Nobeoka Things To Do: Guide to Nobeoka [2024]

Looking for things to do in Nobeoka, Japan? It’s a city that has over 100,00 people living in it, but one that is rarely visited by tourists. Today it sits as somewhat a remnant of the past, with nostalgic architecture and a distinctly vintage vibe. Read this guide to find out more about Nobeoka.

River running through Nobeoka City

7 min read

• History of Nobeoka

• Getting to Nobeoka

• Our Experience Visiting Nobeoka

• Things to do and see in Nobeoka

History of Nobeoka

Located in the north of Miyazaki Prefecture, Nobeoka first came to major prominence during World War II, where the city was an important military base for explosives in Japan. In 1945, Nobeoka was bombed by the United States, twice. The long lasting effects were felt throughout the city, and almost 40% of Nobeoka was burned down.

Scenes of Nobeoka City

Today, little-known Nobeoka is often overlooked in light of other, more ‘appealing’ places for visitors. Next door neighbour Miyazaki City is well-visited by those looking to relax on the beach, while star destinations like Takachiho Gorge and Beppu draw in visitors from all around the world with their highly marketable and easy-to-sell premises.

Nobeoka, however, is a bit of an enigma. Although easy to get to, there doesn’t appear to be anything obviously worth a visit – nothing that you would go out of your way to visit. In fact, it’s number one attraction on TripAdvisor is an Information office!

Nobeoka, Kyushu

But look beyond the surface a little bit and you’ll actually find a pretty fascinating city with some hidden treasures. If you’re looking for a lowkey destination that’s all yours to explore, this may be it.

Getting to Nobeoka

Nobeoka Station is a train station that you can reach using the Higashikyushu Expressway line. You can reach Nobeoka Station from any major city in Kyushu pretty easily.

JR Kyushu Rail Pass

If you purchase a JR Kyushu Rail Pass, you can use this pass to reach station via the JR Sonic-Nichirin Limited Express Train. Because Nobeoka is not one of the major stations in Kyushu, you cannot purchase a JR Pass in Nobeoka station – you must purchase it from a major station such as Hakata, Nagasaki, Miyazki Airport/City, Beppu or Oita.

Nobeka Arcades

One thing you should note about the JR Passes is that there are different types of passes with different lengths of validity.

• The JR All Kyushu Area Pass lets you take JR trains for free to anywhere on Kyushu Island. The pass can be purchased and valid for either 3 days, 5 days or 7 days.

• The JR Southern Kyushu Area Pass lets you take JR trains for free to anywhere in Southern Kyushu. This means anywhere from Oita and Kumamoto, and south of those cities. The pass can only be valid for 3 days.

• The JR Northern Kyushu Area Pass lets you take JR trains for free to anywhere in Northern Kyushu, but since Nobeoka Station is part of Southern Kyushu, we wouldn’t recommend you buy this pass if you’re looking to visit Nobeoka.

For more information on JR Passes, please visit the official JR website here.

 

Our Experience Visiting Nobeoka 

While we didn’t originally plan to visit Nobeoka, we found ourselves there after trying to plan out a route to Takachiho Gorge.

We visited Nobeoka on the way to Takachiho Gorge

After doing some research, we decided that the best way of getting to the Gorge for our itinerary was to pass through Nobeoka Station and taking a bus from there (if you’re planning to do the same, we suggest that you arrive at Nobeoka Station, go to the information counter and ask for bus times to Takachiho Gorge as they’re always changing, and the information you find online but not be accurate or up to date).

Shops at Nobeoka City

We had a free day to explore the city. We walked around, went shopping, ate at restaurants and café’s and just generally took in the vibe. It was definitely an interesting experience! The streets were almost totally empty. The buildings were older and less modern than the ones I had grown familiar with in cities like Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka. There was definitely something that felt more ‘local’ about Nobeoka than other cities we visited in Kyushu.

In general, it felt like we took a time machine back to the 90s while strolling through the city. But don’t get us wrong – this isn’t a bad thing at all! It was nice to feel nostalgic and just unwind. We really enjoyed the simple vibe of Nobeoka, and it as a refreshing change from the other ‘typical’ Japanese destinations that are now a bit overrun by tourists.

Things to do and see in Nobeoka

There’s not too much to see or do in Nobeoka, but there’ll be plenty to keep you occupied for a day. Here are some of the things we saw, and some other attractions you might want to visit.

Nobeoka Station

Honestly, Nobeoka Station was probably one of the most modern-looking train stations we saw in Kyushu Island (yes, we know this completely goes against what we said earlier about Nobeoka being stuck in the 90s – but there’s an exception to every rule right?).

Nobeoka Station

There’s a Starbucks and convenience store in the station, so it’s a nice place to have some food and refreshments before you take on your day in Nobeoka.

Nobeoka Castle Ruins 

The Nobeoka Castle Ruins in Shiroyama Park are a symbol of Nobeoka Castle, which was built in 1603 which has since been destroyed. Still, you can enjoy the main castle keep and the bell tower at the top of the hill at Shiroyama Park.

Bell Tower at Nobeoka Castle Ruins

Bell Tower at Nobeoka Castle Ruins

Walking around is super, super peaceful. We were the only visitors and took our time with looking at the views at the top of the castle.

Entrance to Nobeoka Castle Ruins

View above Nobeoka Castle Ruins

Kobo Daishi Statue (Imayama Daishi), Imayama Hachimangu Temple on top of Mount Imayama

It might take you a mini-hike to get up Mount Imayama, but once you’re up there, you’ll get to enjoy panoramic views of Nobeoka city, as well as Japan’s tallest statue of Buddhist monk, Kobo Daishi.

Imayama Daishi

Kobo Daishi Statue

In the same area, you can also visit Imayama Hachimangu, Nobeoka’s oldest Buddhist temple, which was built in the year 717.

Imayama Hachimangu

Views on top of Mount Imayama

Kobo Daishi Statue

Atagoyama Lookout

Atagoyama Lookout is an excellent place to see Nobeoka city from up top – it’s known as as a spot where lovers go on dates too.

Atagoyama Lookout – Source: TripAdvisor

Nobeoka’s beaches

Nobeoka’s coastline is little-known, but if you’re looking for a beach day, you’ve got a few options. Sumie Beach is a popular family beach with blue water and green mountains surrounding the bay.

Sumie Beach – Source: TripAdvisor

Sumie Beach – Source: TripAdvisor

Shimo Aso Beach is a beautiful beach that has been selected as the best swimming beach in Kyushu by the Ministry of the Environment. The water here is particularly blue. Kumanoe Beach is another beach – more secluded than the others – that you can visit.

Shimo Aso Beach – Source: TripAdvisor

Hiking in Nobeoka

There are several hikes you can take on in Nobeoka. Keen to see a water fall? Take on Mt Mukabaki, where you can see a waterfall after about 30 minutes of hiking. Go a little further, and you’ll reach the top of Mt Mukabaki after about 1.5 hours. The entire hike should take around 4 hours.

Mt Mukabaki – Source: TripAdvisor

Mukabaki Falls – Source: TripAdvisor

Mukabaki Falls – Source: TripAdvisor

Mt. Okue is another hike you can embark on when you’re in the city – this hike features towering boulders and formations similar to South Korea’s Seoraksan National Park or Bukhansan National Park. Mt Okue is especially pretty to visit in the winter.

Mt Okue – Source: TripAdvisor

Just walk around

The best thing to do in Nobeoka is to just walk around. Take in the buildings, the roads, the locals, the views, the shops – everything that adds to the vibe of the city. Just keep walking and exploring – this is what we enjoyed most about Nobeoka City.

Walking around Nobeoka City is the best thing you can do

Should I visit Nobeoka?

While we wouldn’t say it’s a must-see, we would definitely recommend visiting if it’s going to be on the way to another place like Beppu or Takachiho Gorge.

Umi Jigoku, Beppu

We highly enjoyed our day exploring little-talked about Nobeoka, and came back with some experiences that not too many people have. It’s pretty cool going to a highly visited country like Japan and visiting a place that very little people have been to.

Have you ever visited Nobeoka city? What did you think of it? Let us know in the comments below!

Visiting Kyushu Island? Click here and check out our awesome 10-day itinerary of the island and see what’s in store for you!  

Visiting Beppu? Click here to read our review and guide on the 7 Hells of Beppu!