VIRAL THINGS TO DO IN YUFUIN AND KUJYU FOREST PARK
(SKIING & SNOWBOARD) 2024
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| @Jackie San |
Actually December is a good time to visit Yufu (Oita). The weather is usually cold with a gentle breeze, with temperatures ranging from 37—49°F (3—10°C).
Yufu has plenty to offer for visitors of all ages and interests. In this article, we tell you the top things to see and do for your December trip to Yufu. Get inspired by the events, activities, attractions, and experiences unique to December. We’ll let you know where to explore events based on your interests, whether that’s food, culture, art, music, sport or others.
We’ll let you know everything you need to prepare for the weather in Yufu in December. Learn about what to wear and pack for your trip, the average temperatures throughout December, temperature changes from morning to evening and much more.
THEN THINK ABOUT WHAT TO WEAR IN DECEMBER
With an average high of 49°F (10°C) and a low of 37°F (3°C), it generally feels cold with a gentle breeze. There might also be a small chance of rain. With that in mind, most people would dress in something warm like a jacket.
BEST ATTRACTIONS FOR YUFU-IN DECEMBER
Besides the array of exciting events and activities Yufu has to offer for travelers in December, we want to remind you of the classic attractions in Yufu that are great to visit at this time of the year as well! You can’t miss these iconic landmarks, local favorites, and places rich with cultural heritage. We hope to give you insights and inspiration into the best things to see and do to make the most of your visit. Here is a list of our top attractions in Yufu for December.
HOW TO GET YUFU-IN
Before we go further on the Yufuin travel guide, let us have a quick view on how to get to Yufu-in. Being a popular onsen town, Yufu-in is well connected with buses and trains from Fukuoka, Beppu, Kumamoto. Both ride rewarded with breathtaking scenery and very therapeutic with forest and mountain views along the journey.
The train ride is fully covered by the Japan Rail Pass and JR Kyushu Rail Pass. While Kyushu SunQ Pass is covered on the bus ride. Both bus and train stations in Yufu-in are just a step away from each other.
From Fukuoka to Yufu-in
By Train: There are about six daily limited express trains running between Fukuoka (Hakata station) and Yufu-in station (150 minutes, ¥4500). The Yufu-in no mori (ゆふいんの森) is the popular scenic train with reservation is the must for the ride.
By Bus: Direct highway bus departed from Hakata station, Tenjin Bus Center and Fukuoka Airport to Yufu-in with once per bus per hour. One way trip takes 120 minutes at costs ¥3000.
From Beppu/Oita to Yufu-in
By Train: From Beppu, it required a transfer at Oita station to Yufu-in. The one-way train journey takes about 90 minutes at ¥1,200 with local train.
By Bus: The Yufu-in is located not too far from Beppu and it takes about 50 minutes by car. For visitors traveling with public transport, the bus running with one to two buses per hour between Beppu and Yufu-in Stations. The one-way trip takes 50 minutes and costs about ¥1,000.
From Kumamoto to Yufu-in
By Train: No direct train connection between Yufu-in and Kumamoto as the railway track was damaged due to the earthquake in 2016. The fastest route is transferred at Kurume if you wish to travel between Kumamoto and Yufu-in.
By Bus: Kyushu Odan Bus connects Kumamoto and Yufuin with about 5 hours at ¥4,500. This bus will run along the Kumamoto, Aso, Kurokawa onsen to Yufu-in and Beppu.
WHAT TO DO IN YUFU-IN HERE THE ITINERARY
Once you have arrived in Yufu-in station, everything is walkable and easily explored on foot. Yufu-in is surrounded by mountains and one can see Mount Yufu as the backdrop along Yufuin’s main street.
There aren’t that many activities to do in Yufu-in except following the walking path to Kinrin Lake. However, we found it was so difficult to finish it without stopping along the journey. We had an amazing food tour!
Read on the Yufu-in itinerary below to know what to do and eat in Yufu-in.
- Stroll along the Yunotsubo Kaido
- Visit The Handmade Artisan Shops
- Lovely Yufu-in Cafe
- Hunting Adorable Decoration
- Lingering Around Kinrin Lake
- Visit Yufu-in Floral Village
1- Stroll along the Yunotsubo Kaido
As you exit Yufu-in station, you can walk straight ahead to the Yufu-in main street (湯の坪街道) which lined with shops, restaurants and souvenir shops. If you stroll through the path, it’ll reward you with quaint Kinrin Lake (金鱗湖). There are no tall buildings except traditional houses with snow-capped mountains surrounded.
Further walked in, the shops will change into a variety of artisan boutiques, cute shops and food stalls along the path. Plenty of shops selling local specialties, souvenirs, and snacks.
2- Visit The Handmade Artisan Shops
As you walked along the path, there are many handmade shops that you can browse around. You can just walk in to know more and discover those artisan local products.
This can be an enjoyable activity in Yufu-in. One of the handmade jam shop caught our attention.
3- Lovely Yufu-in Cafe
There are many lovely cafes and each cafe is not alike. Enjoy a cup of coffee or dessert if you are tired.
Each cafe has its design and unique in its way. Sometimes, the best things are hidden somewhere and off the main road. Follow the hidden path and you might find a surprise.
Maybe, Snoopy Themed Cafe in Yufu-in is your choice? There are several tables and chairs for guests to try on their ice caved dessert.
We had our unique way to enjoy the truly fresh juice drink while wandering under the hot sun.
4- Hunting Adorable DecorationCute and adorable decorations are everywhere. See what we found? A teddy bear driving a car in the street. Look around and you would see interesting photo spots.
The Totoro is decorated with a Christmas theme during our visit at year-end.
Every corner in Yufu-in is adorable and interesting. Even I’m not a professional photographer, but every photo in Yufu-in is Instagrammable. You’ll fall in love with this charming street especially for ladies.
Spotted the rickshaw puller while wandering in Yufu-in. You can hire rickshaw if you want to visit this charming town without a long walk. They will even explain and cheer you up along the journey.
5- Lingering Around Kinrin LakeAfter about 30 min stroll on Yunotsubo Kaido, the path led us to a scenic Kinrin lake (金鱗湖, Kirinko). You possibly may take a longer time if stopped too many times by along the street. Kinrin Lake was a perfect end after exploring.
Kinrin Lake is the most popular landmark and listed as a must-visit in every Yufu-in travel guide. The best time to visit Kinrin Lake is during the morning when the whole lake is covered under the morning mists, created from the two spring sources at the lake’s bottom. The misty view of the Kinrin lake is even more breathtaking during autumn and winter.
Follow the walking paths and lingering around the lake for great views of the surroundings. Take a look at the small shrine by the side of the river. We enjoyed our time unwind the beauty of surroundings, get up closer with the flora and fauna, and taking multiple photos here. Such a quiet and lovely atmosphere.
You can also the hot spring bath in Shitanyu at cost ¥200 per entrance on a day visit.
Once finished, we followed the direction to the Yufu-in Floral Village. We found the view from Kinrin Lake to Yufu-in Floral Village very beautiful. Most of the areas are occupied by the eateries and ryokan stay nearby.
There are also a few famous ryokans if you are looking for where to stay in Yufu-in.
Next, we arrived at Yufu-in Floral Village, a European settling of Japanese fairyland in the middle of Yufu-in onsen town. It is another best place for taking photos and a nice stroll in town.
The village is quite small. From one end to another end, you can finish the walkthrough within 15 minutes. Again, you might need a longer time if you stopped by the adorable store. Plenty of good photo opportunities.
By paying a small fee at ¥100, you can buy the little globes of food that you can feed to the little animal. Kids seem like having their fun time here.
Added, The owl forest and cat cafe are another attraction in Yufu-in Floral Village. You can buy a cup of coffee and playing with pussies all day in the cafe. Cat lover don’t miss it. Same to enter the owl forest museum for owl encounter, but we decided to skip for it.
2nd episodes about...
THINGS TO DO IN KUJYU FOREST PARK
The Kujyu Forest Park is the largest skiing ground in Kyushu, boasting slopes that run for over two kilometres. There are three different courses from beginner to advanced to suit your personal level and also recreational areas for children and families to enjoy the snow and do a spot of sledding as well.
Kuju (Kujyu) Forest Park Ski Resort is the only ski grounds in Oita but happens to be the largest in Kyushu.
Slopes run over two kilometers long and are divided into different sections geared towards each skill level, from beginners, advanced, to children-friendly courses. With the resort’s central location between Fukuoka, Miyazaki, and Kumamoto, this Kuju ski resort has all sorts of ski bunnies and snowboarders trekking out to test its
snow-capped hills. Bring your own equipment or rent what you need in the resort’s rental shop, then catch a ride on the chairlift to reach the 1,300-meter peak with views of the Kuju Mountain Range and Kumamoto’s Mt. Aso.
If it’s your first time donning a pair of skis or snowboard, you can sign up in the resort’s daily classes to learn
the basics from experienced instructors. These two-hour classes will give you enough time to get all the basics
down and get you practicing going down the hill with an instructor by your side. By the end of class, you’ll be
carving through that snow on your own in no time!
For lunch, stop in at the resort’s restaurant for a rich selection of hearty meals to warm your soul, from pork
bone ramen, curry, various set meals, and a local favorite, boar udon. Eat at the restaurant’s indoor seating, or
take your meal out to the outdoor terrace to take in the fresh air as you eat.
It would be a shame to end your skiing and snowboarding adventure without a dip in one of the surrounding
onsen hot springs in the area. Kuju Forest Park Ski Resort is right in the middle of the Kokonoe onsen region,
where you can soak away your day’s skiing and snowboarding aches away. Consider an overnight stay at
Kinosato Yamanoyu Inn, where there’s a unique cave bath you can sink into before filling your belly with
a beautiful traditional Japanese meal. As the perfect ending to your fun-filled day, it’ll get you wishing that
winter would hang on just a little longer.
Whether you’re a winter or spring fan, we wish you well wherever you are in the world and hope to welcome
you to our ski slope in Oita in the future!
ANOTHER THINGS YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT KUJYU FOREST PARK SKIING GROUND
This skiing ground is located in Oita Prefecture and can be reached in approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes by car from Fukuoka. Located high in the mountains, the Kujyu Forest Park Skiing Ground has three advanced different ski slopes. Professional ski contests have been held here before. An average of 30 cm of snow falls yearly. In the case of mild winters, the park prepares man-made snow in order to keep the park open.
A panoramic view of the skiing grounds.
HOW TO GET KUJYU FOREST PARK SKIING GROUND
DIRECTIONS AND TRANSPORTATION
- Haruka Limited Express. 50 minutesJPY 2,910. Shin-Osaka Station.
- Tokaido Sanyo Shinkansen. 175 minutesJPY 16,450. Kurume Station.
- Limited Express Yufu. 88 minutesJPY 3,330. Bungo-Nakamura Station.
- Taxi. 32 minutesJPY 6,550. Kujyu Forest Park Skiing Ground.
THEN...
GREAT PLACES TO GO NEAR KUJYU FOREST PARK SKIING GROUNDS
1- KOKONOE YUME OTSURIBASHI
| Opening Hours: Open 08:30-17:00 |
| Distance: 9.27km |
| Recommended sightseeing time:1 hour |
Address: 1208 Tano, Kokonoe, Kusu District, Oita 879-4911, Japan
2. 九醉溪 |
Distance: 9.17kmRecommended sightseeing time:1-3 hourAddress: Oita Tano, Kokonoe Town, Kusu District, Oita Prefecture
4. Okamotorikuro Museum
| Distance: 2.51km |
| Recommended sightseeing time:1-2 hour |
Address: Oita Yutsubo 628-15 Kokonoe-cho, Kusu-gun, Oita Prefecture 879-4912 Japan
AFTER YUFU-IN AND KUJYU FOREST PARTK SKIING, YOU CAN DIRECTLY TRY THE BEST HOT SPRINGS, ACCESS AND HIGHLIGHTS
Yufuin Onsen in Oita prefecture is a famous hot spring resort in Kyushu that is especially popular with female tourists and families. This article contains essential information visitors to Yufuin Onsen need to know to get the most out of their trip.
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Yufuin Onsen is around 10km from Beppu Onsen, at the foot of Mt. Yufu. It is a highly walkable resort town, with shopping streets, cafes and galleries, and a wide choice of hot springs and hotels. Many of the hotels allow day visitors to use their hot springs. The hot springs are scattered throughout the town, but you can reach many easily on foot from Yufuin Station. The area is known for mist which forms in the valley, and on Lake Kinrin. Mt. Yufu towers above the town, offering a scenic skyline from many of the outdoor hot springs. Lake Kinrin is at the end of the main street, about 1.5 km from the station. You can stroll around the lake on one of its walking paths. There are cafes, shops and small hotels around the lake, and a shrine at its southern end.
NEARBY YUFU-IN ONSEN
1- MUSOEN
Musouen is the perfect place to relax as you revel in your amazing view of Mount Yufu. This large rotemburo (outdoor bath) is separated by gender and allows daytime visitors for a small fee.
2- BAIEN
When the weather is beautiful, you can see the twin peaks of Mount Yufu while soaking in these waters at Baien. The baths are separated by gender and also allow day visitors. For those staying overnight, two meals are included.
3- Sansuikan
If you’re looking for a quick dip after arriving in Yufuin, the Sansuikan can be found after a short walk from the Yufuin Station. You can soak in the indoor or outdoor waters and enjoy a scented bath and sauna (genders are separated). Day visitors allowed and overnight guests receive two meals.
4- Shitanyu Public Bath
This traditional bath is mixed-gender and has limited facilities. It can be found near the shore of Lake Kinrinko and has a little greenery to view while bathing.
5- Kamenoi Besso
Found at Kinrinko Lake, Kamenoi Besso is considered one of the most expensive and most respected ryokan in Japan. You can find a delicious restaurant that also serves western meat and dairy from the local farms. Most rooms have a private bath with an additional community bath on-site.
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@Jackie San
