It is hard to talk about hot springs in Japan without mentioning Yufuin.
Yufuin regularly ranks highly in Japanese onsen discussions. Unlike nearby Beppu, with which it is often compared, the account describes a hot-spring town without a red-light district, instead known for artists’ workshops, galleries and shops.
The source attributes this to planning that reflected the tastes of women travelers; this is the original account’s explanation.
We arrive at Onsen Ryokan Iyotomi, about a ten-minute walk from Yufuin Station.
Despite the historic-looking exterior, the interior is modern and clean.
An audio system plays gentle ballads.
Looking around the lobby, I notice numerous Hiroshima Carp baseball uniforms.
I later learn that the Hiroshima Carp are regular visitors, according to the account.
The source says team members spend a few days here recovering after the season or training camp.
After check-in, we find a genuinely old-fashioned sliding door to our room.
I have not seen one like this in a long time.
The room is Japanese style, with tatami flooring.
A kotatsu heated table in the center is wonderfully warm after returning from the winter cold.
There are the familiar ryokan snacks and chilled water.
The minibar contains local Yufuin specialties for an additional charge.
The prices are not especially high, which is welcome.
Our room has a toilet but no shower or bath.
At some onsen ryokan, guests wash in the hot-spring facilities instead of having a shower in their room.
We get ready for the baths.
The bathing kit includes towels, a yukata robe and tabi-style socks.
All Iyotomi’s hot-spring baths operated as private family baths during our stay.
If someone is using a bath, you wait; a QR-code system shows availability.
The paper handed out at check-in includes the QR code for checking which baths are free.
If that is inconvenient, an availability board in the lobby shows the same information.
A red light means a bath is occupied.
We plan to look around the different baths, starting with the outdoor one.
The water and temperature were among the most comfortable I have experienced. Many onsen feel very hot to me at around 40–42°C, whereas this felt closer to 38–40°C: warm enough without being overwhelming during my soak. These are personal temperature impressions, not measurements or a recommendation for how long to bathe.
I also enjoyed the water’s smooth, slightly slippery feel.
Inside are a larger hinoki-cypress bath
and a smaller one, offering a choice of spaces.
The indoor water felt hotter. If the outdoor bath seems too cool to you, the indoor ones might suit your preference.
Outside are two more hot-spring baths with waterfall-like streams of water.
A small garden within the ryokan makes a pleasant short stroll.
For me, the evening kaiseki meal is one of a ryokan stay’s great pleasures.
We move to the restaurant in the neighboring building.
The meal includes fresh seafood and dishes I have never tried before.
The main savory finale is jidori nabe, a chicken hot pot.
After eating much of the vegetables and tofu, rice is added to the remaining broth to make zosui, a soupy rice finish rather than a fried-rice dish.
Dessert brings the kaiseki meal to a close.
Yufuin is very dark in the evening, with little street lighting in this area; the ryokan buildings shine brightly against it.
The next morning, we come for breakfast.
Breakfast includes a simple salad, grilled fish, vegetable-filled dago-jiru dumpling soup, Japanese-style soft tofu, a dish I could not identify and dessert.
A Japanese breakfast feels especially well suited to the morning.
After checking out, we return toward Yufuin Station.
Mist hangs over the town, adding atmosphere to this hot-spring setting.
Yufuin Station in the thick mist.
Ten minutes from the station, Iyotomi felt affordable and offered excellent bathing during our visit.
Dinner was delicious and breakfast enjoyable—a satisfying place to eat, soak and unwind.
Knowing that professional baseball players also come to rest here adds to its appeal. I would recommend considering a stay when visiting Yufuin.
Onsen Ryokan Iyotomi — Yufuin IyoTomi (いよとみ)
Address: 848 Kawaminami, Yufuincho, Yufu, Oita
Phone: 0977-84-2007