[2025 Edition] Recommended cherry blossom spots in the Yufuin and Beppu areas of Oita Prefecture
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Located in the center of Oita Prefecture, Yufuin and Beppu next to it are both famous hot spring places. Yufu City, where Yufuin is located, is a land blessed with nature with 1,000-meter-high mountains such as Mt. Yufu to the north and Mt. Kurodake to the southwest, and the idyllic countryside is attractive. Beppu, on the other hand, boasts one of the highest number of springs and the amount of gushing water in Japan, and white hot springs rise up here and there in the city. Why don't you go out to such a hot spring place during the cherry blossom season? In this article, we will introduce 7 recommended cherry blossom spots in Yufuin and Beppu. Enjoy both cherry blossom viewing and hot spring.
1Beppu Park
A picturesque view of cherry blossoms and tulips in full bloom
A comprehensive park located in the center of Beppu City. It is spacious and open, and is used for seasonal events, school trips, and other school events, making it a popular place for local residents to relax. Every spring, about 100 cherry trees bloom in abundance. Each tree is large and voluminous, and because they are planted close together, they are even more gorgeous. Bring a packed lunch and enjoy cherry blossom viewing under the trees.
In addition, tulips and azaleas bloom at the same time as the cherry blossoms, making the park very colorful. There are walking courses, so we recommend taking a walk while enjoying the cherry blossoms.
[Best time to see cherry blossoms] Late March to early April
[Type of cherry blossom] Somei Yoshino
- Beppu Park
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https://beppu-tourism.com/spot/beppukouen/
3018-1 Noguchihara, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture MAP
Approximately 15 minutes walk from JR Beppu Station
0977-21-1473（別府市公園緑地課）
Available (free for up to 1 hour)
2Beppu Rakutenchi
A nostalgic amusement park bathed in the pink of cherry blossoms in full bloom
Founded in 1929 (Showa 4), this is Kyushu's oldest amusement park. When you enter the park by taking a cable car up the mountain slope from the main gate, you will be greeted by Japan's only double Ferris wheel, the Flower Kanransha. There are also plenty of other fun things to do, including 13 types of retro attractions such as merry-go-rounds and roller coasters, interacting with animals, and Rakutenchi's famous duck races.
The park is also famous for its cherry blossoms, with around 3,000 trees in full bloom. There is also a large suspension bridge that is around 150m long, from which you can get a panoramic view of the beautiful Beppu Bay and the pink-hued park. The Cherry Blossom Festival is held every year from mid-March to early April. When the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, the park is open at night, allowing you to enjoy the illuminated cherry blossoms and the glittering night view of Beppu. The park also has a hot hot spring called Zekkeinoyu that visitors can use free of charge, so you can enjoy a bath after cherry blossom viewing.
[Best time to see cherry blossoms] Late March to early April
[Type of cherry blossom] Somei Yoshino
- Beppu Rakutenchi
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- http://www.rakutenchi.jp/
- 18 Nagarekawa Street, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture MAP
- Approximately 6 minutes by car from JR Beppu Station
Take the bus from JR Beppu Station, get off at "Nagarekawa-dori 12-chome" and walk for about 10 minutes
9:30-17:00 *May change depending on the season, weather, etc.
Tuesdays *Closed during winter
Main Gate: Adults (junior high school students and above) 1,300 yen, Children (ages 3 and above) 600 yen
Otohara Gate: Adults (junior high school students and above) 1,100 yen, Children (ages 3 and above) 500 yen- 0977-85-8888
- Yes (charged)
3Steam Observatory
The combination of cherry blossoms and hot spring steam is a unique pleasure in spring in Beppu
Kannawa hot spring, one of the hot hot spring in Beppu, is famous for the billowing steam rising from the hot springs. The Steam Observatory is located halfway up the slope leading to the residential area of Kannawa hot spring. From the observation deck, you can see the steam from hot spring town as well as the towering mountains of Tsurumi-dake and Ohira-yama (Ogi-yama) in the distance. In 2001, NHK held a nationwide competition to select the best Japanese landscapes to be preserved in the 21st century, and the view was chosen as the second best after Mt. Fuji. On weekends, the steam is lit up, and the townscape lit up with warm lights is a mystical sight.
There are rows of cherry trees along the slope, and in spring you can walk through a tunnel of cherry blossoms to the observation deck, where you can see the rare and spectacular combination of cherry blossoms and steam from the hot springs.
[Best time to see cherry blossoms] Early April
[Type of cherry blossom] Somei Yoshino
- Steam Observatory
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- https://beppu-tourism.com/spot/yukemuri-tenbodai/
- Oita Prefecture, Beppu City, Kannawa Higashi 8 MAP
- Approximately 16 minutes by car from JR Beppu Station
- Take the bus from JR Beppu Station, get off at "Kanawa" and walk for about 17 minutes
- 8:00-21:00 *Steam illumination: Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays (19:00-21:00)
- 0977-21-1128（別府市観光課）
- free
4Ogiyama Cherry Blossom Garden
Perfect for a cherry blossom viewing drive. A carpet of cherry blossoms that has spread over half a century
Mount Ohira is commonly known as "Ogiyama" (fan mountain) because of its shape that resembles an upside-down fan. Every year in early April, the Ogiyama Fire Festival, a seasonal sight in spring in Beppu, is held, and the mountainside is engulfed in flames. Halfway up the mountain is Ogiyama Sakura Garden. Cherry trees have been planted here since the 1970s, and after about 50 years, the garden has become home to about 6,000 cherry trees.
Located at an altitude of about 400m, you can get a panoramic view of Beppu Bay and downtown Beppu beyond the cherry blossoms. You can enjoy the spring scenery while trekking through the park, or go for a cherry blossom viewing drive. If you visit early in the morning, you may be able to have the magnificent view of the cherry blossoms, sea, and morning sun all to yourself.
[Best time to see cherry blossoms] Early to late April
[Types of cherry blossoms] Somei-yoshino, Satozakura, etc.
- Ogiyama Cherry Blossom Garden
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- https://i-oita.net/beppu/spot/1860/
- 4550-3 Ohira, Tsurumi, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture MAP
- Approximately 16 minutes by car from JR Beppu Station
- 0977-21-1111（別府市役所農林水産課）
- None *Parking available on the prefectural road
5Beppu Ropeway
Enjoy the spectacular spring scenery while taking a walk in the air
Aso Kuju National Park spans Oita Prefecture and Kumamoto Prefecture. The top of Mount Tsurumi, which is 1,375 meters above sea level and is part of the national park, can be reached in about 10 minutes using the Beppu Ropeway. From various points on the mountain, you can enjoy a 360-degree view of the magnificent scenery, including the Beppu cityscape, Beppu Bay, and the Kuju mountain range.
In spring, you can see wild cherry blossoms on the slopes of Mount Tsurumi while riding the ropeway, and Mamezakura, which is rare in Kyushu, near the summit. In Mount Tsurumi Nature Park's Shiki no Sato, which spreads out next to Beppu Kogen Station, where you board the ropeway, about 2,000 cherry trees, including Somei Yoshino, Oshimazakura, and Botanzakura, are in bloom. Looking down from the top of the ropeway, you can see a sea of cherry blossoms in various shades of pink.
[Best time to see cherry blossoms] Early to late April
[Types of cherry blossoms] Yamazakura, Mamezakura, Somei Yoshino, etc.
- Beppu Ropeway
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- https://www.beppu-ropeway.co.jp/
- 10-7 Kanbara, Minamitateishi, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture MAP
- About 5 minutes by car from Beppu IC
- Take the bus from JR Beppu Station and get off at "Beppu Ropeway"
- Summer (March 15th - November 14th) First departure 9:00, last departure 17:00, last departure 17:30
Winter (November 15th to March 14th) First departure 9:00, last upbound flight 16:30, last downbound flight 17:00 - Open everyday * May be suspended due to bad weather, facility maintenance, inspection, etc.
- Adults (junior high school students and above) round trip 1,800 yen, one way 1,200 yen
Children (ages 4 to elementary school): 900 yen round trip, 600 yen one way
Seniors (70 and over): Round trip 1,700 yen, one way 1,200 yen - 0977-22-2278
- free
6Lake Shidaka
A place of relaxation for Beppu residents where you can enjoy cherry blossom viewing from the lake
The lake is located about a 20-minute drive from downtown Beppu. It is located on a plateau at an altitude of about 600m, part of the Aso Kuju National Park, and has long been loved by the locals of Beppu as a scenic spot from which you can see both Mount Yufu and Mount Tsurumi.
In spring, cherry blossoms bloom all over the lakeside, allowing you to enjoy cherry blossom viewing in the relaxed atmosphere. Not only Somei-Yoshino cherry trees, but also Yamazakura and Yaezakura cherry trees bloom one after another, reaching full bloom a little later than on the plains. You can enjoy cherry blossom viewing by laying out a sheet, and there is also a promenade, making it ideal for strolling while admiring the cherry blossoms. You can also enjoy cherry blossom viewing from the lake on a boat, giving you a resort-like feeling.
[Best time to see cherry blossoms] Late March to mid-April
[Types of cherry blossoms] Somei-yoshino, Yamazakura, Yaezakura, etc.
- Lake Shidaka
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- https://beppu-tourism.com/feature/lake_shidaka
- 4380 Shidaka, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture MAP
- Approximately 20 minutes by car from JR Beppu Station
- Take the bus from JR Beppu Station, get off at "Shidakakohan" and walk for about 3 minutes
- Free to visit
- Free to visit
- 0977-25-3601（志高湖管理事務所）
- Free (8:00-17:00)
7Cherry blossom trees along the Oita River
A cherry blossom viewing spot where you can encounter the scenery that symbolizes spring in Yufuin
The Oita River that flows through the center of Yufuin is a great place for a cherry blossom viewing stroll. The cherry blossoms usually bloom from late March to early April, and you can enjoy the scenery that symbolizes spring in Yufuin. We especially recommend the Nanohana Embankment, a walking path that runs from Miyuki Bridge, about a 10-minute walk from Yufuin Station, to Shiro Bridge upstream. The gorgeous rows of cherry blossom trees and nanohana flowers with Mount Yufu, also known as Bungo Fuji, in the background is a spectacular sight not to be missed if you visit Yufuin in the spring.
If you go further upstream from Shirobashi Bridge, you can walk to Lake Kinrinko, one of Yufuin's most famous tourist spots. It gets very crowded with tourists during the cherry blossom season, so it's best to go for a walk early in the morning to avoid the crowds.
[Best time to see cherry blossoms] Late March to early April
[Type of cherry blossom] Somei Yoshino
- Cherry blossom trees along the Oita River
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- Yufu City, Oita Prefecture MAP
- About 10 minutes walk from JR Yufuin Station
- 9:00-17:30 (Yufu City Tourist Information Center)
- 0977-84-2446（由布市ツーリストインフォメーションセンター）
- None
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