Oita city itself is a workmanlike port and prefectural capital, not a destination in the way Beppu or Yufuin are. But the city centre rewards a half-day wander: the reconstructed walls of Funai Castle, the striking modern art museum, and the lively shopping arcades around Oita Station are all within walking distance of each other. For most travellers Oita is also the gateway to the rest of the prefecture's hot springs, temples, and the strange stone Buddhas of Kunisaki.