June 20, 2025

OITA: Yufuin Bettei ITSUKI (Autumn)

I was once here in early March 2023, and then I picked up this stay again in November 2023! Yesssss, one year twice and yes it was a very amazing stay, again! My parents and aunts were very satisfied with the whole experience in Yufuin Bettei ITSUKI.

I must say… This has to be the best best best best and most most most shiawase stay I ever had! And everyone on my tour agreed too! LOL. if I were to revisit Yufuin again, I would definitely pick this place again!

Feel free to read about my early spring experience here: : OITA: Yufuin Bettei ITSUKI

For full itinerary, check out JAPAN TRIP 2023: 8D7N in Fukuoka, Kashima, Yufuin & Mojiko
Also, check out JAPAN TRIP 2023: 10D9N in Okayama, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Kashima and Yufuin if you would love to have a mix of fun travel in Kyushu and outside of Kyushu.

Yufuin is a famous tourist attraction, and so the ryokan and accommodation in this area could be quite a steep as compared with the other places. I decided to splurge a little so that everyone got to experience something they have never done before – a luxury stay in Yufuin Bettei ITSUKI that came with great kaiseki dinner and a sumptuous heart-warming breakfast spread.

Yufuin Bettei ITSUKI offers only 14 independent cottages that filled with different themes and atmosphere. Some cottages can fit only 2 pax while some can fit upto 4 pax and there one cottage can fit up to 6 pax. Each cottage is equipped with exclusive private indoor and outdoor or semi outdoor hot spring bath. So every cottage is different, and each of them has different floor plan too!

As there were 6 of us, I had to split our room stay into two rooms that accommodated 2 pax and 4 pax respectively. On my previous visit, I stayed in Hanamizuki. This round, I took quite a bit of time to research on each villa/ cottage they offer, trying to pick the nearest two so that we were all connected (in a shorter distance we would like to chit chat till late).

Lastly, I booked Villa Utsugi (2pax) and Sakura (4 pax); priced at about RM 1,100 per pax (at November 2023) on average. This price covered the half board service (with a great kaiseki dinner and super amazing breakfast), but hot spring tax was excluded and to be paid directly at the hotel by the end of the stay.

Utsugi

Is a superior room with tatami area and equipped with a semi open air bath and indoor bath, modern washroom with a separated toilet and changing area, a living room with comfortable sofa and the guests are to sleep on the make-you-sleep-soundly-throughout-the-night futons.

Just check out the semi open air bath area, so zen-ish while soaking yourself into the hot spring bath.

Sakura

Is Deluxe room with tatami area and semi open air bath and indoor bath, a living room, mini kitchen, washroom with separated toilet, and the changing room is connected to the indoor and outdoor bath, and a small garden. This room fits up to four people; two guests are to sleep on the bed, and the other two guests on the futons. Yours truly kept the bed to the elderly, while the young one me and my cousin slept on the futons!

Miss sleeping on this futon soooo much!

We checked in earlier this time, so that we could enjoy our stay to the max, and more time to soak into the hot spring bath and also the footbath located just right at the corner outside the villa/ cottage.

Also, we took away Milch pudding from the main street to enjoy the afternoon tea in our room, made tea and coffee!

Autumn leaves in all the autumn hues; brown, red, orange, yellow. Such a beautiful scene right outside our place.

I took my chance to have a foot bath before the dinner time. Way too relaxing!

Dinner course was extremely amazing, as usual. Do choose to have also their Kaiseki dinner course into your accommodation package.

Dinner course was specially crafted and prepared by Dining Towakura 十和藏, offering the creative fusion kaiseki course dinner (Japanese multi-course dinner) made with quality local Yufuin produces. And our dinner here was completed with unlimited order of wine, draft beer, sake, umeshu… at your choice. And they are all refillable (for selected drinks only)!

TIP: Restaurants in Yufuin generally close quite early. Always include your meal into your accommodation package if your ryokan or hot spring hotel offers the half board service.

This time, we chose to have our dinner earlier (the staff will ask your preferred dining time during check in). We entered the dining area at 6.30pm and had our meal done at around 9pm.

First thing first, sake for me! Chiebijin Junmai-shu!

Draft Beer for my dad

And other ladies picked up umeshu and kabosu-lime wine

It’s the month of November, we were served with the season’s ingredients and produces

Appetizer
Raw Ham with potato, sour cream and caviar
Grilled Eel and fried burdock with balsamic flavour
Grilled Scallop and turnip with Caponata sauce

Hassun
Salted skin- Grilled Spanish Mackerel and Sea Bream Sashimi
Crab and Fish Roe Scattered Sushi, fruits mix with white miso, monk fish liver crème brulee
Duck roll with Camembert Cheese and Marmalade sauce
Ohhhh myyyyyy… the Hassun for during the autumn season was truly amazing! Look even yummier than I had the one in spring. This was so colourful, a lot more variety. I took a hard time deciding which one to start first (as we were told that we can go on any sequence). Just toooooo pretty to be eaten!

Soup
Turnip Puree Soup with deep fried silver cod and taro

Accompanied by the lid cover with the view of Mt Yufu

Seasonal Dish
Grilled barracuda and eggplant
With yuzu and shiitake mushroom tempura

Palate cleanser
Grapefruit Pudding

Grilled Dish
Bungo Wagyu Beef Steak
Ahhhhh, Bungo Wagyu!!! Or Oita wagyu. Felt extremely Shiawase when this appeared in our course. It was so delicious with perfect marbling and that melt-in-mouth texture.

For those who don’t beef, they got Unagi.

Highball

Rice Dish
Yufuin Local Rice
With assorted side dishes and miso soup

Dessert
Chocolate Cake and Catalana

Chamomile Tea to end our meal, coffee is available too for those who would love a cuppa.

When I thought the dinner has come to an end, the team surprised us with this dessert platter, for my dad’s birthday! Thank you very much to the team of Yufuin Bettei ITSUKI, this gave my dad another memorable experience staying here!

Beautiful night view with light up autumn leaves.

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Next morning, we chose to have Western Style breakfast and it came with a huge spread! Everything here is “made in Yufuin”!

Fluffy egg omelette, ham, sausage, vegetables from the local farms, completed with bread basket that came with an assortment of bread that served warm, jam and butter to complete the spread. Plain yogurt so you can add on the jam you like into it.

Tummy warming hearty vegetable soup. Can I have this back at my home… everyday???

After breakfast, we took our own sweet time to have a slow-chilled session in our room’s living area. We made tea; chit chatted, and enjoyed the last few hours in this beautiful place before we check out.