Yufuin

Via Expressway- Yufuin, in Oita Prefecture, is about and 1 1/2 hr. drive from Saga. It's a smaller, and similar town to Beppu which is the most famous in Kyushu for it's Onsen, or hot springs. It was pretty touristy, with lots of gifts shops selling all the same stuff, and very upscale looking onsens catering to Japanese vacationers from all over the country. The highlights were most definitely the onsen we stumbled into and a really unique shochu shop. It was also pretty amazing the see the canals and waterways all over the city steaming with the hot onsen water flowing through.

They had the same little rickshaws that we saw in Kyoto...

The town was a mish mash of charming shops, and some strange sights, like this world automotive? museum
Again, like Kyoto, we found a rice cracker shop that sells, hot and spicy crackers... Ben's fav
This was inside the cool Shochu shop. They had too many bottles to choose from. We decided on 2 that we will definitely be able to use as decorations long after they're empty. We also found bamboo sake cups! wow!
These were the biggest ducks/geese I've ever seen. They seemed to have a very sweet disposition even though we didn't have any food to give them. (not as aggressive as the one's on Westlake!)

kawaii desho?!