Yufu

Yufu (由布市) is a city in Oita (prefecture)|Oita Prefecture. The northwest section of the city contains the Yufuin (湯布院) neighborhood, which is famous as one of the best hot spring resorts in Japan.

Yufu Halal Travel Guide

You say Yufu, I say Yufu|You'll see Yufuin written as both 由布院 and 湯布院. The names are pronounced the same, but the "湯" (hot water) of the second version is not just a marketing trick: in 1955, what was then the town of Yufuin (由布院) merged with nearby Yunohira (湯平), keeping its name but adopting its smaller neighbor's kanji as a memento.

A hot spring town with a difference, Yufuin's claim to fame is not just lots of hot water (the town claims the second highest outflow in all Japan), but its arty vibe with avant-garde galleries, traditional crafts and fancy cafés. Consciously planned on European spa towns and there's a frisson of fashionable foreignness to it all and the town is often compared with Karuizawa and the favorite retreat of Tokyo's elite. Add in a scenic location in a lush green valley, with steam bursting from the hillsides and the double-peaked Yufu-dake (1584m) volcano overlooking it all, and it's not hard to see why Yufuin welcomes more than three million visitors annually.

Tourist information center

The Yufuin Hot Springs Yufu Tourism Board office (84-2446; 9 AM Monday - 7 PM) inside the train station has some information in English, including a detailed walking map.

Travel as a Muslim to Yufu

Ashiyu by misijp in Yufuin Station, Oita - Take a foot bath while waiting for the train

Yufuin is located in the center of Oita Prefecture, 25 kilometers from its comparatively downmarket spa town twin Beppu. It can be visited as a day trip from Beppu or Fukuoka, or en route to Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture.

On arrival in Yufuin and there are a number of large luggage lockers right at the front side of the station, as well as opposite it. However and these are fairly popular and might fill up quickly. An alternative is to head to the Yufuin Hot Springs Yufu Tourism Board office just next the train station, which has further lockers as well as a staffed luggage storage facility. Yet another option is to drop your bags at the Yufuin Chikki shop opposite the train station, which will deliver them to any hotel in town (and later back to the station) for ¥500 a pop. It also functions as a baggage storage service for ¥300-500 per bag per day.

Buy a Flight ticket to and from Yufu

The nearest airport is in Oita, 55 minutes away by direct bus (6 times/day, ¥1,550). Oita has Flights to Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Seoul. The closest airport is Fukuoka, which also has direct buses to Yufuin (1:45, 11 times/day, ¥2,880).

Muslim Friendly Rail Holidays in Yufu

Yuhuinnomori - The Yufuin no Mori train

Yufuin Station (由布院駅) is the main train station and serves as a central point for starting off in Yufuin. The best way to arrive is by the JR Yufuin no Mori limited express, a destination in itself with retro-styled wood and brass fittings and a buffet vehicle with panoramic windows — book ahead. The train runs 3x/day to/from Fukuoka (2:15, ¥6,550) and once daily to/from Oita (50 min) and Beppu (1 hour). There are additional direct services on the more ordinary Yufu DX and Yufu expresses, and affordableer local trains (change in Kurume required).

By car

Get off at the Oita Expressway Yufuin Interchange. In peak tourist seasons and the most direct route to Kinrinko Lake (Route 206) often experiences severe traffic. Due to this, it's advisable to detour to Minami Yufu and head toward the center of Yufuin instead. Specifically you'll want to get off the Interchange, take Route 210 towards Oita, and get on Route 11 in Minami Yufu.

Due to Yufuin's high elevation, you're required to use chains on the highways and mountain roads when there is snow.

Travel on a Bus in Yufu

Yufuin's major bus hub is the Yufuin Ekimae Bus Center (由布院駅前バスセンター), tucked away behind a souvenir shop in front of the station.

• If coming from Beppu: From Beppu Station's west exit, take the Kamenoi Bus "Yufuin" Liner. It takes roughly 1 hour. It also picks up from the Ferry Port (where ferries come in from Kansai) and takes roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• If coming from Fukuoka: Take the Kamenoi High Speed Bus "Yufuin". It's about 2 hours from Tenjin and 2 hours and 20 minutes from the Hakata Bus Terminal.
• If coming from Kumamoto: Take Kyushu Sanko Bus and the "Kujũ" Ōdan Bus. It's about 4 hours from Kumamoto Station and about 2 hours and 15 minutes from Aso Station.

Get Around

GPS: 33.26545|131.36239 Public transport options in Yufu are limited. For the average visitor and the most useful is the roughly hourly Kamenoi bus route 36], which serves the train station, Yufumi-dori, Yunotsubo at the start of the Mt. Yufu hiking trail (由布登山口) on its way to Beppu and back.

Muslim Friendly Rail Holidays in Yufu

The JR Kyudai Line lazily loops through the city, but aside from Yufuin station itself does not come close to the hot spring area.

By horse or rickshaw

Horse carriages (辻馬車 tsujibasha) leave Yufuin station every 30 minutes from 9AM to 4PM. The tour takes about 50 minutes and costs ￥1500. Rickshaws (jinrikisha) also operate around Yufuin station and Lake Kinrinko.

Halal Friendly Walking Tours in Yufu

Yufuin can fairly easily be covered on foot. It's a leisurely 1.5-km stroll from the train station to Lake Kinrinko via Yufumi-dōri and Yunotsubo Kaidō. The surrounding area boasts many beautiful rural landscapes, and there are many walking routes you can take through them. The Yufu Tourism Board Center publishes maps that you can refer to as you walk.

• Yufumi-dōri (由布見通り) - The name of the street that continues from Yufuin Station to Yufu-dake. You can see Yufu-dake from almost anywhere on this street.
• Yunotsubo Kaidō (湯の坪街道) - An attractively retro-styled shopping street that goes from Yufumi-dōri to Lake Kinrinko, this is one of the prime attractions in town and packed during the day with tour groups. There are many restaurants and souvenir shops, including a Ghibli store.

What to See

Torii of Tenso Shrine in Lake Kinrinko near southeast lakeside - Lake Kinrinko

• Lake Kinrinko - 金鱗湖 | GPS: 33.2666576, 131.3691498 free Torii of Tenso Shrine in Lake Kinrinko near southeast lakeside.JPG A small lake (pond, really) at the east end of town, full of fish and flanked with art galleries, tea houses and the Shitanyu bath (below). Walk from the station to here, and you'll have seen most of what the town has to offer.

• Yufuin Art Museum (由布院美術館)
• Norman Rockwell Yufuin Art Gallery (ノーマン・ロックウェル湯布院美術館)

• Oike Yuusuigun - 男池湧水群 | GPS: 33.1253671, 131.2941556 - 100 yen - Waterfall deep in the forest

• Tenso Shrine (天祖神社)

What to Do

Mt.yufu - Mount Yufu Yunohira onsen - Yunohira Onsen

• Hike to Mount Yufu - GPS: 33.28227, 131.39025 Hop in the hourly bus connecting Yufuin and Beppu stations and get off at Yufutozanguchi (由布登山口) and the trailhead - You can hike to the top of this volcano (由布岳 Yufudake), see the crater and have a very nice view of the surroundings. Allow two hours to reach the crater (from 800m to 1500m). Then there is a junction and the left path leads to the west peak (由布岳西峰 Yufudake 1583m) and the right one to the east peak (由布岳東峰 1580m). The east peak is an easy, although steep, walk but the west peak requires more climbing and there are chains to help you. There is also a path connecting the two peaks on the north of the crater but be cautious this section is more technical and requires some climbing knowledge, it is highly recommanded to use the south trail for beginners. Be sure to be prepared for this long exhausting walk, all the common sense of Hiking applies. Allow 4 to 5 hours in total depending on which peak(s) you climb. There is nothing on the way, be sure to bring your own food and enough water.

Hot springs:

• Yufuin Station Footbath (由布院駅の足湯)
• Yufuin Onsen (由布院温泉)
• Yunotsubo Onsen (ゆのつぼ温泉)
• Shitanyu (下ん湯)

• Yunohira Onsen - 湯平温泉 | GPS: 33.192, 131.326 A small traditional thermal spas (Muslim Friendly) village 15 kilometers away

Halal Restaurants in Yufu

• Kinshō Korokke - 金賞コロッケ | 湯布院町川上1511-1 GPS: Yunotsubo Kaidō

A simple deep-fried snack of minced Meat and mashed potato it may be, but this particular "Gold Medal Croquette" was once chosen as the tastiest in all Japan. In addition to the original (¥160) and there's a wide range of various flavors and toppings.

• Rampusha (洋灯舎)
• Tenjousajiki (天井棧敷)
• Corbeille (コルベイユ)

• Yu no Takean - 湯の岳庵 | GPS: 33.2661333, 131.3687122 - 4000 yen Great variety of Japanese food: Toriten, Grilled beef, sashimi.

• Yufu Mabushi Shin - 由布まぶし心 | GPS: 33.2630796, 131.3557356 Grilled beef served on rice

• Shunsai Hinaya - 旬菜鄙屋 | GPS: 33.2641644, 131.3625682 Inside a hotel called Hananomai (はなの舞) - 2150 yen - Japanese beef served in boxes. Reservation necessary.

• Shizen Yuudo - オーガニックキッチン＆cafe自然食ゆうど | GPS: 33.306962, 131.3752276 - Organic food and vegetables, in the middle of the nationside.

eHalal Group Launches Halal Guide to Yufu

Yufu - eHalal Travel Group, a leading provider of innovative Halal travel solutions for Muslim travelers to Yufu, is thrilled to announce the official launch of its comprehensive Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for Yufu. This groundbreaking initiative aims to cater to the diverse needs of Muslim travelers, offering them a seamless and enriching travel experience in Yufu and its surrounding regions.

With the steady growth of Muslim tourism worldwide, eHalal Travel Group recognizes the importance of providing Muslim travelers with accessible, accurate, and up-to-date information to support their travel aspirations to Yufu. The Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide is designed to be a one-stop resource, offering an array of invaluable information on various travel aspects, all carefully curated to align with Islamic principles and values.

The Travel Guide encompasses a wide range of features that will undoubtedly enhance the travel experience for Muslim visitors to Yufu. Key components include:

Halal-Friendly Accommodations inYufu: A carefully selected list of hotels, lodges, and vacation rentals that cater to halal requirements, ensuring a comfortable and welcoming stay for Muslim travelers in Yufu.

Halal Food, Restaurants and Dining in Yufu: A comprehensive directory of restaurants, eateries, and food outlets offering halal-certified or halal-friendly options in Yufu, allowing Muslim travelers to savor local cuisines without compromising their dietary preferences in Yufu.

Prayer Facilities: Information on masjids, prayer rooms, and suitable locations for daily prayers in Yufu, ensuring ease and convenience for Muslim visitors in fulfilling their religious obligations.

Local Attractions: An engaging compilation of Muslim-friendly attractions, cultural sites such as Museums, and points of interest in Yufu, enabling travelers to explore the city's rich heritage while adhering to their values.

Transport and Logistics: Practical guidance on transportation options that accommodate Muslim travel needs, ensuring seamless movement within Yufu and beyond.

Speaking about the launch, Irwan Shah, Chief Technology Officer of eHalal Travel Group in Yufu, stated, "We are thrilled to introduce our Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide in Yufu, a Muslim friendly destination known for its cultural richness and historical significance. Our goal is to empower Muslim travelers with accurate information and resources, enabling them to experience the wonders of Yufu without any concerns about their faith-based requirements. This initiative reaffirms our commitment to creating inclusive and memorable travel experiences for all our clients."

The eHalal Travel Group's Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for Yufu is now accessible on this page. The guide will be regularly updated to ensure that Muslim travelers have access to the latest information, thus reinforcing its status as a reliable companion for Muslim travelers exploring Yufu.

About eHalal Travel Group:

eHalal Travel Group Yufu is a prominent name in the global Muslim travel industry, dedicated to providing innovative and all-inclusive travel solutions tailored to the needs of Muslim travelers worldwide. With a commitment to excellence and inclusivity, eHalal Travel Group aims to foster a seamless travel experience for its clients while respecting their religious and cultural values.

For Halal business inquiries in Yufu, please contact:

eHalal Travel Group Yufu Media: info@ehalal.io

Muslim Friendly Hotels

Yufuin Onsen -Musōen 02 - Onsen of the Musōen hotel

• Yufuin Country Road Youth Hostel - 湯布院カントリーロードユースホステル - 由布市湯布院町川上441-29 ☎ +81 977-84-3734 Checkin - 4PM Monday - 9PM / Check-out: 10AM Dorm ¥7435 - Breakfast and dinner are available. Includes access to the small, pleasant onsen. Very limited access by bus. Take a taxi or walk 40 minutes from the JR station (some uphill). The owner offers a free ride to the station in the morning.

• Kamenoi Bessou - 由布市湯布院町川上2633-1 GPS: 33.26582, 131.36746 ☎ +81 977-84-3166 +Japanese-style double with futon from ¥82380, Japanese-style double with bed from ¥88860, Asian-style double ¥71580 -

Explore more Halal friendly Destinations from Yufu

• Beppu
• Oita
• Saiki

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