Obi Castle Town

In Tensho 16 (1588), Toyotomi Hideyoshi granted the castle to Ito Sukebei for his efforts to alleviate Kyushu. It was maintained and flourished as a castle town for the Obi clan, Ito family, with a population of 51,000 koku for 280 years until the abolition of the domain in 1588. The ruins of Obi Castle, samurai residences, old storehouses, and other structures remain. The area was the first in Kyushu to be designated as a Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.

Obi Castle's Ote-mon Gate was reconstructed in Showa 53(1978), and there is also the Obi Castle History Museum, where visitors can learn about the history of the Ito family and the Yoshokan, the residence where the Ito family lived.

Obi was the birthplace of Jutaro Komura, a diplomat who made many achievements during the Meiji period. The Komura Memorial Hall, where materials related to Komura Jutaro are on display, and the birthplace of Jutaro Komura are also worth visiting. Admission to these places is charged, and a combo ticket is available for purchase.

Obi is famous for its unique omelets called "thickly fried eggs" and "Obi tempura," similar to satsuma-age. A paid walking map called the "Ayumi-chan Map" can be exchanged for delicious local food and products. The Merchant House Museum, built using Obi cedar, and the Merchant Street, with its rows of merchant houses that still bear the look of the olden days, is also worth a visit.