Nakatsu Station 中津駅

Located on the Nippo Line of JR Kyushu, Nakatsu is a castle town in Oita Prefecture just across the border from Fukuoka Prefecture.

As well as local trains, Nakatsu is served by the Sonic and Nichirin Limited Express trains which run between Hakata Station and Miyazaki. Hakata is one hour and thirty minutes away, and Kokura is just thirty minutes away.

Usa, with the famous Usa Hachimangu and the gateway to the northern Kunisaki Peninsula and Bungo Takada is only fifteen minutes away. Kitsuki, at the southern end of the Kunisaki Peninsula and another castle town and popular tourist destination is thirty minutes away. The famous hot spring resort of Beppu is forty three minutes away, Oita city, fifty minutes, and Miyazaki, four hours.

Nakatsu Station Facilities

In the concourse of the station is a small tourist information booth that can help with directions, hotel bookings and bus timetables etc. It's open from 9am to 5pm with a one hour lunch break.

Outside the south entrance of the station is a much larger Tourist Information Office with much more information and more detailed help. It is open from 8.30am until 5.15pm.

The bus station is also outside the south entrance and from here you can take buses to Komo Shrine as well as the Yabakei Gorge area. Most of the hotels are around the south entrance and the main road a little south has many family restaurants and several fast food outlets.

well as the Yabakei Gorge area. Most of the hotels are around the south entrance and the main road a little south has many family restaurants and several fast food outlets.

The north entrance leads to the old part of town where you will find the reconstructed Nakatsu Castle, temple district, as well as the childhood home of Nakatsu's most famous native son, Fukuzawa Yukichi. Furthermore, just outside the north entrance is a cluster of izakaya and other drinking establishments.

Nakatsu Station (Tel: 0979 22 5361) is barrier free, has coin lockers, a bakery, convenience store and a JR eki car rental office.

Accommodation in Nakatsu

Like most Japanese cities, the area around the main railway station is dotted with a variety of hotels. Many of the major chains are here as is the typical red brick Station Hotel, usually a good budget option. Also at Nakatsu Station is the Toyoko Inn Nakatsu Ekimae, the Hotel Route Inn Nakatsu Ekimae and the Super Hotel Nakatsu Ekimae. There are also numerous ryokan and minshuku in town.

Access - Getting to Nakatsu

Nakatsu is located on the JR Nippo Main Line and can be reached by express train from Kokura in just over 30 minutes and from Hakata Station in 55 minutes. From Hiroshima it is 2 hours to Nakatsu and from Osaka, 3 hours and 15 minutes. The closest airport is Kitakyushu, just over an hour away by train and bus.