Oita Hiking Season at Mount Omoto Shrine

Hello everyone!
We hope the seasonal shifts in the weather have brought new opportunities to get out of the house and explore the outdoors, just as we have been doing here in Japan. While many temporary closures of travel destinations in Japan are still in effect, hiking trails around Oita have remained an uninterrupted outdoor excursion for hikers of all levels.

Alongside Oita’s famed treks, such as the Kunisaki Peninsula pilgrimage route, these lesser-known but equally
worthy hiking trails are scattered throughout Oita’s pastoral countryside. Among these is Mount Omoto in
Usa city. This off-the-beaten-track hiking trail takes approximately two hours to complete — perfect for a day
trip — and will lead you through picturesque farmland communities, past rice fields glistening with freshly
flooded water this time of year, and up through the quiet forest of Mount Omoto.

At the top of the mountain is a wide, stone-paved walkway to Omoto Shrine. This small wooden shrine has close ties to the prestigious Usa Jingu Shrine, which means you might want to follow its Shinto prayer ritual unique to this area: Ring the bell, then clap four times (not the usual two times) before bowing twice. It’s a fitting way to
complete your hike before heading back down towards town.

If you’ve worked up an appetite after your hike, Usa City’s local specialty is the negi-yaki, an Usa-style
okonomiyaki absolutely loaded with green onions. Usa Jingu Shrine serves up this local fare in one of its many
restaurants lining the shrine’s entrance so you can leave with your belly satisfied. After all, you deserve it after
your hike!

As we continue to monitor the reopening of travel destinations throughout Japan, we eagerly await your return
to our hiking trails soon!