Kyushu — How Could Anyone Not Fall in Love with Yufuin?

Swaying my way down to Kyushu, I lazily skipped booking the famed Yufuin no Mori in advance and instead purchased a same-day bus ticket from Fukuoka to Yufuin.

Even from the window of a long-distance bus, the mountains were breathtaking beyond expectation. And once there, strolling along the riverbanks, gazing at the cottages nestled at the foot of emerald hills across the water — the scenery felt almost surreal. Everywhere I looked, it resembled a Windows desktop wallpaper brought to life. With landscapes like these unfolding at every turn, who needs designated “attractions”?

Next time, I will return in autumn — on a luminous, cloudless day — to see blue skies framing crimson maple leaves. And perhaps we’ll climb the mountain together then, letting the season write its own quiet poetry.