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Oita · City

Yufu

由布市ゆふしYufu-shi

A spa in the fields below Bungo Fuji

Yufu is a city in central Oita Prefecture whose best-known part is Yufuin, a hot-spring town in a basin at the foot of the twin-peaked volcano Yufu-dake. Yufuin is known for its deliberately low-rise, rural character, its small inns and the morning mist over Lake Kinrin.

Overview

Yufu was formed in 2005 from three towns along the upper Ōita River: Hasama, a commuter area close to Oita city with the university hospital; Shōnai, a farming district known for kagura; and Yufuin, the spa town in a basin some 450 metres above sea level. Above Yufuin rises Yufu-dake (1,583 m), a lava dome whose double summit gives the basin its landmark silhouette.

Yufuin's springs are among the most abundant in Japan, yet the town grew very differently from neighbouring Beppu. From the 1970s local innkeepers and residents resisted large hotels, golf courses and resort development and instead promoted a model of a quiet rural spa, inspired in part by a study tour of European spa towns, particularly in Germany. Low buildings, rice fields between the inns and a strong programme of culture became its trademarks.

The town is now one of Kyushu's most visited spa destinations, with a busy shopping street between the station and Lake Kinrin, while the outlying inns and the neighbouring highland spas of Yunohira and Tsukahara remain quieter.

Landmarks

  • Yufu-dake

    由布岳Yufu-dake

    Lava dome of 1,583 m with twin summits, climbed from the pass on the Beppu road; part of Aso-Kuju National Park.

  • Lake Kinrin

    金鱗湖Kinrin-ko

    Small pond fed by both hot and cold springs, so that mist rises from its surface on cold mornings.

  • Yunotsubo Kaidō

    湯の坪街道Yunotsubo kaidō

    Busy lane of shops, cafés and galleries between the station and Lake Kinrin.

  • Unagihime Jinja

    宇奈岐日女神社Unagihime jinja

    Old shrine of the Yufuin basin, listed in the 10th-century Engishiki, surrounded by tall cedars.

  • Yunohira Onsen

    湯平温泉Yunohira onsen

    Old spa village in a side valley with a stone-paved slope, small public baths and red lanterns.

  • Tsukahara Onsen

    塚原温泉Tsukahara onsen

    Highly acidic, iron-rich spring on the plateau below Garandake, between Yufuin and Beppu.

Districts

  • Yufuin

    湯布院Yufuin

    Spa basin with most inns and shops; the spa is written 由布院 and the former town 湯布院.

  • Shōnai

    庄内Shōnai

    Farming district in the Ōita River valley, seat of the city office and home of Shōnai kagura.

  • Hasama

    挾間Hasama

    Residential district next to Oita city, with the university hospital and medical faculty.

History

The Yufuin basin was a rice-growing area with ancient shrines such as Unagihime Jinja, and Yunohira, a few kilometres west, developed in the Edo period as a spa for curative stays with a stone-paved slope lined with inns. Yufuin itself remained a rural spa into the 20th century.

Its modern identity was shaped in the 1970s, when a group of young innkeepers campaigned against large-scale development, travelled to European spa towns in 1971 and brought back ideas of spa towns rooted in landscape and culture. Music and film festivals followed, and in 1990 the town adopted an ordinance to regulate the scale of new buildings. The 2005 merger created Yufu City. The 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes also struck Yufuin, but the town recovered.

  1. Edo period

    Yunohira develops as a spa for curative stays, with inns along a stone-paved slope.

  2. 1971

    Yufuin innkeepers undertake a study tour of spa towns in Europe, including Germany.

  3. 1975

    First Yufuin Music Festival and first cattle-eating shouting contest on the highland meadows.

  4. 1976

    First Yufuin Film Festival, one of Japan's oldest film festivals.

  5. 1990

    Yufuin adopts an ordinance guiding the scale and design of new buildings.

  6. 2005

    Hasama, Shōnai and Yufuin merge to form Yufu City.

  7. 2016

    The Kumamoto earthquakes cause damage in Yufuin.

Culture

Culture is a deliberate part of Yufuin's identity. The music festival in summer and the film festival, among the oldest in Japan, were founded by residents rather than by the tourism industry, and small art museums and galleries are scattered among the rice fields. The town's planning debates about building height, landscape and rural character are studied across Japan as an example of community-led tourism. In Shōnai, kagura troupes keep a strong tradition of masked shrine dance.

Festivals

  • Yufuin Film Festival

    湯布院映画祭Yufuin eigasai

    Film festival founded in 1976 and run by volunteers, with screenings and talks with directors in late summer.

  • Cattle-eating shouting contest

    牛喰い絶叫大会Ushikui zekkyō taikai

    Autumn event on the highland meadows where participants eat local beef and shout their wishes across the plain.

  • Shōnai kagura

    庄内神楽Shōnai kagura

    Masked shrine dances performed by local troupes at shrine festivals and seasonal events.

Food

  • Bungo beef

    豊後牛Bungo-gyū

    Oita's premium wagyu, served as steak, sukiyaki or in rice bowls in Yufuin's restaurants.

  • Dango-jiru

    だんご汁dango-jiru

    Miso soup with flat, hand-stretched wheat noodles and root vegetables.

  • Soba

    蕎麦soba

    Hand-cut buckwheat noodles, a speciality of several restaurants in the basin, made with local spring water.

Getting around

  • JR Yufuin Station lies on the Kyūdai Main Line between Oita and Kurume; limited express trains, including tourist trains from Hakata, run through the basin.
  • Buses cross the pass below Yufu-dake to Beppu in about an hour, and highway buses connect Yufuin with Fukuoka and Fukuoka Airport.
  • The centre of Yufuin is compact: the walk from the station to Lake Kinrin takes about 20 to 30 minutes; bicycles are available for the outlying inns.

Day trips

  • Beppu

    Japan's largest spa city, over the mountain pass on the coast.

  • Kuju highlands

    Volcanic peaks, the Chōja-baru wetland and highland spas, reached by the Yamanami Highway.

  • Aso

    The great caldera of Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture, beyond the Kuju highlands.

  • Oita

    The prefectural capital, about an hour away by train.

Other cities in the prefecture

CapitalOitaŌita-shiThe Ōtomo clan's port city on Beppu BayCityBeppuBeppu-shiThe steaming spa city of Kyushu

Frequently asked questions

Is it Yufuin or Yuhuin, 由布院 or 湯布院?

Both spellings with different characters exist: 由布院 is the traditional name of the basin and the spa, while 湯布院 was the name of the town from 1955 until the 2005 merger. In romanisation the name is written Yufuin.

How do I get to Yufuin from Fukuoka?

By limited express train on the Kyūdai Main Line from Hakata in a little over two hours, or by direct highway bus from Fukuoka.

Can I climb Yufu-dake?

Yes, the usual trail starts at the pass on the road between Yufuin and Beppu and reaches the crater rim in about two to three hours. The upper section is steep and rocky and not suitable in bad weather.

Why is Lake Kinrin misty in the morning?

Warm spring water flows into the pond, so on cold mornings in autumn and winter the relatively warm surface steams in the cold air.

Related

Sources

  1. 1.令和2年国勢調査 調査の結果 (opens in a new tab) — 総務省統計局 (Statistics Bureau of Japan)
  2. 2.由布市ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 由布市 (Yufu City)
  3. 3.大分県ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 大分県 (Ōita Prefecture)
  4. 4.Oita (opens in a new tab) — Japan National Tourism Organization

Editorial team · Published: