Oita’s Old Merchant Town, Hita, Japan

“Simone! There’s even more back here! Come look,” Conor yelled from the other room. We were in the Mamedamachi district (豆田町商店街) of Hita City, browsing through what I thought was your average soy sauce shop, when we discovered a secret museum with (literally) thousands of dolls on display.

These hidden gems are part of the charm of Hita’s oldest merchant town; you never know what you might find walking in to one of its many shops, or at the end of its many alleyways and side streets.

Mark and I had finally made the trip up to see our favourite Irishman, which we had been promising ever since Conor was transferred from Miyazaki to Kumamoto, and after spending the night in his new town, Yamaga, we were off exploring in the neighbouring prefecture of Oita.

Located slap bang in the centre of northern Kyushu, Hita is within about a 60 km (37.2 mi) radius from the cities of Fukuoka, Kitakyushu, Oita, Kumamoto and Saga. Because it is connected in all directions via inland roads and sits atop the upper stream of the Chikugo, the largest river in Kyushu, the city has thrived as a major transportation hub since its early days. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).