Recommended Cherry Blossom Spots in Yufuin and Beppu Area, Oita Prefecture, 2025 Edition
Yufuin, located in the center of Oita Prefecture, and its neighbor Beppu are both famous hot spring resorts. Yufuin is located in the city of Yufuin, a land blessed with great nature, with the 1,000-meter mountains of Yufudake to the north and Kurodake to the southwest, and its peaceful rural scenery is very attractive. Beppu, on the other hand, boasts Japan's top-class number of hot springs and the amount of hot spring water gushing forth from them, and the city is filled with white steam rising up from the ground here and there. Why not visit such a hot spring resort during the cherry blossom season? This article introduces seven recommended cherry blossom viewing spots in Yufuin and Beppu. Enjoy both cherry blossom viewing and hot springs.
1Beppu Park
Picture-perfect scenery of cherry blossoms and tulips in full bloom
Beppu General Park is located in the center of Beppu City. The park is spacious and open, and is a popular place for citizens to relax and enjoy, used for seasonal events and school events such as field trips. Every spring, approximately 100 cherry trees are in full bloom. All of the trees are large and voluminous, and because they are planted in clusters, they are even more spectacular. Visitors can enjoy viewing the cherry blossoms under the trees with a packed lunch.
Tulips and azaleas also bloom at the same time as the cherry blossoms, making the park very colorful. Walking courses are also available, so we recommend that you enjoy viewing the cherry blossoms while walking.
Cherry blossom viewing season] Usually from late March to early April.
Cherry blossom type】Someiyoshino cherry trees
- Beppu Park
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3018-1 Noguchibaru, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture MAP
Approx. 15 min. walk from JR Beppu Stn.
0977-21-1473（Beppu City Parks and Greenery Division)
Yes (free for up to 1 hour)
2Beppu Lactenchi
Nostalgic amusement park in the color of cherry blossoms in full bloom
Founded in 1929, this is Kyushu's oldest amusement park. Visitors enter the park by taking a cable car up the slope of the mountain from the main gate, and are greeted by the "Flower Ferris Wheel," the only double Ferris wheel of its kind in Japan. Other attractions include 13 retro attractions such as a merry-go-round and roller coaster, animal interaction, and Lakutenchi's famous "duck race.
The park is also famous for its cherry blossoms, with approximately 3,000 cherry trees in full bloom. There is also a 150-meter-long suspension bridge that offers a panoramic view of the beautiful Beppu Bay and the park, which is tinted in pink. The "Cherry Blossom Festival" is usually held from mid-March to early April. During the cherry blossom festival, the park is open at night when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, allowing visitors to enjoy the illuminated nighttime cherry blossoms and the glittering night view of Beppu. The hot spring "Zekkei no Yu" is available free of charge for visitors to the park, so you can enjoy a hot spring bath after viewing the cherry blossoms.
Cherry blossom viewing season] Usually from late March to early April.
Cherry blossom type】Someiyoshino cherry trees
- Beppu Lactenchi
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- 18 Nagaregawa-dori, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture MAP
- 6 minutes drive from JR Beppu Station
Take a bus from JR Beppu Station, get off at Nagaregawa-dori 12-chome, and walk about 10 minutes.
9:30-17:00 *Subject to change depending on the season, weather, etc.
Tuesdays *Closed during winter
Main gate: Adults (junior high school students and older): 1,300 yen, Children (3 years old and older): 600 yen
Otobaru Gate: Adults (junior high school students and older): 1,100 yen, children (3 years old and older): 500 yen- 0977-85-8888
- Yes (charged)
3Yukemuri Observatory
Cherry blossoms and hot spring water are a unique springtime treat in Beppu.
Kannawa Onsen, one of Beppu's hot spring resorts, is famous for its steamy, billowing hot spring water. The Yumemuri Observatory is located halfway up the hill leading to the residential area of Kannawa Onsen. From the observatory, visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the hot spring resort and the mountains that rise behind it, including Mount Tsurumidake and Mount Ohira (Ougiyama). The view was chosen by NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) in 2001 as the second best in Japan (after Mt. Fuji) in its "Japanese Scenery to Leave Behind in the 21st Century" contest. On weekends, the town is illuminated by the hot-spring water, and the townscape, decorated with warm lights, is fantastically beautiful.
Along the path of the slope are rows of cherry blossom trees, and in spring, visitors can walk through a tunnel of cherry blossoms to the observatory. The rare combination of cherry blossoms and hot spring water makes for a spectacular view.
Cherry blossom viewing season: Early April
Type of cherry trees: Someiyoshino
- Yumemuri Observatory
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- 8 Kannawa-higashi, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture MAP
- Approx. 16 min. from JR Beppu Station by car
- From JR Beppu Station, take the bus. 17 min. walk from the Kannawa stop.
- 8:00-21:00 *Light-up of hot-spring water: Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays (19:00-21:00)
- 0977-21-1128（Beppu City Tourism Division)
- Free of charge
4Ougiyama Cherry Orchard
Ideal for cherry blossom viewing drive. Carpet of cherry blossoms spread over half a century
Mt. Ohira is commonly called "Fan Mountain" because of its shape like an upside-down fan. Every year in early April, the "Ougiyama Fire Festival," a springtime tradition in Beppu, is held and the surface of the mountain is engulfed in flames. Located halfway up the mountain is the "Ougiyama Cherry Blossom Garden. Originally a wilderness, cherry trees have been planted there since the 1970s, and after about 50 years, it has become a gathering place of about 6,000 cherry trees.
Located at an elevation of 400 m, the park offers a panoramic view of Beppu Bay and downtown Beppu over the cherry trees. You can enjoy the spring scenery while trekking through the park or take a drive to view the cherry blossoms. If you visit early in the morning, you may be able to enjoy the spectacular view of the cherry blossoms, the sea, and the morning sun all to yourself.
Cherry blossom viewing season: Usually from early April to late April.
Someiyoshino cherry trees, satozakura cherry trees, etc.
- Ougiyama Cherry Blossom Garden
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- 4550-3 Ohira, Tsurumi, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture MAP
- Approx. 16 min. from JR Beppu Station by car
- 0977-21-1111（Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Division, Beppu City Hall)
- No *Parking zone is available on the prefectural road.
5Beppu Ropeway
Enjoy the spectacular view only in spring while taking a walk in the air.
Aso Kujyu National Park is located in Oita and Kumamoto Prefectures. Tsurumidake, which is part of the park and rises 1,375 meters above sea level, can be reached in about 10 minutes via the Beppu Ropeway. From various points on the mountain, visitors can enjoy a 360-degree view of Beppu City, Beppu Bay, the Kujyu Mountain Range, and other magnificent scenery.
In spring, while riding the ropeway, you can view the mountain cherry blossoms on the hillside of Mt. In addition, about 2,000 cherry trees, including someiyoshino cherry trees, oshima cherry trees, and button cherry trees, bloom in the Tsurumidake Nature Park "Four Seasons Village" located next to Beppu Kogen Station, where you board the ropeway. Looking down from the top of the ropeway, you can see a sea of cherry blossoms in shades of pink.
Cherry blossom viewing season: Usually from early April to late April.
Cherry blossom types】Yama-zakura, Mame-zakura, Someiyoshino, etc.
- Beppu Ropeway
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- 10-7 Aza Kambara, Oaza Minami Tateishi, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture MAP
- 5 minutes drive from Beppu IC
- Take a bus from JR Beppu Station and get off at Beppu Ropeway.
- Summer (Mar. 15-Nov. 14) first bus 9:00, last bus up 17:00, last bus down 17:30
Winter (Nov. 15 - Mar. 14) First departure 9:00, last up 16:30, last down 17:00 - No holidays *Service may be suspended due to inclement weather, equipment maintenance, inspections, etc.
- Adults (junior high school students and older): round trip 1,800 yen, one way 1,200 yen
Children (4 years old to elementary school students) 900 yen round trip, 600 yen one way
Senior (70 years old and over): 1,700 yen round trip, 1,200 yen one way - 0977-22-2278
- Free of charge
6Lake Shidakako
A place where Beppu citizens can enjoy viewing cherry blossoms from the lake.
The lake is about a 20-minute drive from downtown Beppu. It is located on a plateau about 600 meters above sea level, part of the Aso Kujyu National Park, and has long been loved by Beppu citizens as a place with a spectacular view of both Mount Yufudake and Mount Tsurumidake.
In spring, cherry blossoms bloom all around the lakeside, and visitors can enjoy cherry blossom viewing in the relaxing air. In addition to someiyoshino cherry trees, yamazakura and yaezakura cherry trees bloom one after another, reaching full bloom a little later than on the plains. In addition to laying out sheets for cherry blossom viewing, a promenade has been developed, making it ideal for strolling while admiring the cherry blossoms. You can also take a boat ride on the lake and enjoy the cherry blossoms from the lake, giving you a resort-like atmosphere.
Cherry blossom viewing season: Usually from late March to mid-April.
Someiyoshino cherry trees, yamazakura cherry trees, yaezakura cherry trees, etc.
- Shidakako Lake
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- 4380 Aza-Shitaka, Oaza-Beppu, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture MAP
- 20 minutes by car from JR Beppu Station
- Take a bus from JR Beppu Station, get off at "Shidaka Kohan" bus stop, and walk about 3 minutes.
- Free to visit
- Free to visit
- 0977-25-3601（Shitaka Lake Management Office)
- Free of charge (8:00-17:00)
7Cherry blossom trees along the Oita River
A hanami spot where you can see the iconic scene of Yufuin in spring
The Oita River, which runs through the center of the town of Yufuin, is a great hanami walking course. The cherry blossoms are usually at their best from late March to early April, and you can enjoy the scenery that symbolizes Yufuin in spring. In particular, the "Nanohana Tsutsumi" walking path from Miyukibashi Bridge, a 10-minute walk from Yufuin Station, to Joubashi Bridge upstream is highly recommended. With Mt. Yufuin, known as "Bungo Fuji," in the background, the rows of cherry blossom trees and rape blossoms are a spectacular sight that should not be missed when visiting Yufuin in spring.
If you go further upstream from the castle bridge, you can walk to Kinrin-ko Lake, one of Yufuin's most popular tourist spots. The park is crowded with tourists during the cherry blossom season, so it is best to take a walk early in the morning to avoid the crowds.
Cherry blossom viewing season] Usually from late March to early April.
Cherry blossom type】Someiyoshino cherry trees
- Cherry blossom trees along the Oita River
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- Yufu City, Oita Prefecture MAP
- 10-minute walk from JR Yufuin Station
- 9:00-17:30 (Yufu Tourist Information Center)
- 0977-84-2446（Yufu Tourist Information Center)
- None
Local Guide who was in charge of this article
- Miyu Yamazaki Active girl full of energy
Hoshino Resorts facilities nearby
Beppu Hot Spring, Oita Prefecture- Hoshino Resorts KAI Beppu
- Conveniently located as a base for sightseeing in Beppu. All Guest rooms have an ocean view and the view of the ocean is breathtaking.
Yufuin hot spring, Oita- Hoshino Resorts KAI Yufuin
- Hot spring ryokan with a view of terraced rice field landscapes, known as Japan's original landscape. You can enjoy the scenery that changes color from season to season.