Cycling in Yufuin through Rain and Sunshine

After our first experience with cycling in Japan, WJ and I knew that we wanted to do it again on this trip. Yufuin was the best place to do it as it’s a small town known for its hot springs and a picturesque lake set against rolling mountains.

We stayed at Yufuin Lamp no Yado, and it was amazing trying out the ryokan’s private onsens. It was extremely hot when we first dipped our toes in, but we eventually got used to the heat and slowly lowered our bodies in to soak.

We also enjoyed the huge breakfast spread just a minute’s walk away from our “cabin” every morning. And WJ was ecstatic about the 3 cats and 1 teeny kitten there. They were like his pets for our stay at the ryokan.

And of course, the great thing about Yufuin Lamp no Yado was that they offered free bicycle rentals to explore the surrounding area! We made full use of this and cycled all three days we stayed there.

Lake Kinrinko

The lake, while small, was very scenic and peaceful. We watched the koi swim in the lake and the sun slowly go down the mountains. There was also a small Shinto shrine at the edge of the lake, and we had fun watching the cormorants cleaning themselves on top of the torii.

Yunotsubo Street

The buildings are reminiscent of the towns from the Edo period and are rows of stores and restaurants. We parked our bicycles and strolled around to explore the different shops.

Yufuin Floral Village

It’s a charming tiny village that’s great for pictures if you can get a breather from the crowds! The floral village was incredibly crowded when we arrived, and after roaming around, it doesn’t really offer much if you’re not a fan of Studio Ghibli or any of the characters and like to buy their merchandise.

It also seems to function as a mini petting zoo of sorts, with goats, bunnies, ducks and squirrels. We were there in summer at the end of June, so there were definitely whiffs of pungent farm-type smells near the animal enclosures

Yufuin Showakan

WJ and I had such a great time in this quirky, retro museum with furniture, electronics, and more from the past! We thought it was a small building and we went in with one hour to closing time.

We should have come much earlier or gone in another day, because one hour is way too short! Not only were there many thematic rooms that were great for photos, there was also a casino room and an arcade room where you could play the casino and old-school arcade games for free!

Temples and Shrines

WJ wanted to do a “temple run”, as he called it – a visit to all the temples and shrines in the surrounding area on our bicycles spread over two days.

We started the first day with perfect weather and visited two Shinto shrines and one temple.

The second day started out cloudy with light drizzling, which we ignored as we thought that we could seek shelter on the way if we really had to. And we thought our Uniqlo Blocktech jackets would keep us relatively dry, because well, it’s supposed to block us from the elements.

After arriving at the first temple and getting the goshuin from the very friendly monk, we waited out the light rain before getting on our bicycles again. The monk had offered us tea to wait out the rain, but we wanted to head to the next temple on our list.

We really should have taken up his offer because halfway through, it started to pour. And there was no shelter in sight! As if I wasn’t wet enough, a car drove through a huge puddle and splashed a wave of icy cold water over me as we were hurrying on to the next temple.

We finally arrived at the second temple drenched. Our water-resistant jackets were soaked through, and even our shirts and underwear were soaking wet.

We must have looked very pathetic and sorry, because a kind, elderly lady who was there brought us some towels and snacks. While it was a futile effort trying to dry ourselves, we appreciated her sweet gesture and tried to thank her as best as we could in our non-existent Japanese.

Once the rain petered off to a slight drizzle, we made our way to the third and last Shinto shrine of the day. And predictably, after the intense rains in the morning, it was bright and sunny in the afternoon!