Yufuin, Oita
|
|
Yufuin (湯布院町; -cho) is a town located in Oita District, Oita, Japan (大分県大分郡湯布院町).
As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 11,342 and the density of 88.77 persons per km². The total area is 127.77 km².
Yufuin is among the number 3 Spa town in the country in terms of natural hot spring spa (温泉 Onsen) water capacity, resulting in a local economy based on domestic tourism and hot-spring bathing. The approximately 2-million tourists per year consist largely of bus-loads of older persons in winter, while young people tend to arrive in spring, especially to celebrate graduation.
As in tourist towns around the world, the impact of tourism is looked at differently by those who operate within the service industry and those who don`t.
In local politics, a controversial decision to join Yufuin with 2 nearby towns and rename the result "Yufu-shi" (effective in October 2005) resulted in the recall of the mayor and a mayoral re-election in March 2005.Template:Japan-geo-stub