A Day in Yufu
The morning sky was gray in Kure. Rain had fallen steadily, soaking my shoes and pants. I had arrived at the station early and met my friend. We watched the train as it arrived on the platform, and boarded.
Disclaimer: I do not endorse travelling during this time. This article should be read as travel advice once the danger of COVID-19 has passed. Stay safe.
I had since dried and forgotten the miserable weather of Kure, aided by the quaint ゆふいんの森. A luxury sightseeing train, the ‘Yufuin no Mori’ was affectionately dubbed “the caterpillar” by my friend and I due to its green hue and particularly rotund shape. The windows allow for a near complete view of the surrounding landscape. Comfortably seated, sharing a Michelin star bento with my friend, I admired fields of rice, green and lush, occasional forests and a river carving its path through the mountains. I recall one sight particularly well. An elderly woman seated in a wheelchair, her carer beside her, excitedly waving to the train as it passed by. Despite the distance, there was an unmistakable joy on her face.
When we arrived at Yufuin, we were picked up by the gracious host of ‘imiolahouse’ (look it up on Instagram, like, right now). She runs a bed and breakfast but a few minutes’ walk from the train station and supplies her guests with food, chats, tea/coffee and advice on the surroundings. She even let us check in early, and helped us with our luggage. A better experience I have not had. Spending the morning travelling had left us hungry. Quickly dropping off our luggage (and enjoying a quick cuppa to recharge), we headed to Yufuin Burger. We both ordered the standard burger — imagine a perfectly cooked patty, tomato relish, sauce, mustard, and salad, simple yet faultless. We indulged in chicken nuggets and chips. A remedy for my homesick soul.
Of course, other options abound. If a café is more your speed, Café Anahata provides a hip atmosphere and excellent coffee and food. Several delicious udon restaurants are dotted around the main street, accompanied by izakayas and bakeries. We even found a mabushi restaurant, rice topped with local meats such as chicken, meat and pork. Oita’s famous food, toriten (a lightly battered fried chicken, crispy and moreish) can be found dotted throughout the prefecture, including in Yufuin.
Yufuin itself has many quaint attractions ideal for a day trip. Shops filled with little knick-knacks, art, homewares, crafts and of course sweets, line ゆのつぼ street. I was personally drawn to a store where almost everything is made of wood — 10 minutes into wandering the store, I eventually caved and bought two spinning tops. After meandering through the various shops, we stumbled upon another popular attraction, the Yufuin Floral Village. The ‘English theme park’ based loosely around Peter Rabbit is home to a number of small shops, several rowdy animals (rabbits, squirrels, ducks and two VERY hungry goats), and a handful of cafes. Continuing on, we eventually found another one of our destinations: Lake Kirin. A small stone tori sits on the far side, alluding to the temple hidden in the trees behind it. The lake is without a doubt, the perfect spot to capture a scenic selfie to remember your trip. We enjoyed the lake for but a short time, moving on to our next goal.
We spent twenty minutes hiking up a winding road until we arrived at an art exhibition, with a café and chocolate shop attached. ‘artegio’ offers a collection of unique works which definitely provided me with some food for thought… I would be saying if we’d arrived before it closed. Instead, we perused the small but delicious range of chocolates sold at theomurata, and rested in the café for a time, enjoying the afternoon light. The day was drawing to a close, and we had yet to enjoy one of Yufuin’s greatest attractions, an onsen. We were in Oita Prefecture after all. We left the café and dragged our weary bones outside. Our eyes rested on the valley spread before us. Ryokans dotted the landscape, surrounded by trees, billowing steam into the air. In the light of the afternoon sun, it was a beautiful scene.
After another perilous journey on meandering roads with no footpath, we arrived at our preferred ryokan, Shoya no Yakata. The picture to the left gives some indication of the beauty of our surroundings. The outdoor, blue water onsen was steamy and warm, sapping our bodies of stress. From the men’s onsen, I had a clear view of Mount Yufu, the setting sun painting it with orange hues as the first stars twinkled in the sky above. From the women’s, a clear view of the wide blue sky, fading from blue to the mixed dark hues of evening. We had to leave by 6:30, as the onsen closed, but our sightseeing in Yufuin had finished on a particularly pleasant note.
The night and following morning were spent lounging and chatting with our gracious host about a range of topics. By 10:30 the next morning, we boarded the bus to Beppu, saying goodbye to Yufuin. The remainder of our travels progressed as expected. The seven hells were visited (certainly not the first time I’ve been hell, and unlikely to be the last). Delicious food was eaten — not the least of which was Toriten, (the fried chicken famous in Oita I spoke of earlier). Photos with excitable Japanese girls were taken. By the following afternoon, we boarded our train to Kokura, where we would take the shinkansen back to Hiroshima. The ‘Sonic Nichirin’ provided a faster, but no less spectacular experience when compared with the Yufuin no Mori. Much of the countryside rushed past, and the view could be enjoyed from viewing stations throughout the train. The quiet of the train gave me some time to reflect.
Our journey had been awesome, and I had enjoyed Beppu and Oita greatly. I’d definitely recommend both for a weekend getaway, particularly in any season from Autumn to Spring. But for me, and I think my companion also, the 24 or so hours in Yufuin were by far the highlight of our small escape to Oita Prefecture.
