VOLUME 44
OITA
Beppu Onsen Hells, Yufuin Hot Springs & Usuki Stone Buddhas
Oita discharges more thermal water than any other prefecture in Japan, and counts more individual hot-spring sources than any other besides. The numbers belong to Beppu in particular, a small coastal city where some 2,000 vents push steam up through paving stones, rooftop pipes, gutters, and the gaps between tiled walls, so that on a cold morning the whole basin looks like a kettle just lifted off the heat. Within a 200-metre radius at the edge of town, the five hells of Jigoku Meguri hold five different mineral compositions: the cobalt of Umi-Jigoku, the iron-red of Chi-no-Ike, the grey clay domes at Oniishibozu, the geyser at Tatsumaki, the red-painted demon at Kamado. South of all this steam, on a sandstone cliff at Usuki, sixty-one stone Buddhas have sat in carved alcoves since the late Heian period, their features softened by nine hundred years of moss and weather. Inland, the twin saddle of Mt. Yufu rises above Kinrinko, and further south the highlands of Kuju open onto wide plains of pampas grass. Forty pages here. A kabosu citrus split above grilled fish. The tobikanna chatter-mark of an Onta-yaki bowl. A bamboo basket from Beppu, hexagons fine as thread. Steam, and then stone.
“Steam first. Then stone. Then the long road inland.”
- 40 original Oita Prefecture illustrations
- Single-sided pages to prevent bleed-through
- 8.5 x 8.5 inch square format
- A mix of detailed and breathable compositions
- Brief editorial introduction to Oita
- Anyone with an interest in Japan, its hot springs, and its onsen culture
- Adults who use coloring for relaxation and quiet focus
- A considered gift for friends and family with a love of Japan
The Oita coloring book is Volume 44 of Sora Mikami's Prefectures of Japan series, a 47-volume collection that explores Japan one prefecture at a time. It gathers 40 original black-line illustrations of Oita. It draws on Beppu Onsen Hells, Yufuin Hot Springs, and Usuki Stone Buddhas, alongside the everyday scenes Oita considers its own.
You will find Beppu Onsen Hells, Yufuin Hot Springs, and Usuki Stone Buddhas, together with the landmarks, food, and quiet corners that give Oita its character. The compositions move between detailed, intricate pages and calmer, more breathable ones, so there is something for every mood.
Yes. The book mixes detailed illustrations with more open, breathable designs, so beginners and experienced colorists alike can settle in. The large 8.5 x 8.5 inch square pages give you plenty of room to work, and every page is printed single-sided.
Colored pencils, markers, and gel pens all work beautifully. Because every illustration is printed single-sided on white paper, you can use heavier media without bleed-through onto another design. Slip a sheet of card behind the page if you want to be sure.
It is Volume 44 of a planned 47, one book for every Japanese prefecture. The volumes can be coloured in any order, and together they sketch the whole country one place at a time. Oita sits in the Kyushu & Okinawa region of Japan.
