【2025年12月】1泊2日湯布院女ひとり旅｜定番スポット＆グルメ食べ歩き旅｜由布岳登山・金鱗湖・湯の坪街道｜Yufuin, Oita【SUB/アフレコ/国内旅行】

【2025年12月】1泊2日湯布院女ひとり旅｜定番スポット＆グルメ食べ歩き旅｜由布岳登山・金鱗湖・湯の坪街道｜Yufuin, Oita【SUB/アフレコ/国内旅行】

Good morning. This is a vlog from my solo trip to Yufuin for two days and one night in December 2025. I booked my flight with miles and booked my hotel with hometown tax donations, so my upfront expenses were almost zero. I hope to use that money to sample local cuisine. I arrived at Oita Airport. I took a bus from the airport to Yufuin. The bus ride took about an hour. I’ve stopped off in Yufuin on a train trip as a student, but this is my first time staying overnight. This time, I’m planning to relax, soak in the hot springs, enjoy some delicious food, and relax. The bus from the airport arrives right near JR Yufuin Station. Mount Yufu is visible from all over town, but right now the peak is hidden by clouds. I got a map for exploring the town at the information center near the station. First, we went for lunch. The clouds moved, revealing the peak of Mount Yufu. I’d researched this restaurant beforehand and thought it looked delicious. There were a number of menu items that caught my eye, but I chose the Furusato Set Meal. The dessert, called Yaseuma, is apparently a traditional snack from Oita. I got a numbered ticket at the entrance, but I was seated within 10 minutes. I’m sensitive to the cold, so I chose a kotatsu seat. It was a relaxing, Japanese-style space. These are called dango, made by kneading wheat flour and rolling it out flat. You can add yuzu pepper to the dango soup to add a touch of flavor. The chicken tempura was softer than I expected, and while it was delicious on its own, it was even better with ponzu sauce. After lunch, we went for a stroll. I wasn’t interested in mountain climbing when I was a student, so honestly, I barely remember Mt. Yufu. It’s a striking mountain with twin peaks. I’m hoping to climb it tomorrow, so I’ve brought my hiking gear with me. This is Unagihime Shrine. It’s about a 15-minute walk from the tourist-filled Lake Kinrin and Yunotsubo Kaido, so you can enjoy the tranquil atmosphere even before passing through the torii gate. The entire grounds are surrounded by dense trees. This shrine features a huge, striking tree stump. This sacred tree was blown down in a typhoon in 1991. Apparently, one of the trees was 600 years old. Next, we walked to Lake Kinrin. As we approached Lake Kinrin, the crowds gradually increased. Right next to Lake Kinrin is the small Tenso Shrine. If you go around to the back of this building, you’ll find a torii gate. The chances of seeing morning mist increase during the cooler months, so I’m looking forward to returning here tomorrow morning. Now, let’s begin the fun part of our food tour. First up is this shop, whose reviews rave about delicious dango. I ordered the popular mitarashi and matcha flavors, and the dango itself was soft and delicious. Next up is the gold medal croquette. I enjoyed it piping hot, freshly fried. The black pepper added a nice kick, and it was so tasty, it was no wonder there was a line. By the way, everything I tried on my Yufuin food tour was delicious, no pretense needed, but there was one thing that stood out as a winner, so I’ll share it in the video. On the way, I stopped by Floral Village, but it was so crowded I quickly retreated. Since I’d come all the way to Oita, I wanted to try some of Oita’s brand beef, so I had Bungo beef sushi. I ordered the top-grade kalbi. The description of the sirloin said it had a melt-in-your-mouth texture, and the top-grade kalbi was also perfectly melt-in-your-mouth. I continued my food tour, picking out souvenirs along the way. Next up was my favorite fried chicken. The line at this restaurant was particularly long. Each piece of fried chicken was large, and the flavor was universally appealing. As I walked from Lake Kinrin toward Yufuin Station, I came across gourmet restaurants on both sides of the road, perfect for a bite to eat. Apparently, they have freshly baked, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth cheesecake here. Can you tell how jiggly it is? I ate it so fast I thought it was a drink. I had better stop eating soon, or I’ll miss dinner, so I’ll head to the art museum next. Tickets can be purchased on-site, but you can also buy them in advance. It’s 200 yen cheaper. I bought my ticket on my smartphone just before going in. I thought it reminded me of Kengo Kuma’s architecture, and it was. Works by Yayoi Kusama and Takashi Murakami are displayed in this stylish space. Since there’s still some time before dinner, I head to the second floor of the information center near the station. I was able to go outside, and from there I could get a beautiful view of Mount Yufu. I bought some Yufuin-themed items for tomorrow’s hike. Local snacks and drinks are always a fun part of hiking. I checked into my lodging for the night. The maisonette-style room was incredibly spacious, far too luxurious for a solo stay. I spent the time before dinner reading a book I’d brought from home. The long-awaited dinner finally arrived. They’d even prepared a private room for me, even though I was alone. When traveling domestically, I often choose lodgings based on reviews of the food. The rice was so delicious I had seconds. After enjoying dessert and a relaxing soak in the hot springs, I’m heading to bed early. Good morning. It’s the morning of day two. First, I’d like to go see the morning mist over Lake Kinrin. On the way, I stopped by Floral Village, which was incredibly crowded yesterday. Of course, the shops were closed, but the atmosphere was reminiscent of a cute European village. Lake Kinrin just before sunrise. Warm hot spring water bubbles up from the bottom of the lake, and when it comes into contact with the cool air, it creates mist. It’s said that the best time to see it is just before sunrise in autumn and winter. The sight of the morning sun shining on Lake Kinrin, shrouded in white mist, was truly magical. We returned to our lodging and had breakfast. They had prepared the same private room as yesterday. I was able to have refills of dango soup and rice. The staff at this inn were all friendly and warm, and I felt very comfortable. I’m now heading up Mount Yufu. First, I took bus number 36 from the bus stop near Yufuin Station. Transportation IC cards were accepted. We arrived in about 15 minutes. We used the portable toilet. The trailhead is right next to the bus stop. There’s also a parking lot there. First, we’ll aim for the summit, which will take about two hours. If we have time, we’d also like to climb Imoriga Castle at the base of Mount Yufu. It’s a cute mountain just before Mount Yufu. As soon as we left the bus stop, the road was open like this, and Mount Yufu came into view right in front of us. There’s clouds over the summit right now, but the weather forecast says it’ll clear up soon, so we’ll trust that and continue our climb. Mount Yufu is a twin-peaked mountain with two peaks: the West Peak and the East Peak. Most hikers climb both peaks and make a complete loop around the summit. However, the West Peak has a chain section that looks a bit difficult, so this time we’ll just do a round trip to the East Peak. Mount Yufu is an easy mountain to hike. Until the final fork between the West and East peaks, there were no particularly difficult or dangerous sections. The latter half of the zigzag path offers many open views, allowing you to enjoy the scenery while climbing. The Yufuin Basin can be seen below. This is where the trail branches off to the West Peak. Going left leads to the West Peak, and going right leads to the East Peak. The area just below the summit is a bit steep, and there are some sections where you need to grab rocks with your hands to climb, but if you proceed carefully it’s not a problem. We’ve reached the summit. The elevation is 1,580m. If the weather were better, we’d be able to see the distant mountains. Until now, it was a hopeless white sky, but gradually, blue sky is beginning to appear. That’s the west peak over there. Apparently, the west peak is only 3 meters higher in elevation. It’s pretty rugged, with chain sections and rocky areas. Looking down in the direction we came from, Imoriga Castle comes into view. I eat the local snacks I bought yesterday. I arrived at the east peak from the trailhead in two hours, just as planned. I descend the same path I came up. If you go left at this fork, you’ll go straight to the trailhead, but if you go right, you can return to the trailhead via Imoriga Castle. This route seemed less traveled, so I was a little worried about what the trailhead would be like, but it was easy and safe. There was still a little bit of autumn left. Looking back, I could see the peak of Mt. Yufu, where I had been a moment ago. The sun shining on the autumn leaves was sparkling beautifully. It took me an hour and 15 minutes to reach the summit of Imorigajo from the summit of Mt. Yufu. When I watched a YouTube video to prepare, the green areas were all golden, and I thought this time of year was lovely. If I miss the bus in 10 minutes, the next one will be another hour later, so I’m hurrying to the trailhead. I managed to catch the bus.
On the way back, I didn’t ride all the way to Yufuin Station, but got off somewhere near Lake Kinrin. There are still some restaurants I’m interested in, so I’ll continue my food adventure from yesterday. It was piping hot, freshly grilled. The chicken and burdock root looked delicious, too. And this duck soba was surprisingly delicious. The combination of charcoal-grilled duck, yuzu, and dashi broth was delicious, and personally, it was a hit. I was also grateful to be able to sit down and eat like this. For dessert, I had Mont Blanc dorayaki from the same shop. I was also tempted by the freshly baked dorayaki, but as a chestnut lover, I couldn’t resist this one. Also, I bought yuzu kosho from the same shop. I’ve been using it almost every day since returning from my trip, and it’s so delicious. Finally, I had gelato, which comes with a choice of matcha strength. I consulted with the staff and chose the 5x strength. It was rich and very satisfying. When I went on my food tour of Yufuin, I found that some restaurants didn’t accept credit cards, so it’s a good idea to bring some cash with me. I got a Mt. Yufu badge as a souvenir. I had planned to take it easy this time, but as usual, my schedule ended up being packed, but it was a fun two-day, one-night trip. I took the bus to Oita Airport and caught the last flight back to Tokyo. It was a rewarding solo trip to mark the end of 2025.

2025年12月湯布院にひとり旅したときのvlogです。
湯布院は、主要観光スポットが比較的近くにまとまっていて、車がなくても移動しやすく、ひとり旅の難易度が低めでした。
2日目に由布岳登山もしてきました。東峰へのピストンなら難易度が低くて、気軽に楽しめました。

▽音楽（一部）：BGMer

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