Yufuin is a small town in central Oita that is a famous relaxation spot. It is well known for its onsen, most of which are attached to Japanese style inns, or ryokan. If you are not staying overnight at one of these inns you can still enjoy their onsens so long as you go before 4pm, as they are usually reserved for guests after this time.
Yufuin has a plethora of shops offering a wide range of foods, souvenirs, handmade goods and novelty items: all of which are conveniently located along one main street whose mouth begins near the train station. An example of a day at Yufuin would be having lunch at the Snoopy cafe, getting your feet nibbled at by doctor fish, taking a picture with Totoro at the Ghibli shop, and browsing hand made glass items while on the way to Lake Kinrinko (a nearby beautiful lake that is warm year round due to geothermal activity). On a good day, the number of tourists in Yufuin outnumbers the locals. |
Currently there are no JET placements in Yufuin, however a Prefectural ALT from Oita City occasionally makes the long commute to teach at the local high school.
Yufuin is also the location for the annual English Summer Seminar for SHS students. Most prefectural ALTs and many city ALTs come together to have fun in English with some of the more motivated students from around the prefecture. Each year has a theme such as Harry Potter or Pirates, leading to lots of costumed fun and shenanigans for all. |
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Eating, Shopping and Entertainment