Oita

Oita exists on Japan's geothermal hotspot. Beppu, the prefecture's hot spring capital, produces more hot water than any city in Japan—and ranks second globally after Yellowstone. Eight distinct hot spring areas offer different mineral compositions; tourists have bathed here since the 8th century. The "hells" (jigoku) of boiling, colored pools are more spectacle than spa.

Beyond Beppu, Oita has reinvented itself through targeted industrial recruitment. The "One Village, One Product" (OVOP) movement, which spread globally as a development model, originated here in 1979. Each village was encouraged to develop one specialty product—from shiitake mushrooms to citrus—creating diverse local economies rather than depending on single industries.

The electronics industry clusters here too, recruited through prefectural incentives. Toshiba, Sony, and Canon operate facilities. By 2026, Oita's combination of geothermal tourism, OVOP local products, and electronics manufacturing offers a model for rural diversification—though population decline still threatens. The hot springs that drew visitors for 1,200 years may fund the transition to whatever comes next.