Oita Prefecture is situated at the eastern end of the island of Kyushu, the southernmost of the 10 communities.

With the start of international air service at its airport, the prefecture is quickly developing into a gateway for regional and world-wide exchanges, in particular with the Asian mainland.

The goal of the region is to become a high tech industrial centre while maintaining its traditional local culture.

As an area rich in tourist attractions, the Oita region's main assertion is its source of hot springs.

In fact, Oita can claim that its main hot springs, namely Beppu and Yufuin, are the biggest in Japan and have indeed evolved into well-established spa resorts.

A word that's well known around these spa towns is "Jigoku", which can be translated as "Hell Areas" and represents the forceful heating power of the naturally occurring hot springs.
The many additional cultural treasures these natural wonders create attract millions of visitors every year.

Football is extremely popular in the Oita Prefecture. Many local youth teams have consistently ranked well in national competitions.

Efforts are being made to create a local team that may participate in the now world-renowned Japanese League, and perhaps produce a star good enough to represent Japan in a World Cup contest.

Part of the Oita Prefecture's promotional efforts include inciting Japanese League teams to play selected Japanese League matches and to conduct training camps in the region.

And the 43,000-seat Oita's Big Eye Stadium is the place to be for the World Cup matches.

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