Nature & Hike · Yufuin (Kawakami)

Lake Kinrin 金鱗湖

Small spring-fed lake at the foot of Mt. Yufu where warm and cold springs meet, producing ethereal morning mist from autumn to early spring. Yufuin's most famous image.

About

Lake Kinrin was named 'Golden Scale Lake' after a Meiji-era scholar saw fish scales glinting gold in the sunset. Both hot springs and cold springs feed it, so the water stays warmer than the air; on cold mornings from roughly October to March, a thick mist rises from the surface and drifts through the trees and the thatched roof of the lakeside bathhouse, creating the dreamy scene on every Yufuin poster. By day it's a pleasant 10-minute loop past the small Tenso Shrine, whose torii stands in the water, and lakeside cafes. By 10:00 it gets crowded with day-trippers from Yunotsubo street.

Highlights

• Morning mist rising off the warm lake on cold days
• Torii of Tenso Shrine standing in the water
• Mt. Yufu reflections on still mornings
• Autumn colour around the shore in November

Tips

• Be there by 7:00 on a cold, clear morning for the best mist
• Stay overnight in Yufuin: day-trippers miss the mist entirely
• Walk the far side of the lake for fewer people in the frame
• The lakeside communal bath has been reported suspended; don't count on bathing here

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

Nearby

• Saryo Tenjo Sajiki (Kamenoi Bessou)Café & Sweets · 60 m away
• Kamenoi BessouStay · 110 m away
• Cafe La RucheCafé & Sweets · 120 m away
• Kinsho Korokke (Yufuin)Restaurant · 320 m away
• Yufuin Floral VillageUnique Store · 330 m away
• Yunotsubo KaidoShopping Street · 550 m away
• Yufuin TamanoyuStay · 570 m away
• Yufuin KukuchiUnique Store · 700 m away