Yufuin Onsen [由布院温泉]

Yufuin Onsen is a hot spring resort, and is located about 20 km west of Beppu city.

There are two volcanos between Yufuin and Beppu.
They are two volcanos Mount Tsurumi (1,375 m) and Mount Yufu (1,584 m).

Mount Tsurumi is located just west of Beppu city, and Mount Yufu is on the northeast side of Yufuin Onsen.

Yufuin hot spring has been known since the 7th century with Beppu hot spring.

Until the early 20th century, Yufuin was a part of Beppu hot spring resort.
After that, Yufuin has developed as an independent hot spring resort.

The onsen town is in a narrow basin at the foot of Mount Yufu, and is located at an altitude of 450 to 600 meters.
There are more than 850 hot spring sources in the area.

Yufuin Onsen aimed at a calm hot spring resort unlike Beppu.

This town rejected the resort development with dam construction in the 1950s and the plan of golf course in the 1970s.
And this town learned the plan of spa and health resort from Germany.

As the result, Yufuin Onsen became the great resort town with idyllic atmosphere and without entertaining elements.

Therefore, this resort is popular with the ladies.

More than 100 small hotels, ryokans, minshukus (Japanese-style inns) are dotted within about 2 km from JR Yufuin station.

And many small art galleries are in the town.

To tour around the resort town, you can use renral bicycle, rickshaw for sightseeing, horse-drawn coach, Scarborough (Antique bus), and walking.

There is small Lake Kinrin (金鱗湖) about 1.5 km west of Yufuin station.
It is just at the foot of Mount Yufu.

Clear water and hot water are springing from the bottom.
So the water of the lake is warm.
The lake creates a fantastic sight of water vapor from the surface in winter.

There is a public outdoor bathhouse "Shitan-yu" (下ん湯) by the lake.

This is a mixed bathing bathhouse.
And the open bathtub is near the walking trail of Lake Kinrin.

If you are interested in the bath, please try to bathe in naked.
It is not allowed to wear swimsuit.
The entrance fee is 200 yen.

The area between Lake Kinrin and Yufuin station is the center of Yufuin Onsen town.

A street named Yunotsubo-kaido (湯の坪街道) about 700 meters long runs through the town, and is very popular for visitors.
There are many unique shops, cafes and restaurants around the street.

How to get here

By special limited express "Yufuin-no-mori", "Yufu" of JR Kyudai Line, about 45 minutes from Oita, about 2 hours and 10 to 20 minutes from Hakata.
By local train of JR Kyudai Line, about 1 hour and 15 minutes from Oita.

By route bus, about 55 minutes from Beppu station to Yufuin station.

Other Tourist Attractions in Oita Prefecture

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