Kumahachi Aburaya

It is Kumahachi Aburaya, a merchant from Ehime, who transformed Beppu into a tourist area. He was a man of ideas who never stopped promoting the attractions of Beppu to all of Japan. His main achievement is that he put many ideas into action, such as the very first female bus guide, and creating the basis of the now-famous hot spring city called Yufuin.

As a Christian, Kumahachi Aburaya kept a motto “welcome and treat travelers cordially”. It came from the line from the New Testament which teaches us not to forget to treat travelers warmly. There is a bronze statue in front of Beppu station in honor of him. It was made out of the image of Kumahachi greeting us with “Hi!” coming down from heaven.