the trip by rail to Taketa takes about an hour and a half.
The history of Taketa is closely linked with the former site of Oka Castle. A fortress was first built on the site between the Inaba and Ono Rivers in the late 1100s, and a permanent castle was constructed in the 1590s. Towering stone ramparts and gates remain today atop this hill overlooking the city.
The castle town of Taketa was developed from the 1590s to the 1660s, and its layout has remained mostly unchanged since then. Narrow streets lead to historic sites such as Saikoji Temple and Aizendo Hall, which was built in 1635 and is now the oldest wooden structure in Taketa.
Taketa is moving with the times, as exemplified by the renovation of Bungo-Taketa Station to mark its 100th anniversary in 2024. The station’s tourist information center provides guidance in English in addition to rental bicycles, luggage storage, and free wi-fi.