Beppu Yunohana Sulfur Cultivation: Yufuin Tour Highlight

I discovered the Beppu Yunohana Sulfur Farm while on a Yufuin tour.

I didn't even know what Yunohana was,

but it was included in the Yufuin tour I took,

so I ended up visiting by chance.

If you're looking into Yufuin tours and, like me,

are curious about what Yunohana is,

or debating whether to go to Yunohana,

I wanted to share my visit experience.

What is Yunohana?

Yunohana means 'flower of the hot spring' in Japanese!

It's not a place name, but refers to **crystals formed when hot spring components solidify**,

which is probably why it was given a name with the meaning of 'flower'.

The place I visited was the Yunohana Sulfur Farm located in Myoban Onsen,

one of the highest areas in Beppu's hot spring region.

My Review of Beppu Yunohana Sulfur Farm

Honestly, when choosing a Yufuin tour,

it's quite rare for them to include a sulfur farm visit, so I was really curious about it.

Though small in scale, it was my first time visiting a sulfur farm, so I found it incredibly fascinating,

and I'm thoroughly enjoying the Yunohana soap I bought as a souvenir.

It's a place I'd love to visit again if I get the chance!

When you actually visit, you'll find it surrounded by tall mountains,

and as soon as you step off the bus, the strong scent of sulfur hits you.

You'll immediately realize, "**This place is truly brimming with sulfur!**"

Yunohana is created inside low-lying huts,

where hot spring gases rising from underground

permeate into the clay laid out inside the huts.

They say it **grows slowly, about 1mm per day**, to become Yunohana.

This method has been used since the Edo period,

and is now designated as one of **Japan's Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties**.

Apparently, it's supposed to be pearly white, but it turned yellowish due to extensive exposure to air.

Some of the huts where the sulfur is produced are open to the public,

allowing you to **explore the inside (for free)**.

It was interesting to see even Japanese tourists visiting as part of tours.

Right in front of the huts, hot spring water was gently flowing,

so I dipped my hand in briefly.

Warm and with a distinct, sulfuric scent – definitely hot spring water.

According to our tour guide, **it's a bit tricky to visit independently**,

because you'd have to take a bus/train from Fukuoka to Beppu,

and then another bus to get to the Yunohana Sulfur Farm itself.

Having been here, I can see that being deep in the mountains, it could be daunting for those with limited Japan travel experience,

or for solo female travelers like myself.

While it's a unique and wonderful stop to make as part of a tour,

it's also true that its scale might be a bit ambiguous if you were to make a special trip just for it.

So, if you're interested, going as part of a tour is probably the best way.

Here's the Yufuin tour I used👇

[Daily Departures from 1 Person] Fukuoka Yuyu Bus Tour: Yufuin Pick-up/Drop-off Available, Hita & Beppu Day Trip3ha.in

Yunohana Souvenir Shop

I highly recommend the Yunohana soap!

And the souvenir shop at the Yunohana Sulfur Farm is quite interesting.

I actually spent more time in the souvenir shop

than exploring the huts...

First up, the bestseller here is the Yunohana Soap.

Our guide recommended it, so I decided to take a chance and buy it.

It turned out to be so much better than I expected, and I'm almost done with my first bar!

It's a black soap, blended with hot spring sediment and charcoal.

Compared to other natural soaps, it lathers up really well,

and after using it, my skin feels wonderfully moisturized and never tight – just perfect!

If you wanted to buy this back home, you'd have to get it through international direct shipping anyway,

and it's supposedly hard to find in other regions, making it a fantastic gift idea.

I bought one gift-boxed set and two individually wrapped bars.

* Two 50g individually wrapped bars: ~$11

* One 100g gift-boxed bar: ~$11

Besides the Yunohana soap, I also picked up some Kabosu Liqueur, a delightful green citrus liquor.

Green kabosu citrus is another specialty of this region.

It's wonderfully sweet and makes for a fantastic highball!

Since I was on a flight with no checked luggage, I got three 100ml bottles for ~$8.

You can check the image above for prices of other sizes!

And this is a gauze towel, recommended by our guide.

It's incredibly soft and has a super cute design.

I got one for my dad to use casually when he exercises, perfect for just grabbing and going! : )

* One gauze towel: ~$6

Beyond these, there were so many other charming things to browse, like cute magnets and chopstick rests,

and even shopping bags.

But I decided to pass on them, thinking I could probably find similar items elsewhere.

Other people on the tour also spent a long time exploring the souvenir shop,

so we ended up moving to the next spot a little bit late... haha!

It just goes to show how much fun there was to be had browsing all the unique souvenirs.

I went without much expectation, but I came away with some truly special souvenirs,

and discovered the fascinating new fact that sulfur can actually be cultivated!

That's why Beppu's Yunohana Sulfur Fields were the most memorable part of the tour for me!

If you're planning your Yufuin tour itinerary

and found yourself wondering what 'Yunohana' is all about,

I personally highly recommend visiting it at least once! : )

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