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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Yufu
由布市
Sleep 1–2 nights in Yufuin, not a day trip: the onsen and Lake Kinrinko reward an early morning before the tour buses arrive.
Yufu is a small city in central Oita whose northwest district, Yufuin, is one of Japan's leading hot spring resorts, with the second-highest hot water outflow in the country. It sits in a green valley under the twin peaks of Mount Yufu (1584 m), and the town is built around a 1.5 km walk from the station to Lake Kinrinko. Most visitors come for one or two nights of onsen, cafés and galleries, or as a stop between Beppu, Fukuoka and Mount Aso.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 由布市
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), Golden Week, New Year
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥8,000–13,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥13,000–22,000 excl. bed · High ¥22,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119 · Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English) 050-3816-2787
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or café set | ¥500–900 |
| Croquette on Yunotsubo Kaidō | ¥160–300 |
| Yuzukoshō souvenir jar | ¥400–800 |
| Horse carriage tour from the station | ¥2,200 (child ¥1,650) |
| Onsen bath entry | ¥200–800 |
| Japanese set meal (toriten, grilled beef, sashimi) | ¥2,000–4,000 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ¥2,000–4,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- OIT · Oita Airport
- Direct bus to Yufuin, about 55 min, ¥1,550; flights to Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Seoul
- FUK · Fukuoka Airport
- Direct bus to Yufuin, about 1 h 45 min, ¥2,880; the nearest major airport
Typical fares
- Oita Airport → Yufuin, bus
- about ¥1,550, about 55 min
- Fukuoka → Yufuin, bus
- about ¥2,880, about 1 h 45 min
- Yufuin → Beppu, Kamenoi bus
- about 1 h
- Yufuin → Fukuoka, Yufuin no Mori
- about ¥4,550, 2 h 15 min
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Public transport is limited. The useful line is Kamenoi bus route 36, roughly hourly, linking the station, Yufumi-dōri, Yunotsubo and the Mount Yufu trailhead on its way to Beppu. Most of Yufuin is walkable: 1.5 km (0.9 mi) from the station to Lake Kinrinko via Yufumi-dōri and Yunotsubo Kaidō. Horse carriages run from the station Mar–Dec (about 50 min, ¥2,200), and rickshaws operate near the station and the lake.Public transport is limited. The useful line is Kamenoi bus route 36, roughly hourly, linking the station, Yufumi-dōri, Yunotsubo and the Mount Yufu trailhead on its way to Beppu. Most of Yufuin is walkable: 0.9 mi (1.5 km) from the station to Lake Kinrinko via Yufumi-dōri and Yunotsubo Kaidō. Horse carriages run from the station Mar–Dec (about 50 min, ¥2,200), and rickshaws operate near the station and the lake.
See and do
Known for
- Yufuin Onsen hot springs
- Lake Kinrinko
- Mount Yufu hike
- Yunotsubo Kaidō shopping street
- Yuzukoshō (yuzu pepper)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Beppu | Kamenoi bus 'Yufuin' Liner from Beppu Station west exit, or JR to Beppu and change | About 1 h by bus |
| Hita | JR Kyudai Line towards Kurume | About 1 h |
| Taketa | JR Kyudai Line to Bungo-Taketa, then walk or bus | About 1.5 h |
| Usa, Oita | JR Kyudai Line north, then local transport | About 1.5–2 h |
| Mount Aso | Kyushu Sanko 'Kujū' Ōdan bus towards Kumamoto | About 2 h 15 min to Aso Station |
| Fukuoka | JR Yufuin no Mori limited express, 3 times a day | About 2 h 15 min |
Sleep
- Around Yufuin Station
- Closest to the bus centre, luggage lockers and footbath; the simplest base if you arrive by train with bags.
- Yunotsubo Kaidō and Lake Kinrinko
- The shopping street and lake end of town; walkable to most sights but 1.5 km (0.9 mi) from the station.The shopping street and lake end of town; walkable to most sights but 0.9 mi (1.5 km) from the station.
- Yunohira Onsen
- A smaller traditional hot spring village about 15 km (9.3 mi) away; quieter, needs a car or bus.A smaller traditional hot spring village about 9.3 mi (15 km) away; quieter, needs a car or bus.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| One adult, please | 大人一枚お願いしますotona ichimai onegaishimasu |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Is there a bath? | お風呂はありますか？ofuro wa arimasu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- Luggage lockers at the station fill up; the tourist information centre stores bags for ¥300–500 per bag per day and delivers them to your hotel for ¥500.
- Route 206 to Lake Kinrinko jams badly in peak season; drivers should detour via Minami Yufu.
- Snow and ice on the expressway and mountain roads require chains; Yufuin sits at high elevation.
- Mount Yufu has no facilities on the trail: carry your own food and water, and allow 4–5 hours.
- Yunotsubo Kaidō is packed with tour groups during the day; go early or late.
Yufu is a safe, small onsen town; the real risks are mountain weather on the Mount Yufu trail, icy roads in winter, and slipping on wet stone around the baths.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Yufu yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Yufuin Onsen hot springs
- Lake Kinrinko
- Mount Yufu hike
- Yunotsubo Kaidō shopping street
- Yuzukoshō (yuzu pepper)
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Yufu City official site: www.city.yufu.oita.jp/
- Yufu City tourism section: www.city.yufu.oita.jp/kankou
- Yufu tourist association portal: yufu-tic.jp/
- Oita Airport access: www.oita-airport.jp/en/access/index.html
- Kamenoi Bus timetables: kamenoibus.com/scheduled/
- Wikivoyage: Yufu, revision 5296598 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5296598
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Yufu由布市
ここまでお願いします
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police110
- Fire and ambulance119
- Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English)050-3816-2787
No embassies in Yufu; most are in Tokyo, with consulates in Fukuoka and Osaka (check).
The tourist information centre beside Yufuin Station has English maps and a walking route; it opens 09:00–17:30.The tourist information centre beside Yufuin Station has English maps and a walking route; it opens 9:00 AM–5:30 PM.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/yufu). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.