人生初、大分県「大分市」へ行ったら想像を超える大都会だった【大分観光】

人生初、大分県「大分市」へ行ったら想像を超える大都会だった【大分観光】

Good morning. I’m here now in Oita City, Oita Prefecture. What you see behind me is Oita Station. Oita City is the capital of Oita Prefecture, with a population of about 470,000. Since the entire prefecture’s population is around 1.08 million, about half of the prefecture’s residents live in this city. This time, I’ll be visiting Oita City and its neighboring city, Bungo-Ono, on a two-day, one-night trip. The first thing I noticed upon arriving at Oita Station was how big the station is. With nearly 500,000 people in the city, it’s no wonder the station is impressive. There’s a tower-like structure on the rooftop of the station building. I heard there’s one of Japan’s largest rooftop gardens up there. In front of the station, tall buildings line the streets, giving the area a modern, urban feel. This is the opposite side of the station. The other side of the station is also bustling. There are commercial facilities around here and a taxi pool. There’s also a large park right in front. Let’s start by exploring the area around the station. In front of the station is an arcade shopping street called “Cent Porta Chuo-cho.” Passing through the arcade street, I came to a very large open space. This is Galleria Takemachi: a historic shopping street with an event square. Its arcade has the largest cross-sectional area in Japan. It’s quite a large dome. In front of Oita Station, there are two arcades: Cent Porta Chuo-cho and Galleria Takemachi, running north to south and intersecting. They form a shape that surrounds Wakakusa Park nearby. That’s Wakakusa Park right behind me. The arcade streets encircle Wakakusa Park. It looks like they’re preparing for the Tanabata Festival now. When you walk through the arcade, you come out onto a national highway. It’s a very wide road. Heading east through the arcade street, you’ll find Oita City Hall on your left. And across the road to the right is the Oita Prefectural Government Office. Behind Oita City Hall, there’s a connection to an annex building. Next to that is the Art Plaza. The building here was designed by the world-renowned architect Arata Isozaki. I’ve introduced him before in my Kitakyushu video, where he was also known for designing the Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art. It features a distinctive design with rectangular blocks jutting out. I really love this kind of rugged design. Let’s head inside right away. What I especially wanted to see is the third-floor exhibition room. There’s a permanent exhibition of buildings designed by Arata Isozaki. I enjoyed my visit to the Art Plaza. It was really nice. The first and second floors are galleries, and the third floor houses the permanent Isozaki exhibition. Despite being free to enter, the exhibits were extensive. I even got to see a model of a Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building that was never realized. This is a castle built during the Edo period, and today, only some stone walls and turrets remain. To enter the castle grounds, you cross this covered corridor bridge. This, too, has been reconstructed. There’s a grey heron resting beneath the corridor bridge. And there are turtles, too. Funai Castle is also selected as one of Japan’s Top 100 Castles. Its magnificent stone walls are still intact. I climbed up onto the stone walls. It’s hot. From here, you can see the corridor bridge and the Art Plaza in the distance. I was surprised when I came to Funai Castle. Part of the castle grounds is used as a parking lot. That’s an unusual use for a castle site. Funai Castle is compact and easy to walk around. It seems they’re carrying out large-scale disaster recovery work. That’s probably why there are construction vehicles parked here. Looking at the mid-term plan, there’s nothing inside the castle grounds right now, but in the future, there will be facilities like pavilions and restaurants. Next, I came to the Funai Gobangai Shopping Street. There’s also a mechanical clock here. This street has stone-paved sidewalks and even the utility poles are buried underground. It’s a beautifully maintained street. With jazz music playing in the background, it feels very stylish. Walking along Funai Gobangai, I came across a red brick building. The exterior of this building looks like Tokyo Station, doesn’t it? In fact, it was designed by Kingo Tatsuno, who also designed Tokyo Station. I’ve mentioned Kingo Tatsuno several times in my videos. I’ve encountered another Tatsuno building. I was excited to go inside, but it turns out they’re closed on Wednesdays. What a shame. Inside, there’s a museum shop where you can buy Oita crafts and souvenirs. I had planned to enjoy a coffee here while appreciating the architecture, but it was a closing day. Still, I was glad I could see the interior. The interior red bricks are preserved just as they were when it was built. At a pop-up store for “Midori,” a famous Oita milk brand, I bought soft-serve ice cream. I also got strawberry milk. And fried bread as well. All three for 550 yen. That’s so cheap. The rich milk flavor is incredibly delicious. This was only 250 yen—unbelievably cheap. Strawberry milk. And here’s the fried bread. The combination of fried bread and strawberry milk is a perfect match. It was really tasty. On a hot day, just having ice cream can bring your energy back. After this, I’ll keep walking and head toward the art museum. Passing through the west side of the arcade street, I connected to a different roofed walkway. I wonder if you can get from the station to the art museum without getting wet in the rain? If so, that’s amazing. I wonder what this facility is. I arrived at Oasis Plaza. I wonder if this road leads to the art museum. It says the art museum is to the right. There’s a covered walkway all the way from the station to the art museum. A covered walkway connects them. Wow. A huge atrium space opens up, and beyond it is the Prefectural Art Museum. This facility is called iichiko Grand Theater. It has a theater, and NHK is right next door. Right in front of me is the Oita Prefectural Art Museum. It’s across the road, but there’s a bridge connecting it. Convenient. That’s wonderful. From the station, the roof is continuous, so you’re protected from the rain, and on a sunny day like this, it blocks the sunlight. That’s really helpful. If you go straight along this street in front of me, you’ll reach Funai Castle we visited earlier and the prefectural and city government offices. Of all the places in Oita City, I especially wanted to visit here. Right now, they’re holding a teamLab exhibition. The concept is “Architecture Open to the City,” and the outer curtain wall can swing wide open. This museum was designed by architect Shigeru Ban. He’s a Pritzker Prize winner, which is often called the Nobel Prize of architecture. Only about ten Japanese architects have won the Pritzker Prize. He’s one of them—truly a great architect. He used to work at Arata Isozaki’s office, the same Isozaki who designed the Art Plaza we visited earlier today. That connection is pretty interesting. The first floor has a large open atrium, and with its glass walls, you can see inside from outside—it feels very open. There are egg-shaped objects by Dutch designer Marcel Wanders placed around, and you can touch and enjoy them. I even spotted Hello Kitty. The second floor has galleries and a restaurant. The restaurant’s interior incorporates paper tubes that have been used as emergency shelters during disasters. On the third floor, there’s a courtyard with an impressive ceiling resembling bamboo craftsmanship. Natural light pours in through the ceiling openings, and as time passes, the light changes its expression, creating a very relaxing space. I really enjoyed visiting the Oita Prefectural Art Museum. They were holding a special teamLab exhibition as well as a Yumeji Takehisa exhibition. Since it’s summer vacation, there were a lot of children around. I don’t usually associate art museums with children, but perhaps because of the concept, there were so many kids. There’s a museum shop at the back, and I bought some cute stickers there. They have a Showa Modern design. I came here to see the architecture, so I didn’t view the exhibitions this time, but just seeing the building itself was very rewarding. So, in the morning, I explored downtown Oita City. Now I’ll rent a car and head toward the outskirts of the city. I came to Kinnabetei, famous for its Oita-style chicken nanban, but it was crowded and there was a wait. I have plans afterward and can’t be late, so even though I came all the way here, I’ll have to pass this time… The smell is amazing and I want to eat it, but I’ll save it for another time. Next, I headed to the easternmost tip of Oita City, Saganoseki. Here’s a map of the Saganoseki area. It’s about an hour’s drive along the coast from downtown Oita, and then further along a narrow mountain road. Up ahead, you can see the JX Metals Sekizaki Mirai Kaiseikan. I went to see a planetarium there. I saw the planetarium I had reserved. It was really good. It was a long, 45-minute program, but instead of just showing visuals, you could listen to a live commentary while watching the stars. It was incredibly enjoyable. The facility is very small, but I’m glad I came. In the second half, I got so relaxed that I dozed off. And the view right in front of me here— —it’s amazing. On the left, you can see the industrial area of Oita City. And spread out before me is the Bungo Channel, between Kyushu and Shikoku. Down below, you can spot a white lighthouse. The island you see ahead is Takashima, and beyond that you can see the land of Ehime Prefecture in Shikoku. Kyushu and Shikoku are actually closer than I thought. The contrast between the green and blue is beautiful. Inside the facility, there’s also an observation room where you can enjoy the view of the Bungo Channel in air-conditioned comfort. Getting here was tougher than expected with the narrow mountain roads, but I’m glad I came. The scenery is just amazing. They have a telescope here, so I’ll try using it. It’s clear and easy to see. Wow, it can zoom in a lot. That’s Sadamisaki in Ehime Prefecture. And that’s Takashima. Oh, it’s already over. That was quick. I really enjoyed visiting the Mirai Kaiseikan. It’s such a great facility. I was surprised that admission is free. Above all, the location is fantastic. Coming here really made me realize how close Kyushu and Shikoku are. Apparently, there’s a ferry between Oita and Ehime, so that would be a nice way to get to Shikoku. I’ve added another place to my list of places to visit. Aside from the beautiful hibiscus flowers, the facility is very well maintained. So I had a really comfortable time here. The exhibition rooms are not just simple displays—they’re well put together. It’s the perfect facility for children to learn during summer vacation. It’s now 5:17 p.m. It’s still a bit early, but I heard there’s a seafood restaurant nearby, so I’m going to have dinner there. It took about 10 minutes by car from Kaiseikan to get here. Right in front of me is a beautiful ocean view. I’ll be having seafood here. Ordering is done via a touch panel. Their specialties are Seki-aji and Seki-saba. This time, I ordered the Seki-saba set meal. The firm, chewy flesh is delicious, and sashimi is definitely the best way to enjoy it. It also comes with “Ryukyu,” a local Oita dish. It’s seasonal fish marinated in a soy sauce with sesame and ginger, which pairs perfectly with white rice. I also ordered a Seki-aji fry as an extra dish. That was delicious too. The portion was small, but the flavor was spot-on. It went perfectly with the tartar sauce. By the way, Seki-saba is in season in winter, and Seki-aji in summer. The Seki-saba sashimi was delicious, but the fat content was light, so maybe I should have gone with the seasonal Seki-aji. Another charm of this place is the view out the window. Just beyond the beach, you can see the uninhabited Tsutajima Island. The calm atmosphere made the food taste even better. It’s such a wonderful location. The meal was delicious. It’s now the perfect time for a beautiful sunset. That’s the Seki Aji-kan we just ate at. It looks like there are rails left over for lowering boats into the sea. I’m not sure if it shows well on camera, but the water here is crystal clear. This place feels so nice, I could stay here forever. The sun is setting, and it’s the magic hour. I can see some people fishing along the shore. It’s very peaceful and relaxing. Since I’ve come all the way to the edge of Oita City, I’ll now head back into the city toward the inn I’ve reserved. With a full stomach and a great view, my satisfaction level is high. While driving, I saw such a beautiful sunset that I had to stop. It’s incredibly beautiful. You can see the factory night view of Oita City, and it’s fantastic. I came to the banks of the Ono River, which runs through Oita City. From here, you can see the factory nightscape beautifully. There’s already a stunning view in front of me. The factory lights are spread out across the scene. This industrial area at Oita Port is called the Oita Kombinat. In fact, Oita City ranks among the top cities in Japan in terms of manufacturing shipment value, and it’s number one in Kyushu. It’s home to large-scale steel, chemical, and oil refining plants, accounting for about half of the prefecture’s total shipment value. The lights glowing at night here are truly the lights that support Oita’s manufacturing. You can see flames burning from the factory gas. It’s absolutely beautiful. This is the dormitory room for four people. But today, there’s no one else staying here, so I have the place to myself. The dormitory has a shower room, but since this is Oita Prefecture, where hot springs are everywhere, I’ll go to a nearby onsen. There’s even a Moai statue. The bath was great. Ice cream after a hot spring is the best. After my bath, I came back to the inn, so it’s time to sleep. Good night. Good morning. It’s the second day in Oita City. The guesthouse I stayed at last night, Kotofugi, was super comfortable. It was only 2,300 yen for the night. It was the cleanest and cheapest guesthouse I’ve ever stayed at. When I stayed last night, there was no one else staying, so I got to talk a lot with the couple who run the place. They were very kind and friendly. I’d love to use this as a base for exploring Oita. Compared to Beppu or Yufu, Oita City may not be a major tourist spot, but there are still plenty of sights to see. The seafood from the Bungo Channel was delicious too. So that’s it for this time. Next time, I’ll be heading from Oita City to Bungo-Ono. Thank you for watching until the end. See you in the next video!

今回は、大分県の県庁所在地「大分市」を観光しました。
私のような県外民からすると、大分のイメージって、たぶん別府とか由布院が強くあると思います。

そんな中で訪れた大分市。ビビりました。大都会じゃん。街が賑わっていて、街なかにゴミ箱が設置されていてキレイだし、アーケード街はめっちゃ大きい。アートも充実している。さらに市内を少し移動すれば、美しい自然もある。めっちゃ良いじゃん、大分市！

動画が良ければチャンネル登録、グッドボタンよろしくお願いします👍

📹️ 大分県の関連動画
別府観光

📍 今回訪れた場所
アートプラザ
https://maps.app.goo.gl/RSXdoxfYWebEBDqJA
府内城址公園
https://maps.app.goo.gl/xLHJKprj2tKe5BwXA
みどり工場直売所POP UP STORE
https://maps.app.goo.gl/4qzKQur2CLJ5fPCa8
大分県立美術館 OPAM
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ui2qw6CtkWoBquJg8
金なべ亭
https://maps.app.goo.gl/hrYKvLEGSCQFP7Li9
JX金属 関崎みらい海星館
https://maps.app.goo.gl/EmqTMM2DUxBqJ39K8
あまべの郷 関あじ関さば館
https://maps.app.goo.gl/WPNbthzXjvFGfqaz8
おおいた温泉物語三川の湯
https://maps.app.goo.gl/9hJE1hVTALnK2PNRA
ゲストハウス 小富士
https://maps.app.goo.gl/xB4RdVGtca1VQKoFA

📸 camera: DJI Osmo Pocket 3
https://amzn.to/41s5fhJ
🎵 music: Artlist
https://artlist.io/referral/c48a3ef8-a079-4f03-82ba-aa274ebf0700