Things to do in Kokonoe

No. 1 of Ski Resorts in Oita Prefecture

Kuju Forest Park Skiing Grounds

The Kokonoe Forest Park Ski Resort is located in Kokonoe, Oita Prefecture, Japan, in the natural embrace of the Kokonoe Mountains. The ski resort is about 1,000 meters above sea level and has abundant natural snow conditions. The 15-hectare ski resort has 3 ski slopes suitable for skiers of different levels, from beginners to experienced skiers. The ski season usually starts in December and lasts until early April of the following year, with January to February being the peak season for skiing. The ski resort provides rental equipment and skiing lessons to facilitate tourists to experience the fun of skiing. In addition, the ski resort also provides night skiing services, allowing tourists to enjoy the unique experience of skiing under the cover of night. In terms of transportation, the ski resort can be reached in about 30 minutes by car from the center of Kokonoe. With its natural environment and convenient facilities, the Kokonoe Forest Park Ski Resort provides tourists with an ideal place for winter sports and leisure.

2026 Global 50 - Hot Springs Attractions

Kurokawa Onsen

Kurokawa Onsen is nestled in a mountain valley in the Aso region of Kumamoto Prefecture, with about 30 hot spring inns scattered among lush forests and clear streams. The town is built on the concept that the entire hot spring town is like one single inn, with each inn's open-air baths blending into the surrounding rocks, trees, and streams to create a hot spring town with a traditional atmosphere. A signature experience here is open-air bath hopping, where visitors can use a wooden bath pass to choose 3 different hot springs from participating inns to experience a variety of bathing environments. Strolling through the streets in a yukata also allows you to soak in the tranquil atmosphere of this mountain hot spring town. Walking along the stream, you can enjoy the scenery where clear water, green trees, and traditional inns intertwine. The hot springs at different inns each have their own unique characteristics in terms of water quality, bath design, and surrounding environment, allowing you to enjoy a diverse bathing experience while exploring on foot.

2026 Global 50 - Hot Springs Attractions

Yufuin Onsen

Yufuin Onsen is located at the foot of Mount Yufu. The spring water is primarily simple thermal water, and many inns in the town feature open-air baths, allowing you to enjoy a soak while gazing at the peaks of Mount Yufu. Japanese-style inns, cafes, general stores, and art museums are scattered along the streets and alleys. The Yunotsubo Street, which leads from the station to Lake Kinrin, is the town's main walking route. Along the way, dessert shops, craft stores, and cafes are lined up, with traditional wooden buildings interspersed with rural fields. Lake Kinrin at the end of the street is an iconic sight here—hot spring water gushes from the west side of the lake bed, while cold spring water flows from the east. The meeting of warm and cool water often causes a thin mist to rise over the lake on fall and winter mornings, with the reflections of mountains and trees shimmering on the surface.

No. 4 of Best Things to Do in Oita Prefecture

KYUSHU RAILWAY COMPANY

The Yufuin Forest Sightseeing Train takes about two and a half hours to connect the bustling city of Hakata with the hot spring resort of Beppu in Kyushu. The emerald green appearance of the train is eccentric, galloping in the forest plateau like a flying fairy. Warm wood-colored interiors look classic and natural. Passing through the quiet and pleasant Yufuin along the route, her purity, uniqueness, and enthusiasm are vividly displayed on this sightseeing train, and it is a completely idyllic scene. The beautiful natural scenery along the way and the green body echo each other, which is very harmonious. From the step of stepping into the forest of Yufuin, the dreamy leisure journey has already begun.

Kokonoe Yume Otsuribashi

The Kujue Dream Suspension Bridge is located in the Naruko River Valley in Oita, Kyushu, Japan. It hangs high above the valley. The bridge deck is as high as 173 meters from the water surface, with a total length of 390 meters and a bridge deck width of 1.5 meters. This is a majestic pedestrian bridge in Japan, the deck is designed to carry the weight of 1800 adults. Through the steel grille in the middle of the bridge deck, you can look down at the creek at the bottom of the valley. Standing on the bridge, you can also overlook the "Vibration Falls", one of the top 100 famous waterfalls. If you go in early November in autumn, you can also see Jiuzui Creek of red leaves.

No. 1 of Fall Viewing Attractions in Oita Prefecture

Lake Kinrin

Lake Kinrin is one of the representative sightseeing spots in the Yufuin area. It is located at the foot of Mount Yufu. It was formerly known as Yuexia Pond. Later, a Confucian scholar saw the lake glittering like fish scales under the setting sun, and it was renamed Lake Kinrin from then on. In addition to the runoff injected by Yubuyue, there are also natural springs at the bottom of the lake, so Lake Kinrin is actually half a hot spring lake. In winter, the hot spring water meets the icy lake water to produce fog, which lingers around the lake and mountains, like a dream.

No. 2 of Hot Springs Attractions in Oita Prefecture

Yufuin Area

Yufuin Street is an area famous for its hot springs, natural scenery and artistic atmosphere. Surrounded by mountains, the scenery varies in each season. Kinrin Lake is an iconic attraction, especially the lake surface in the morning mist, which looks like a fairyland. The food here is famous for its fresh ingredients and unique flavors. There are many specialty shops and many handicraft workshops where you can experience the production yourself. Yufuin Museum of Art displays modern Japanese art and is suitable for art lovers. Yufuin Street has a unique flavor at night and is even more charming under the embellishment of lights. As a well-known hot spring area, the hot spring water here is of excellent quality, and there are many hot spring hotels and public baths, providing a wealth of bathing options. This is a treasure area that combines nature, art, food and hot springs. Whether you want to relax or explore culture, you can find your own fun here.

No. 1 of Best Things to Do in Oita Prefecture

Hells of Beppu

Hells of Beppu is a famous hot spring in the Beppu area, and was chosen by the Japanese as the best hot spring in Western Japan. The most popular hot spring is the Eight Hells Hot Spring. The Eight Hells Hot Springs are: Sea Hell, Ghost Stone Fangzhou Hell, Mountain Hell, Stove Hell, Ghost Mountain Hell, White Pool Hell, Blood Pool Hell, and Tornado Hell. Sea Hell is the big one, and the distinctive one is Blood Pool Hell. It is famous for its "red hot spring", which is blood-red water that Japanese Buddhists believe to be a torrent from the underworld. "Blood Pond Ointment", made from the red clay of the blood pond, can treat athlete's foot and is popular in Japan. We also can't forget the Ghost Mountain Hell, also known as "Crocodile Hell". Currently, the crocodile farm in it is raising about 100 crocodiles of three kinds. During winter nights, keepers patrol every three hours to watch for crocodiles crawling out of the hot springs. Also surprising is the piranhas kept in the Wade White Pool Hell Garden, but what is fascinating is the "color-changing water", the water sprayed from the hot spring changes from colorless and transparent to blue-white when it falls into the pool..Hell is a name given to hot springs since ancient times, reserved locally to represent the long history of the hot spring town. The reason why hot springs are called "Hell" is that the place after a volcanic eruption is very similar to the landscape of Buddhist hell, because it is smokey and grass does not grow, so people are frightened. In Beppu, you can use hot spring water to make canned soft drinks, and use the free steam to cook rice directly. Locals use natural geothermal heat to make the famous steamed hell dish. The cooking method is very simple. Fresh seafood and vegetables are steamed in hot springs up to 100 ° C. Most of the nearby restaurants offer this. A kind of buffet. Steamed hell of cooking.

Dowanosato Kusu Rest Area

No. 3 of Hot Springs Attractions in Kumamoto Prefecture

Kunugiyu

Kunugiyu is a well-known hot spring center that attracts many visitors with its beautiful natural scenery and well-equipped hot spring facilities. In spring, the mountains and forests sprout with fresh greenery, and the air is filled with the scent of fresh plants; in summer, the dense forests provide a cool and comfortable environment to escape the heat; in fall, the mountains are covered in red leaves tinged with gold and fiery red; in winter, snow occasionally falls in the mountains, and the white mist rising from the hot springs intertwines with the tranquil natural view. The hot spring center features various types of baths, including large indoor baths, massage baths, bubble baths, and open-air hot spring pools. The center also has a relaxation area where visitors can rest, read magazines, or take a nap in a comfortable space after bathing. In addition, the on-site restaurant offers a variety of Japanese cuisine, such as ramen, set meals, udon noodles, drinks, and desserts, allowing visitors to enjoy a wide range of delicious food.