Oita has a mild, humid climate. Spring (late March to early May) is the best season — cherry blossoms bloom in Funai Castle Park in early April, the air is dry, and the surrounding hills come into bright green leaf. Autumn (October–November) is similarly pleasant with crisp days and red maples in the Yufuin valley.
Summer is hot and humid; July and August bring the rainy season and occasional typhoons off the Pacific. Winter is cool but rarely freezing on the coast, and the onsen towns in the prefecture — Beppu and Yufuin in particular — are at their most atmospheric when steam billows into cold air.