A hidden spot for love fulfillment! JR Yunohira Station "Tora-san's Memories Waiting Room"

Yunohira Station on the JR Kyudai Line in Kyushu. A bench in the waiting room on platform 2 of this station has been attracting attention as a hidden spot for couples praying for their love to come true, known as the "matchmaking bench." The bench is connected to a wonderful story from a popular movie that every Japanese person knows.
Yunohira Station: A small unmanned station in the mountains
Yunohira Station, on the JR Kyudai Main Line in Kyushu (the line that runs from Kurume Station in Fukuoka Prefecture to Oita Station in Oita Prefecture ), is a small unmanned station nestled in the mountains.
This station was used as a filming location for the 30th film in the popular "Otoko wa Tsurai yo" series, "Hana mo Arashi mo Tora-san" (1982).

The 30th film in the "It's Tough Being a Man" series: Flowers and Storms, Torajiro
The film "Otoko wa Tsurai yo" is a rare long-running and popular series in the world, with 48 films produced over a 27-year period until the death of its lead actor, Atsumi Kiyoshi.
Two more films have since been released that include footage shot while the actor was alive, and they are recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running film series starring the same actor.
The story is simply about a middle-aged man who is rejected by the woman he loves, but it is a film that will give viewers a moment of comfort and hope, as it depicts the man's family back home who watch over him with warmth, the compassion between people, and the kindness that modern people have almost forgotten.
Filming for the 30th movie in the "Otoko wa Tsurai yo" series, "Tora-san, the Flower and Storm", also took place at Yunohira Station.

Tora-san is the "god of love"
The main character, Torajiro Kuruma, also known as "Tora-san," is constantly rejected by the women he loves, but he is a kind-hearted man who is very sympathetic and willing to listen to young men and women asking for love advice.
At this station, the scene where Tora-san and Yuko Tanaka, who plays the Madonna, are sitting on a bench on platform 2 and having a pleasant conversation was filmed.

The benches still remain in the "Tora-san Memories Waiting Room"
The bench that was used on this occasion can actually still be seen today in the "Tora-san Memories Waiting Room" on platform 2.
Later, as a result of this movie, Tanaka Yuko, who played the Madonna, and Sawada Kenji, who played the young man, got married in real life, and at some point the bench came to be known as the "True love bench."



Why not try sitting on the "True love bench"?
If you are currently in love or have a crush on someone, be sure to take a seat on this "True love bench."
I'm sure Tora-san will be cheering you on across time and space.
Also, inside the waiting room, there are many snapshots of the filming scenes from that time on display.
Please also take a look at the lively filming scenes from that time.

Introduction to Yunohira Onsen
The main story of this film begins in Yuhira Onsen.
Yunohira Onsen is an old hot spring resort that dates back to the Kamakura period, and the 300-year-old stone-paved slopes and Aka lanterns at dusk give it a nostalgic feel.
It somehow makes sense that this hot spring resort inn is Tora-san's regular lodging.
Please come and visit us.

Yunohira Information
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In April 2018, the "Inbound Promotion Association OITA" was established as a collection of individuals and companies in Oita Prefecture that promote inbound tourism (travel by foreign visitors to Japan). Later, in July 2023, it was reorganized and renamed as the General Incorporated Association "Inbound National Promotion Council" and focused on four issues in the tourism industry: "Developing tourism human resources," "Discovering tourism materials and collecting information," and "Disseminating information and promoting." In order to solve the problem of "improving the receiving environment," we are developing various projects nationwide based on specific measures.
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