Hot Springs by Train: Oita Yufuin Onsen ー You Can Experience Traditional Crafts and Culture, and Savor Its Cuisine and Nature!

Embraced by the Wild Beauty of Mount Yufu and Its Celebrated Hot Springs

Looking to gather everyone together for an easygoing hot-spring getaway? Toretabi picks out onsen destinations you can reach by train—and suggests the very things to enjoy once you arrive.

Yufuin Onsen boasts roughly 900 hot-spring sources, said to be the second-most in Japan, and the country’s third-largest volume of flowing water. Why not unwind from everyday fatigue with a stay at a secluded retreat nestled among the rice terraces? Between tours that wind through dynamic natural scenery and locally sourced ingredients grilled over a shichirin charcoal brazier, you’ll feel restored inside and out.

Getting to Yufuin Onsen

From JR Hakata Station to JR Yufuin Station is 134.8 km, and the YUFUIN NO MORI covers it in 2 hours and 14 minutes.

Built around the theme “Your Yufuin begins the moment you board,” the YUFUIN NO MORI is a sightseeing train with a romantic, European-style exterior in metallic green. Its floor sits higher than usual, so you can take in the passing scenery all the way to Yufuin to your heart’s content. Reserve in advance and you can buy the YUFUIN NO MORI Oita Wagyu Bento from the onboard service—a chance to sample the flavors of Yufuin a little ahead of time.

How to Enjoy Yufuin Onsen, Oita

Stay | KAI Yufuin

Built around the concept of “an inn where you relax to the rhythm of the rice terraces” ,Hoshino Resorts’ hot-spring ryokan KAI Yufuin lets you settle in amid terraced fields that echo Japan’s four seasons, with majestic Mount Yufu rising in the distance. The detached guest cottages scattered across the terraces were designed by architect Kengo Kuma, with a refined, dignified presence reminiscent of a farmhouse’s innermost parlor.

The signature local rooms, named “Hotaru-kago no Ma,” feature spiral lampshades inspired by the hotaru-kago (firefly basket), a traditional regional craft. Their distinctive texture evokes fireflies blinking by the water’s edge, bringing a sense of nature indoors. Throughout the rooms, shichitoui, the rush used to make tatami facing, has been incorporated, wrapping you in a gentle, soothing fragrance.

For the baths, head to the spacious open-air bath looking out over Mount Yufu. There are two pools fed directly from the source: a crisp, refreshing hot bath and a mild bath where you can soak slowly and unwind.

The dinner you’ve been waiting for is a kaiseki course that draws on the region’s food culture. The opening dish is a wild boar and shiitake monaka pâté, pairing boar with shiitake mushrooms sandwiched in a crisp monaka wafer. Served alongside is a seasonal-fruit pickle that complements the boar pâté beautifully and leaves a clean finish. The main course, Mountain Momonji Hot Pot, lets you swish boar, chicken, and pork through a rich, nourishing venison broth—a true taste of the bounty of the hills and forests. It’s presented on Oita’s traditional crafts, such as Onta ware, so you enjoy the meal with all five senses—not just its flavor, but its appearance and texture too.

From the rooms to the cuisine, simply spending time here brings you into contact with the region’s traditional crafts and culture, one of this inn’s defining charms.

In the early morning, be sure to make your way to the Morning Mist Terrace. Join in the gentle limbering-up exercises and you’ll bathe your whole body in the crisp morning air, a refreshing way to begin the day.

Experience |  The Sightseeing Horse-Drawn Carriage

The sightseeing horse-drawn carriage began as a way to share how the town had rebuilt itself after the 1975 earthquake that struck central Oita. Fifty years on, it has become one of the town’s beloved seasonal traditions. A large horse carries visitors as it draws the carriage at an unhurried clip-clop, setting out from the station and following the road along the rice paddies. The sight blends seamlessly into the surroundings, creating a wonderfully pastoral scene.

The route departs from Yufuin Station and covers 4 km to Bussan-ji Temple and Unaguhime-jinja Shrine, taking about 60 minutes. As you sway along to the soundtrack of the horse’s hooves, your inner clock gradually slows to an easy, gentle pace. Gazing out over the rural landscape spreading across the foothills of Mount Yufu, you’ll feel yourself naturally relax.

Doubling as a tour guide, the driver knows the town’s history and highlights inside out, and learning about Yufuin along the way is one of the real pleasures of the ride.

Sightseeing Horse-Drawn Carriage

Address: 8-5 Kawakita, Yufuin-cho, Yufu City, Oita Prefecture (reception desk　*Yufu City Tourist Information Center)
Tel: 0977-84-2446 (open from 9:00)
Hours: From 9:00 (operating times and number of departures vary by day)
Closed: January 1 – March 1
Access: Just steps from JR Yufuin Station
Admission: Adults ¥2,500; ages 4 to elementary school ¥1,800
URL: https://yufuin.gr.jp/spot/spot-1281/

Experience | Yufuism’s Yufugawa Gorge Trekking Tour

Why not join this popular trekking tour with its sights set on the “Chockstone,” a temple of giant boulders?

Wedged between rock walls just two meters apart over an immense span of time, the colossal “Chockstone” is the symbol of Yufugawa Gorge, prized for a sculptural beauty without parallel anywhere in Japan.

On the tour, a professional guide who knows the gorge intimately leads you along the ideal route. Once you’ve suited up in full rental gear, it’s off into the wilds. The moment you step inside, a world several degrees cooler than the one you left opens up around you—and when you finally reach the Chockstone, its sheer scale may well draw a gasp of wonder. You’re left simply overwhelmed by this sacred space that nature has sculpted.

If you’d like, the tour can also be arranged as a private outing for just your group of friends or family.

Yufuism’s Yufugawa Gorge Trekking Tour

Address: 729 Hooki, Hazama-cho, Yufu City, Oita Prefecture (meeting point: former Hooki Elementary School / “Hooki Base”)
Tel: Reservations via the website. *Bookings close at 12:00 noon three days in advance.
Hours: From 9:00 (3–4 hours total; the trek itself takes about 2 hours)
Access: 15 minutes by car from JR Mukainoharu Station
Admission:  ¥8,000 per person (3 or more). For groups of two, ¥12,000 per person. *Separate rates apply for international visitors.
URL: https://www.yufuism.jp/reservation_trekkingtour/

Eat | Keisyuan

The restaurant stands in what was once the Yufuin Folk Craft Village in Yufuin-cho.

With the wish to “carry the good things of old into the future, in a building suited to the present,” an old farmhouse slated for demolition was renovated and brought back to life as a restaurant. Inside, a thatched roof, likely around 100 years old, remains just as it was, lending the place real character.

The kitchen insists on fresh local ingredients and is known for serving them grilled over charcoal using a shichirin, a traditional Japanese cooking tool. Within this historic building, you can savor fresh local fare such as Oita’s premium Bungo beef and Kanchi-dori brand chicken—a truly special experience.

Keisyuan

Address: 1542-1 Kawakami, Yufuin-cho, Yufu City, Oita Prefecture
Tel: 0977-76-8533
Hours: 11:00–15:00 / 17:30–21:00
Closed: Irregular
Access: 15 minutes on foot from JR Yufuin Station
URL: https://sumibiyaki-keisyuan.com/

A Slow-Paced Journey That Restores You from Within

Centered on simple alkaline springs, Yufuin Onsen’s waters are gentle on the body, making it easy to soak for a long while and truly relax. Whether you throw yourself into activities amid Mount Yufu and the abundant natural surroundings or simply spend unhurried hours here, you’ll feel your body’s rhythms quietly fall back into balance.

About the Author
Maki Maeda

After more than a decade living in Nasu-Shiobara, Maki returned to Tokyo a year ago and has been happily rediscovering exhibitions and landmarks around the capital ever since. She still occasionally updates her blog with spots from Nasu.
https://nasu-shiomikke.blogspot.com

Photo credits: Hoshino Resorts, Yufu City Tourism & Community Development Bureau, Yufuism, and Shichirin Charcoal-Grill Keisyuan

*All prices listed include tax.
*Information is current as of June 2026. Details are subject to change; please confirm before your visit.