Yufuin Kotobuki Hananosho is a ryokan of 50 rooms in Yufuin Onsen, Oita, about 5 minutes on foot from JR Yufuin Station. It calls itself an inn where Japanese and Western styles meet, set in a 2,000-tsubo Japanese garden with a Noh stage that floats on a pond, and Mount Yufu behind it. Before you book, three things matter: the last check-in is 18:00 on plans with meals; the shared baths are open from check-in to midnight and again from 6:00 to 9:30; and there is no bookable private bath, though six rooms have an open-air bath of their own.
Getting to Yufuin Kotobuki Hananosho from Yufuin Station
The inn is in Kawakami, Yufuin. From JR Yufuin Station on the Kyudai Line, it is about 5 minutes on foot, and the same from the Yufuin bus center, where highway buses arrive. The inn says highway buses also run from Fukuoka and Oita airports. By car, it is about 8 minutes from the Yufuin exit of the Oita Expressway. There is no pickup service.
Parking is free for 50 cars, first come, first served. The inn’s FAQ puts Yunotsubo Kaido, the shopping street, at about 15 minutes on foot. For the rest of the town, see our Yufuin guide.
Yufuin Kotobuki Hananosho at a glance
| Item | Official information |
|---|---|
| Address | 2900-5 Kawakami, Yufuin-machi, Yufu, Oita |
| Rooms | 50 (46 Japanese-style, 4 Western-style) |
| Check-in / out | 14:00, last check-in 18:00 / 10:00 |
| Shared baths | Check-in to midnight, then 6:00–9:30 |
| Prices | From 22,330 yen per person with two meals (two sharing) |
| Extra charge | Bathing tax 250 yen per adult (12 and over) |
| Smoking | Non-smoking throughout, no smoking area |
| Contact | +81-977-84-2161, kotobuki@hananosho.co.jp |
From the official site and booking page, read October 14, 2026.
Which room types are there?
| Room type | Rooms | What the official pages say |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese room with a wide veranda | 31 | Mount Yufu view; room-only plan up to 4 guests |
| Large Japanese room | 5 | Faces the parking lot; for families and groups of 4 or more |
| Japanese room with open-air bath | 6 | Mount Yufu view; six bath styles in pottery, wood and stone; up to 4 guests for now |
| Deluxe twin, Western style | 3 | 36 square meters, two 120 cm beds, up to 3 guests |
| Special room | 1 | Two rooms, Mount Yufu view, up to 6 guests |
All rooms have a bathroom with toilet and shower, air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, a safe, and a yukata. The deluxe twin has beds set up so that guests with limited mobility can use them, and the inn lists wheelchair access and a wheelchair to borrow; it asks guests to confirm details directly.
The garden and the floating Noh stage
From the lobby and many rooms you look over the garden toward Mount Yufu, with cherry blossoms in season. The garden holds a water mill, a thatched house named Hotaru-sha, and a floating stage on the pond, which the inn describes as very rare in Japan. It is lit up at night, used for weddings, and the inn holds a Noh performance on it every autumn. The tea lounge Hanasaki in the lobby looks onto the garden, and a welcome drink is served from 14:00 to 18:00.
What else is inside?
A Japanese restaurant called Kisui, the bar lounge Pensee, the karaoke room Ayaka (both paid), a rest area for after the bath, and paid massage. The shop and the sauna are closed for now.
The baths at Yufuin Kotobuki Hananosho
The water is Yufuin Onsen, a simple hot spring. The men’s side has an open-air bath with a cascade, a cypress bath with jets, and a large rock bath under a roof, so you can soak in light rain. The women’s side has its own open-air bath, which the inn calls Bijin-no-yu. There is no mixed bath.
When are the baths open?
From check-in until midnight, and again from 6:00 to 9:30 the next morning.
Is there a private bath?
The official pages say the open-air baths cannot be reserved for private use. For a bath to yourself, book one of the six Japanese rooms with an open-air bath on the deck, which the booking page describes as fed 100 percent from the spring.
Can I bathe with a tattoo?
The official pages do not mention tattoos. Ask the inn before you book. Our tattoo and onsen guide explains what to ask.
Meals at Yufuin Kotobuki Hananosho
What are dinner and breakfast like?
The standard plan’s dinner is a seasonal kaiseki, with Kyushu Kuroge wagyu cooked on a ceramic plate and sashimi of fish sent from the Bungo Channel, in courses from appetizers to dessert. The Kotobuki kaiseki upgrades the main to a Bungo beef steak, and other plans center on wagyu steak, shabu-shabu or sukiyaki. Breakfast is Japanese, with ryukyu, an Oita dish of marinated fish, and tofu made with Yufuin water. Both meals are served in the dining room or a banquet hall; one family plan promises a private room for both meals.
Can the inn handle allergies or a special diet?
Tell the inn about allergies, with details and the number of guests, when you book. The inn says some allergies, such as wheat, may not be possible to handle. The official pages do not mention vegetarian or halal meals.
Prices, children, cancellation and payment
How much does a stay cost?
On the official booking page, the standard plan with dinner and breakfast starts at 22,330 yen per person for two sharing a Japanese room or the deluxe twin, tax included; the room with an open-air bath starts at 26,730 yen. An early-bird plan booked 30 days ahead takes 1,650 yen off. The room-only plan starts at 13,530 yen per person. Rates change by date, and bookings close at 18:00 the day before.
What taxes are added?
Yufu City charges a bathing tax of 250 yen per adult per night at these prices; under-12s are exempt (see our onsen bathing tax guide). Oita Prefecture has also won national approval for a new accommodation tax of 100 to 2,000 yen per person per night by room rate, expected from January 2027.
What do children cost?
Elementary-school children pay 70 percent of the adult rate. Infants pay 50 percent with meals and bedding, 7,700 yen with meals only, 4,400 yen with bedding only, and 2,200 yen with neither. The inn asks for each child’s age and gender when you book.
What is the cancellation policy?
All the official pages agree on 70 percent the day before, and 100 percent on the day or for a no-show. The earlier steps differ between the website and the booking page, so read the rule on your plan before you pay, and see our hotel cancellation guide.
How do I pay?
The booking page offers payment at the inn or by card online, with no deposit; the New Year plan is card online only. At the inn, every official list includes Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, UC and debit cards.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Yufuin Kotobuki Hananosho
- Arrive by 18:00, or call ahead; give the inn a phone number that works on the day.
- The shared baths close at midnight and reopen at 6:00, and breakfast-time bathing ends at 9:30.
- The English pages are a translation; if a detail looks unclear, the Japanese pages or an email to the inn will settle it.
- Keep 250 yen per adult for the bathing tax.
- The whole property is non-smoking, with no smoking area.
Frequently asked questions
What time is check-in at Yufuin Kotobuki Hananosho?
Can I use the baths at Yufuin Kotobuki Hananosho with a tattoo?
Does Yufuin Kotobuki Hananosho have a private bath?
What is the cancellation policy at Yufuin Kotobuki Hananosho?
How far is Yufuin Kotobuki Hananosho from Yufuin Station?
Bottom line (2026): Yufuin Kotobuki Hananosho is a large garden ryokan near Yufuin Station, with a floating Noh stage, shared open-air baths open until midnight, and six rooms with their own bath. Arrive by 18:00, ask about tattoos before you book, and book on the official English booking page.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Yufuin Kotobuki Hananosho’s official pages: home (Japanese), home (English), about the inn, rooms, hot springs, cuisine, facilities, Noh stage and the official booking page, plus Yufu City and the Ministry of Internal Affairs for taxes. All were read on October 14, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.
Tokyo to Osaka, Tokyo to Kyushu, Tokyo to Hokkaido — day by day — plus seven places most visitors never reach.
- 12 pages, 80 photographs, every stop linked to its guide
- Every price and opening hour read from the official page
- Re-issued monthly, so it does not go stale in your inbox
Free. One email a month, plus the rare change that matters. Unsubscribe with one click in any email. By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy.
