Yufu No Yado Kifuu

Stayed for 2 nights in April 2013. The Ryokan is a little away from the main part of Yufuin, which keeps it quiet. For some it may be too far, but it is about a 7 - 10 minute walk to a decent supermarket. While we did drive there, so didn't have to lug around bags etc.we did walk into town a few times and it was a pleasant walk with things to see. While the outside is not particularly noteworthy, the rooms are spacious, well appointed and clean. There is a balcony that can be reached directly from the room and this is very pleasant to sit on in the afternoon. The food is very good and there is plenty of it. During the 2 nights both the dinner and breakfast menus changed each day. Meals are served in a common dining area, which is simple but very cosy. The Ryokan has both an outdoor and indoor spring fed baths which are easily large enough to cater for a family. While the outdoor bath doesn't have any great views (at least while in the bath) it is very nicely landscaped within. The owners are very friendly and obliging. If you have some very basic Japanese that should suffice to make the trip go smoothly as the owners have only basic English. The price I found to be good value for the level of accommodation and food provided. The location is a little away from downtown Yufuin but still within a pleasant walk, but with the added benefits of a quiet stay.

We had a lovely one-night stay here and the Japanese-style room we booked has an attached toilet. The good: The owners were very friendly, making us feel very welcome! Dinner was very delightful and the dining area was nicely decorated. It was great to just relax and enjoy the wonderful 16-course meal. We had a great time relaxing at the stone-decorated outdoor family bath - though there wasn't much of a view. The not-so-good: Location. It may seem a bit far away from the train station. There are buses to the ryokan on week days only. However, the taxi ride is less than 10 minutes (the meter hardly jumped). It took us about 40 minutes to walk to the ryokan from the train station (including a side trip to the supermarket and some photo-taking) in the rain. We did enjoy a lovely 30-minute morning stroll to Lake Kinrin.