Stepping into Hayao Miyazaki's Fairy Tale World 🌳🎨
▪️Yufuin, located in Ōita Prefecture on Kyushu Island, Japan, is the inspirational birthplace for animation master #HayaoMiyazaki when he created #MyNeighborTotoro, hence it's also known as "Totoro Town". It has been voted as the number one 🥇 travel destination by Japanese women. With mountains, lakes, and hot springs, it's a fairy tale-themed small town well worth visiting for a vacation 👒 Transportation ▪️The "Yufuin no Mori" is Japan's most popular specialty sightseeing train 🚞 ▪️Starting from Hakata Station in Fukuoka, take the JR direct to Yufuin, which takes about 2 hours. If you purchase a JR PASS on the JR website, remember to book a month in advance online! ‼️Because it's a designated seat, you must book in advance. ▪️The first train departs at 9:17 AM, with two round trips per day. Recommended Attractions 💚Yunomachi Shopping Street A bustling commercial street connecting Yufuin Station to Kinrin Lake, lined with various delicious foods, exquisite items, and unique souvenirs. There are also many themed shops, such as the Ghibli Forest Totoro-themed shop, Snoopy Tea House, Miffy Bakery... All are adorable and make it hard to stop browsing! 💚Yufuin Floral Village It feels like you've arrived in a miniature English town, filled with fairy tale colors, very dreamy ✨ Many scenes from Hayao Miyazaki's movies like #KikisDeliveryService and #MyNeighborTotoro appear here, and you can get up close with many animals from fairy tale books 🦉 Although small in scale, it's very photogenic 📸 💚Kinrin Lake At the end of Yufuin Street is Kinrin Lake, which is actually half a hot spring lake ♨️ In autumn, it's a famous place for maple viewing 🍁 In winter, the geothermal heat and cold air mix to create a mist that lingers over the lake and mountains, like a fairyland ~ On the way to Kinrin Lake, there is a Koi Path 🐠 with many koi fish. Clapping by the pond will attract a large group of koi fish to gather and swim towards you, which is quite interesting. 💚Comico Art Museum Don't miss this art museum that coexists with nature when you come to Yufuin ✨ Designed by Kengo Kuma, with a logo by Kenya Hara, and featuring works by artists such as Yayoi Kusama, Tatsumi Orimoto, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Takashi Murakami, Yoshitomo Nara, Kohei Nawa, Mariko Mori, and more. The entire museum, from design to display, is very special. Surrounding Hotels 🏨Kai Yufuin As a representative of Japan's luxury hotel brands, the "Kai" series under Hoshino Resorts focuses more on hot spring and vacation experiences ♨️ Importantly, the price is more! Reasonable! Than Hoshino! Like Kai Hakone and Kai Nikko, which are located in places with great hot springs and beautiful scenery, "Kai Yufuin" is no exception. Inspired by the local farmhouse style of Yufuin 🌾 Surrounded by the quiet Yufu Mountain, the highlight is the vast terraced fields that can be seen! #BeautifulSceneryOnTheJourney #TravelInJapan #OffTheBeatenPath #KyushuTravel #HiddenGemLodging #DesignForwardLodging
