5 Famous Foods You’ll Find in Oita

Best known for its bubbling onsen towns like Beppu and Yufuin, Oita Prefecture also serves up some seriously memorable meals. With fertile farmland, access to the rich Bungo Channel and deep-rooted food traditions, this coastal corner of Kyushu blends land and sea in every bite. Here are five famous foods in Oita you can’t leave without trying.

1. Toriten (Chicken Tempura)

Photo by: PIXTA/ ささざわ

Toriten is deep-fried chicken marinated in soy sauce and garlic. Unlike karaage, the batter is thinner and crispier, with more tempura than fried chicken. Dip it in mustard-soy and eat it with a side of shredded cabbage. You’ll find it everywhere, from izakayas and lunch sets to school cafeterias and bento boxes.

2. Bungo Beef (Oita Wagyu)

Photo by: PIXTA/ gobu

Raised in Oita’s lush rural landscapes, Bungo-gyu is a premium wagyu brand prized for its marbling and melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. It’s often grilled as yakiniku, served in steak form, or featured in shabu-shabu courses at upscale ryokan (traditional Japanese Inns). Though Bungo Beef is less known than Kobe beef, locals will proudly tell you Bungo Beef is every bit as good. 

3. Beppu Reimen (Cold Noodles)

Photo by: PIXTA/ Photo_N

A specialty of Beppu, reimen (cold noodles) is a refreshing dish especially popular in summer. Inspired by Korean cold noodles, Oita’s version features chewy wheat noodles in a tangy, icy beef or chicken broth. Beppu’s reimen shops are especially famous in Japan, with many of them run by Korean-Japanese families who’ve been perfecting the recipe for generations.

4. Dango-jiru (Dumpling Soup)

Photo by: PIXTA/ hiroko

Dango-jiru is a traditional countryside dish made with flat, chewy wheat flour dumplings in miso or soy-based broth alongside root vegetables like carrots, daikon and burdock. It’s warming, filling and a favorite comfort food in many Oita households, especially in colder months. The handmade dumplings are thicker and more rustic than udon noodles, giving the dish a satisfying, hearty texture.

5. Sekiaji and Sekisaba (Premium Mackerel)

Photo by: PIXTA/ omizu

Sekiaji (horse mackerel) and sekisaba (mackerel) are top-tier sashimi-grade fish. These fish are so popular that they’re sold under strict branding and certification. You’ll often find them served raw as sashimi, lightly seared, or in sushi at Beppu and Oita City’s top seafood restaurants.

Hungry for more? Explore our Famous Foods in Japan series to discover what’s cooking across the country.