Yufuin Floral Village [Oita]

【Overview of Yufuin Floral Village】
【Recreating Harry Potter Filming Locations】
【Popular Character Shops】
【Takemoto-dori Street】
【Nearby Tourist Spots】
【Yufuin Floral Village Access】
Admin’s Impressions
Yufuin Floral Village Address
Yufuin Floral Village Official Website

【Overview of Yufuin Floral Village】

Yufuin Floral Village is a fairy-tale-like, British-style mini theme park that recreates the beautiful streetscapes of the Cotswolds region in England. Located on the way from Yunotsubo Kaido to Lake Kinrin, a fairy-tale world is compactly condensed into its modest grounds. Admission is free (some animal interaction facilities charge a fee), making it an extremely popular and accessible photo spot.

【Why Is There Suddenly an English Village in a Traditional Japanese Hot Spring Town?】

Since the Showa era, Yufuin has pursued a urban planning vision aimed at becoming “an artistic town in harmony with nature, reminiscent of the European countryside.”

By intentionally refraining from building large hotels or entertainment districts to preserve its lush green scenery, it was decided that the concept of the “world’s most beautiful village” in England’s Cotswolds region would fit seamlessly with Yufuin’s “laid-back rural landscape.”

Verde Co., Ltd., a company based in Oita Prefecture that operates retail businesses (such as general goods and clocks) and resort operations, planned and constructed this facility.

Until then, Yufuin had a strong image as a “quiet, mature hot spring retreat.” However, to serve as a “new hook (main attraction) that young women, families, and overseas tourists would feel naturally drawn to walk around and take photos of,” an overwhelmingly photogenic “fairy-tale land” was brought to life in a prime location along the main street.

【Recreating Harry Potter Filming Locations】

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The facility recreates the honey-colored cobblestone paths and brick structures of the Cotswolds, which are also known as filming locations for the Harry Potter films.

【Popular Character Shops】

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There are around 20 cute souvenir and novelty shops themed around the worlds of picture books and anime, starting with Studio Ghibli works such as Kiki’s Delivery Service and My Neighbor Totoro, as well as Peter Rabbit, Alice in Wonderland, and Heidi, Girl of the Alps.

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It seems there was some kind of issue inside one of the shops… Since it wasn’t in Japanese, I couldn’t understand what they were saying, but I wonder if everything is okay regarding public order/safety…

【Takemoto-dori Street】

Walking straight down Yunotsubo Kaido from the Yufuin Station side leads directly onto “Takemoto-dori Street.” Continuing to the very end of this street brings you to Lake Kinrin, along whose shore sits Tenso Shrine.

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Along with Yunotsubo Kaido, the street is densely packed with sweets shops, cafés, street-food stalls for eating on the go, and souvenir shops. This surrounding area is famous for having an extraordinarily high proportion of Korean tourists, even compared to other parts of Japan.

Since travelers from South Korea are the single largest clientele for store owners, it has become a daily occurrence for restaurants and souvenir shops along Takemoto-dori and Yunotsubo Kaido to display signboards and menus featuring Korean (Hangul) far more prominently than Japanese. A significant number of store staff members are also able to serve customers in Korean.

【Why Is Yufuin Full of Korean Tourists?】

Fukuoka Airport is just a little over an hour away by plane, or about 3 hours by high-speed ferry, from South Korea (Busan and Seoul). From there, direct express buses bound for Yufuin as well as the “Yufuin no Mori” limited express train are available, making Yufuin the “most accessible overseas hot spring resort” for people in Korea. Additionally, Yufuin has been featured repeatedly as a shooting location on Korean television shows and social media, sparking a major boom. In particular, the travel style centered around “relaxing surrounded by rich nature” (known as “healing [힐링]” in Korean) appears to resonate deeply with young adults and families.

【Nearby Tourist Spots】

Tenso Shrine

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Tenso Shrine [Oita]

【Yufuin Floral Village Access】

Admin’s Impressions

Due to the massive viral popularity on social media, the venue becomes quite crowded during the day with international tourists from around Asia and tour bus groups, just like Tenso Shrine and Lake Kinrin. Because the site itself is compact, the narrow walkways become packed during busy hours, making it difficult to take photos at a relaxed pace. If you want to avoid the crowds and quietly take photos of the fairy-tale space, I think it is best to aim for a visit around 9:30 AM, right after opening. Personally, I don’t think I will visit again…

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