Oita | Yufuin Guide

Yufuin is a popular hot spring resort, nestled in the picturesque valley below Mount Yufu.  Yufuin also has many art museums, cafes , shops and boutiques, and many travelers all over the world come to the city just to stroll about town for the day.
It is full of lovely shops selling a variety of things, and many restaurants and cafes with delicious food.

My suggested plan of a day is to walk down from JR Yufuin station to this tourist-area road (main walking route) looking at the shops and restaurants on one side until you reach Kinrinko(lake) at the end of the road, and then look at the shops and restaurants on the other side of the road as you walk back to the station.  Yunotsubo Kaido is a sightseeing pathway that you absolutely must walk.  Over 70 stores  selling craft items, original goods, the sweetshops and restaurants in all are lined up here along both sides of the road.

Yufuin Station

Yufuin Station is a cedar wood “period piece” designed by Arata Isozaki.  The station also contains the town’s tourist information office and a small art gallery.

Foot bath is set behind No. 1 home, and a special towel is attached at bath time.  Tourist information and baggage delivery service are available at the station.

Once you arrive at Yufuin Station, you will see the streets filled with shops and restaurants catering to all your needs. Souvenir shops and specialty goods shops line both sides of the road.  There is no souvenir shop at the station.

Bicycle rental

Tsuji horse carriage

Scarborough reception

Also available:
・ Bicycle rental
・ Tsuji horse carriage
・ Scarborough reception is also available.
You can travel around Yufuin freely in the style that suits you.

Location/8-2, Kawakita, Yufuin-cho, Yufu City, Oita, 879-5114
Art Hall 8:30-19:30
Holiday/None
TEL/0977-84-2021 FAX/0977-84-2072

Yufuin Access

JR trains:
Beppu station
Kyudai line (1hour and 15minutes) from Beppu via Oita.

Hakata station
Limited Express(2hours and 16minutes) from Hakata.

Kokura station
Sonic Limited Express(90 minutes) from Kokura and change to the Kyudai line.
A shopping area main walking route

Shitanyu

There are a few public bath houses, one of which, the Shitanyu, is an old, mixed bathing, open-air, hot spring public bath located by the side of the lake.

Lake Kinrinko

Lake Kinrinko is a noted beauty spot is located at the end of the town’s main walking route.  There is a small shrine located at the lake’s southern end.  It’s about a kilometer and a half from the Yufuin station.  The lake water provides beautiful reflections of the surrounding nature.

There are also a few public bath houses, one of which, the Shitanyu, can be used by tourists, while the others are for use by local residents only.  You can have a Western-style meat and dairy products from the farms up on the Kuju Highland on its shores.

Torii shrine gate on Lake Kinrinko

Stunning autumn leaves display their colors

Kyushu Yufuin Mingei Mura (Folk Craft Village)

The Kyushu Yufuin Mingei Mura displays many folk crafts from the end of the Tokugawa period to the Meiji era.  There are workshops that can see traditional craft such as handwritten Japanese paper are scattered, and indigo dye and pottery can actually be experienced (chargeable).   You can enjoy some Japanese food at the restaurant.

Minami village is also a stop for the sightseeing bus “Scarborough”, which is one of Yufuin’s tourist attractions.

Location/1542-1 Kawakami, Yufuin-machi Yufu City, Oita Prefecture
TEL/0977-85-2288

Do make sure to visit Yufuin if you are in the Oita area for some breathtaking views.