Kitsuki Castle Town
杵築城下町
A castle town with samurai residences on two plateaus and merchant quarters in the valley between. Its 'sandwich castle town' layout and the stone-stepped Suya-no-saka slope are classic kimono photo spots.
Kitsuki was the castle town of the Kitsuki Domain in the Edo period, and its layout is unusual. Samurai residences stand on two plateaus, north and south, while the merchant district lies in the low valley between them. For this reason it is called a 'sandwich-type castle town.' The stone-stepped slopes Suya-no-saka and Shioya-no-saka face each other across the valley, and they are Kitsuki's most iconic scene. You can visit samurai residences such as the Ohara Residence, and the small Kitsuki Castle, a keep rebuilt in 1970 on a hilltop by the sea (about 400 yen). Kitsuki calls itself 'the castle town best suited to kimono,' and visitors in kimono can enter some facilities for free. There are kimono rental shops around town.
Getting there: Take a bus about 10 minutes from JR Kitsuki Station. From Beppu, driving takes about 30 minutes.
Opening hours
District open all day; facilities about 10:00 am–5:00 pm
Nearby sights
- Harmonyland
- Beppu Beach Sand Bath (Kaihin Sunayu)
- Hyotan Onsen
- Beppu Tower
- Umitamago (Oita Marine Palace Aquarium)
- Takegawara Onsen
- Hells of Beppu (Jigoku Meguri)
- Takasakiyama Monkey Park