Falk Tales of Old
Here are some folk tales from Oita which were translated by Richard Simpson and Kimiko Wakamatsu, and which were on "Tombo Times", an Oita English newsletter.
Hime-daruma (January 1990)
This is a story about the origin of the dolls produced in the city of Taketa, which are called "Hime-daruma."
Uryujima and Ebisu-sama (March 1990)
This story tells of a beautiful island called Uryujima which used to lie in Beppu Bay. About 400 years ago the entire island sank beneath the sea after a devastating earthquake.
Manano-choja (December 1991-March 1992)
This story is a tradition in Mie-machi, Oita Prefecture, and shows the origins of Uchiyama Kannon in Mie-machi and the Usuki Stone Buddhas.
The Greedy Priest(March 1991)
This story is about one of the famous hot spring “hells” of Beppu, Bozu Jigoku (Bozu Hell). Bozu means priest. The large mud bubbles in this hot spring are a unique phenomenon, and remind one of the Buddhist priests’ shaven heads. This is often said to be the origin of the name. However, this story gives a different account.
Articles from "Oita This Month"
"Oita This Month" was a monthly English newsletter which was published between April 1985 and September 1988. Here are some of its articles, which are readable today.
Tourists Spots of Beppu "Jigoku" (January 1987)
"How about a 'Hell' Tour?
Why is Beppu Beppu? (June 1988)
Let's play a guessing game. What do you think is the original meaning of Beppu? Choose one of the following four. (1) Hot spring (2) Gentle slope (3) Separate office or the seat of a branch office of the provincial government (4) Land adjacent to an established manor.
Footsore but Not Eyesore (April 1988)
Basically there are two kinds of tourists, those who take it easy and those who don’t. This article is for the latter, for people who want to see a place by walking, jogging or running long distance around it.
The Mountains of Oita (July 1988)
For the mountain walker, no other prefecture in Kyushu has such a fine variety of mountains as Oita. The major ones are all accessible by car within one or two hours from Oita City and do not exceed 1800 metres in height, so they provide relatively easy day-trips.