Yufu

Yufu (由布市) is a city in Oita Prefecture. The northwest section of the city contains the Yufuin (湯布院) district, which is famous as one of the best hot spring resorts in Japan.

Understand
A hot spring town with a difference, Yufuin's claim to fame is not just lots of hot water (the town claims the second highest outflow in all Japan), but its arty vibe with avant-garde galleries, traditional crafts and fancy cafés. Consciously planned on European spa towns, there's a frisson of fashionable foreignness to it all and the town is often compared with Karuizawa, the favorite retreat of Tokyo's elite. Add in a scenic location in a lush green valley, with steam bursting from the hillsides and the double-peaked Yufu-dake (1584m) volcano overlooking it all, and it's not hard to see why Yufuin welcomes more than three million visitors annually.

Tourist information center
The Yufu City Tourist Information Center (84-2446; 09:00-17:30) beside the train station has some information in English, including a detailed walking map.

Tourist information sites

 * The local tourist associations has a Japanese-only portal site.
 * Tsukahara Highlands area in it has a bilingual guide site.


 * The city site's tourism section contains a guide book in English.

Get in
Yufuin is in the center of Oita Prefecture, 25 km from its comparatively downmarket spa town twin Beppu. It can be visited as a day trip from Beppu or Fukuoka, or en route to Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture.

On arrival in Yufuin, there are large luggage lockers at the front side of the station, and opposite it. However, these are fairly popular and might fill up quickly. Another option is to drop your bags at the Yufuin Chikki in the Tourist Information Center, which will deliver them to any hotel in town (and later back to the station) for ¥500 a pop. It also functions as a baggage storage service for ¥300-500 per bag per day.

By plane
The nearest airport is in Oita, 55 minutes away by direct bus (on airplane arrivals, ¥1,550). Oita has flights to Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Seoul. The nearest major airport is Fukuoka, which also has direct buses to Yufuin (1:45, 11 times/day, ¥2,880).

By train


Yufuin Station (由布院駅) is the main train station and serves as a central point for starting off in Yufuin. The best way to arrive is by the JR Yufuin no Mori limited express, a destination in itself with retro-styled wood and brass fittings and a buffet car with panoramic windows &mdash; book ahead. The train runs 3 times/day to/from Fukuoka (2 hr 15 min, ¥4,550) and once daily to/from Oita (50 min) and Beppu (1 hour). There are additional direct services on the more ordinary Yufu DX and Yufu expresses, and cheaper local trains (change in Kurume required).

By car
Get off at the Oita Expressway Yufuin Interchange. In peak tourist seasons, the most direct route to Kinrinko Lake (Route 206) often experiences severe traffic. Due to this, it's advisable to detour to Minami Yufu and head toward the center of Yufuin instead. Specifically you'll want to get off the Interchange, take Route 210 towards Oita, and get on Route 11 in Minami Yufu.

Due to Yufuin's high elevation, you're required to use chains on the highways and mountain roads when there is snow.

By bus
Yufuin's major bus hub is the Yufuin Ekimae Bus Center (由布院駅前バスセンター), tucked away behind a souvenir shop in front of the station.


 * If coming from Beppu: From Beppu Station's west exit, take the Kamenoi Bus "Yufuin" Liner. It takes approximately 1 hour. It also picks up from the Ferry Port (where ferries come in from Kansai) and takes approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.
 * If coming from Fukuoka: Take the Kamenoi High Speed Bus "Yufuin". It's about 2 hours from Tenjin and 2 hours and 20 minutes from the Hakata Bus Terminal.
 * If coming from Kumamoto: Take Kyushu Sanko Bus, the "Kujũ" Ōdan Bus. It's about 4 hours from Kumamoto Station and about 2 hours and 15 minutes from Aso Station.

Get around
Public transport options in Yufu are limited. For the average visitor, the most useful is the roughly hourly Kamenoi bus route 36, which serves the train station, Yufumi-dori, Yunotsubo and the start of the Mt. Yufu hiking trail (由布登山口) on its way to Beppu and back.

By train
The JR Kyudai Line lazily loops through the city, but aside from Yufuin station itself does not come close to the hot spring area.

By horse or rickshaw
Horse carriages (辻馬車 tsujibasha) leave Yufuin station from March to December. Starts 10 times per day from 09:30 to 16:00 (8 times to 14:30 in December). The tour takes about 50 minutes and costs ¥2200 (child \1650). Rickshaws (jinrikisha) also operate around Yufuin station and Lake Kinrinko.

On foot
Yufuin can fairly easily be covered on foot. It's a leisurely 1.5-km stroll from the train station to Lake Kinrinko via Yufumi-dōri and Yunotsubo Kaidō. The surrounding area boasts many beautiful rural landscapes, and there are many walking routes you can take through them. The Tourist Information Center publishes maps that you can refer to as you walk.


 * Yufumi-dōri (由布見通り) - The name of the street that continues from Yufuin Station to Yufu-dake. You can see Yufu-dake from almost anywhere on this street.
 * Yunotsubo Kaidō (湯の坪街道) - An attractively retro-styled shopping street that goes from Yufumi-dōri to Lake Kinrinko, this is one of the prime attractions in town and packed during the day with tour groups. There are many restaurants and souvenir shops, including a Ghibli store.

See

 * Yufuin Art Museum (由布院美術館)
 * Norman Rockwell Yufuin Art Gallery (ノーマン・ロックウェル湯布院美術館)
 * Tenso Shrine (天祖神社)
 * Tenso Shrine (天祖神社)
 * Tenso Shrine (天祖神社)

Do


Hot springs:


 * Yufuin Station Footbath (由布院駅の足湯)
 * Yufuin Onsen (由布院温泉)
 * Yunotsubo Onsen (ゆのつぼ温泉)
 * Shitanyu (下ん湯)

Eat
Yufuin is famous for yuzukoshō (柚子胡椒), literally "yuzu pepper", a condiment made from fragrant yuzu citruses and green chilli peppers. Originally a dipping condiment primarily for nabe stews, a brief nationwide boom in the 2000s saw it applied to anything and everything. The frenzy has since died down, but you'll still see plenty of the stuff in town, and it's a very popular souvenir since it travels well and a little jar goes a long way.


 * Rampusha (洋灯舎)
 * Tenjousajiki (天井棧敷)
 * Corbeille (コルベイユ)
 * Corbeille (コルベイユ)

Go next

 * Beppu
 * Oita
 * Kokonoe
 * Kusu
 * Hita
 * Bungoono
 * Taketa
 * Aso
 * Usa