The sky keeps getting darker and I’ve lost my way. At this rate, who knows when I’ll ever reach my destination, Beppu… Kurokawa Onsen wasn’t in the plan at first either, but Yufuin also caught my eye along the way, so I stopped by for a bit. I actually thought about going the next day, but after going through the unheard-of ordeal of a traffic jam on the expressway this time, I switched to a “just go now while you can” policy.
Street scene in Yufuin
Well… if you ask for my impression, Yufuin has a vibe similar to Kamakura or Karuizawa. Rather than the well-dressed onsen theme park feel of Kurokawa, the town itself is stylish and there’s a lot to see as you wander around.
The stream
The arcade
This kind of setup is Karuizawa style through and through.
The Kinsho Croquette I’d seen somewhere before
It caught my eye, so I bought one.
Looks like this…
It was smaller than I expected. It’s packed with piping-hot cream inside and crispy outside, so it tastes pretty good, but this is the typical B-grade gourmet snack you eat one of and call it a day, so I can’t go as far as saying “you must try it if you go to Yufuin.” If you really want to eat it, just one… Eat several and it gets greasy, and the calorie load is serious too. When I see people wildly recommending what is, in a way, an enemy of your health, it makes me shudder a little… Of course the choice is yours, and how many people are going to listen to what an unpopular blogger says anyway, but my conscience won’t allow that kind of thing yet. Having said all that, I ended up eating one of the most representative high-calorie B-grade gourmet dishes for dinner too… sigh.
Scenery along the stream
The other side of the shopping street
In Korea, Kurokawa and Yufuin are very famous as hot spring towns, but personally I couldn’t get that excited about them. Yufuin somehow feels like a knockoff of Karuizawa, and Kurokawa feels too polished and commercial, if that makes sense. If I were going to a hot spring in Kyushu, I’d pick one of Yufuin’s hidden gem ryokan. Wander the shopping streets or the dessert shops that are famous nationwide during the day, then relax at the onsen at night. Kurokawa is surrounded by mountains, so once you’re in, there isn’t much to do. It’d be great for foreigners who want a taste of Japanese tradition, but I’ve pretty much reached the point where I’m hardly any different from a Japanese person…
Yufuin at night
On the way to Beppu we crossed a mountain, and a magical view appeared outside the window, so I got out right away at the observation deck and took this. But it came out really shaky. I should have stopped the aperture down more, too… sigh. Once again I vow to get a better camera. Where was the K-7 taking pre-orders again…