Safe location and facilities for women Female-friendly overnight car parking lot
A parking lot exclusively for RVs and EVs, located in the center of town where you can see Mt. Yufudake in front of you. It is equipped with safe and optimal conditions for both sightseeing and overnight stay in a car. Located along the Shirataki River, the parking lot offers firefly-watching during firefly season, 24-hour access to men's and women's restrooms, and men's and women's indoor washrooms with locks, so women can use them without worry. There are also coin-operated showers (closed in January and February). There is a supermarket (Max Value) a 2-minute walk away and Yufuin Onsenkan a 3-minute walk away, so there are no inconveniences.
Winter lake surface smoky with morning mist Mysterious torii gate
Lake Kinrin is one of Yufuin's most popular spots. Although the word "lake" is used, it is actually a pond with a circumference of about 400 m. It used to be called "Gakunshita-no-ike (a pond under Mt. Yufu). It was called "Kinrin-ko" (Lake Kinrin) in 1884 (Meiji 17). The Confucian scholar Mouri Kuusou named the lake after the scales of the fish in the lake, which he saw shining in the setting sun. What made Kinrin Lake famous was the morning mist peculiar to the basin that can be seen from late fall to early winter morning. The water volume is abundant and the water temperature is slightly high due to the spring water that comes from the bottom of the water and the spring and hot spring water that flows in from the surrounding area. This is why steam rises from the surface of the lake early in the cold winter mornings, creating a smoky scene with the morning mist. One thing to note about Lake Kinrin is the old torii gate on the east side of the lake. The small torii gate floating on the surface of the lake used to stand at Futsan-ji Temple, but in 1868 (the first year of the Meiji era), the Shinto/Buddhist syncretism was prohibited and the gate was moved to Tenzo-jinja Shrine. The Tenzo Shrine has a legend of a dragon god, and both the torii and the gateway give Kinrin-ko a mysterious atmosphere.
address (e.g. of house)
1561-1 Kawakami, Yufuin-cho, Yufu City, Oita Prefecture
Thatched private house style public bathhouse Challenge to a traditional mixed bathing?
There is a public bathhouse "Shimonyu" by the lakeside of Lake Kinrin. A small building with a thatched roof is the entrance, and a 200-yen fee is placed in a box next to the entrance. There is no changing area, but rather a changing rack on the wall of the bathroom. There is one indoor bath and one half-open-air bath. In fact, this is a traditional mixed bath. These baths were used before Yufuin became a tourist destination, and are used by local residents. Even women are strictly prohibited from bathing in the baths without towels! Moreover, many tourists come and go. It takes a lot of courage. The hot water is a light, simple spring with a source temperature of nearly 70 degrees Celsius. Of course, it is watered, but the water is quite hot. The half-open-air bath is warmer. Kinrin-ko and Mt. Yubu can be seen from the open-air baths, and the original atmosphere is enjoyable, but beware that the opposite is also true, and they can be seen from Kinrin-ko and the promenade.
The sound of hoof beats and the sound of a street carriage goes through the countryside.
The sightseeing horse-drawn carriage departing from JR Yufuin Station is another specialty, and has been entertaining visitors to Yufuin for nearly half a century since 1975. Every year between March and December, the tour takes 60 minutes from Yufuin Station to the Yufuin countryside. There are currently four horses pulling the carriage, including a veteran horseman who has been doing this for more than 20 years. Along the way, the driver provides a tour guide of history, places of interest, ryokan (traditional Japanese inns), souvenirs, and more. Reservations can only be made on the day of the tour at the Yufu Tourist Information Center. 10 passengers are allowed per tour, and there are only about 10 tours a day, so reservations can fill up quickly during the holiday season. The tour may be cancelled due to the horses' health condition.
address (e.g. of house)
8-5 Kawakita, Yufuin-cho, Yufu City, Oita Prefecture, next to JR Yufuin Station
A stone-paved slope wet in the rain adds a Japanese touch to this hot-spring village.
Yudaira Onsen along the Hanagono River began in the Kamakura period (1185-1333) and became a hot spring resort in the late Edo period (1603-1868). From the Taisho era (1912-1926) to the early Showa era (1926-1989), it became the second most popular hot spring resort after Beppu. It was during this period that the wandering haiku poet Taneda Yamatoka visited the area and composed the poem "Shigu (Shigure) guruya (I weep for the mercy of others). The hot water of Yuhira has long been believed to be effective against gastrointestinal diseases, and the area was crowded with visitors. The name "Yufuin" was created when "Yufuin-mura" and "Yufuin-cho" were merged in 1955. Although the area has since been overtaken by Yufuin Hot Spring and other hot spring resorts, and has lost some of its former liveliness, people can still be seen carrying kettles to the hot spring water pumping station. In addition, inns stand across the narrow stone-paved slope, and the stone pavement has become an elegant symbol of the area. The cobblestones were built about 300 years ago during the Edo period (1603-1867), and on a day after the rain, the cobblestones offer a serene and emotional view. Although the area was severely damaged by the torrential rains of July 2020 and the typhoon of September 2022, 19 ryokan are still in operation. 5 public bathhouses have been closed for the time being due to the disaster and the corona.
address (e.g. of house)
356-1 Yudaira, Yufuin-cho, Yufu City, Oita Prefecture
A stopover course for a drive with a view of the town of Yufuin
Prefectural Route 11 from downtown Yufuin to Beppu is one of the best driving courses in Kyushu. The course runs from Yufudake to Tsurumidake, and soon after passing through Yufuin city center, you will come to "Nagiridai". Yufudake at an elevation of about 680 meters, and offers a panoramic view of the Yufuin cityscape. The surrounding mountain scenery changes with the seasons, and the morning mist that forms early in the morning from fall to winter can be seen enveloping the Yufu Basin. There is also a store and restrooms, making it a good resting spot.
The nation's top highly acidic hot spring that has been bubbling since the Heian period (794-1192)
Tsukahara Onsen is a highly acidic hot spring famous among hot spring enthusiasts. It is located at the end of a mountain road up Mt. Kyan-dake after getting off at the Yubudake smart interchange. Its iron content (456 mg) is the highest in Japan, more than 40 times the standard of the Onsen Law, and its acidity is the second highest in Japan, as is its aluminum ion content. It is also one of the three most medicinal hot springs in Japan. The history of this hot spring dates back to the Heian period (794-1185), when Minamoto no Tamecho found a wounded deer taking a bath in the hot spring while hunting in the mountains. The hot spring pavilion, "Hiaguchino-sen," has indoor and outdoor baths, and soap and other products cannot be used due to the quality of the spring water. Visitors can experience the benefits of the hot spring by taking a long soak. Steamed eggs, which are soaked in hot spring water after being steamed for 20 hours in the fumaroles of Mt. Also, after paying a fee to visit the crater at the reception desk and walking for about 5 minutes along a rather steep mountain path, you will come to a jigoku (crater) with fumaroles rising out of it. It is a power spot overflowing with the energy of the earth. In front of the crater plaza, the magnificent Tsukahara Plateau and Mt. Yufudake can be seen, and the contrast between the bleak landscape of the crater and the natural beauty is also interesting.
address (e.g. of house)
1235 Tsukahara, Yufuin-cho, Yufu City, Oita Prefecture
Indoor bath/Junior high school student or older: 500 yen, 1 year old or older: 200 yen, Outdoor bath/Junior high school student or older: 600 yen, 1 year old or older: 200 yen Other family baths are available. Crater tour: Adults 200 yen, children 100 yen
Business Hours
September-June/9:00-18:00 (last admission 17:00), July and August/9:00-19:00 (last admission 18:00)
regular closing day
Depends on weather conditions such as year-end and New Year holidays, typhoons, snowfall, etc.
If it's natural beauty that you're looking for, this place can't be beat. Take an ultralight boat to the mysterious depths of the island!
Yubugawa River, which flows between Mt. Yubu and Mt. Yubu River over a long period of time eroded the Yubugawa Pumice Formation, a volcanic stratum that erupted about 600,000 years ago from the Amagadake area. The upper part is a layer of volcanic ash that was deposited by the great eruption of Tsurumidake 1,700 years ago. The V-shaped gorge, ranging from 15m to 60m high, stretches for about 12km, and the rock surface with more than 40 waterfalls cascading down like threads is truly a work of art created by nature. In March 2021, the "New Saruwatari Entrance" will be completed, and a new stairway will lead down to the water's edge. The locals organize "packraft tours" by reservation only, paddling down the mountain stream in lightweight boats of Alaskan origin to "mysterious waterfalls" in the backcountry of the mountain stream. This is a valuable experience, as it takes you deep into the mountain where people usually cannot enter. However, participants should be confident in their physical strength. Hot springs and home-cooked meals by local mothers are included. For inquiries about the "Packraft Tour," please contact Yuhuism at 097-529-7523.
address (e.g. of house)
14-2, Parkki, Hasama-cho, Yufu City, Oita Prefecture
Fresh water also overflows in hot spring areas. Nature's blessings brought by the earth.
Oike Spring Group is located at the foot of Mt. Kurodake, near the border with Kuju Town, in the direction of Kuju from Yufu City. Oike springs are the headwaters of the Aso River, and water filtered over a long period of time by Kurodake gushes out. The water gushes out at an average rate of 14 tons per minute, or approximately 20,000 tons per day, making it a rich source of water. The water is calcium bicarbonate type, rich in minerals, and has a mild taste. Many people draw water from the spring to drink coffee, tea, or to mix with water. It has been recognized by the Ministry of the Environment as one of the 100 best waters in Japan and one of the 15 best waters in Toyonokuni, and has long been used by local residents as water for daily life and irrigation. Surrounded by nature trails, the large moss-covered trees of the primeval forest, huge stones, and flowing water purify the body and soul. At the entrance to the spring, there is a store offering ramune and somen noodles in the summer, but in the winter, the road surface is icy and snowy, and the road is narrow, so care should be taken when driving.
