Things to do in Kusu

I highly recommend it! Yufuin is a small hot spring town about two hours from Fukuoka. Stay at a ryokan, take a warm hot spring bath, and enjoy delicious kaiseki and breakfast~

I would like to recommend Kurokawa Onsen! There are baths, you can eat while walking, and the air is delicious and relaxing. A car is necessary and the roads are narrow, but they are one-way so it is easy to get around ☺️ The people are kind and friendly, and it feels like you are on a trip, which makes you feel good 🎵

The entire train journey took a little over two hours. The section from Yufuin to Kurume featured typical Japanese countryside scenery, which was quite pleasant. The so-called waterfalls online were actually quite small (perhaps I misunderstood the train announcements). The train announced some scenic spots, though only in Japanese and English. The onboard interaction was also quite pleasant. The attendants explained which carriages had what, and you could even wear the train attendant uniforms and take photos. Finally, just before arriving in Hakata, they distributed candy printed in the train's iconic colors.

Now that it is the only ski resort in Kyushu, I can't recommend going there on a weekend. Considering the cost of the lift ticket and the time it takes to ride the lift, it's the worst value for money. It's easily accessible from the city center, so it might be okay to go on a weekday.

The colors weren't as vibrant as I expected. The observation deck is quite unstable.

It is a very beautiful town that is integrated with nature🥰🥰 Take a walk by Lake Kinrin while looking at the Yufuin Mountains. Then eat the famous local half-cooked cheesecake Very leisurely and a good place to travel with the whole family🥰🥰

Having previously visited Iceland, I found the Hells of Beppu quite underwhelming. It had more of a theme park vibe rather than natural beauty. We bought the combined ticket to visit all 7 hells and out of all of them, for me, only Umi Jigoku was wow. I was most disappointed with they geyser at Tatsumaki Jigoku (tornado hell). The top of it has a stone mantle so it doesn’t shoot up very high. The entrance price is very reasonable and savings to be had when buying the combined ticket. You need cash to buy any snacks or drinks in the hells (no suica or other cards accepted). I can recommend the steamed sweet potato cakes and the sweet potato ice cream. We visited ourselves by local bus (very easy) rather than a tour but found the directions for some of the hells not very clear or obvious. There were also free hot spring foot baths in a couple of the hells which was lovely after a lot of walking. An interesting place to visit but not what I expected based on articles I’d read beforehand.