Kinrin Lake is one of famous sightseeing spots in Yufuin.  It is called 'Below Mountain lake' because it is located at the foot of Mt.Yufu.  In the seventeenth year of the Meiji period, Mori Kuso, a Confucianist in Tsurusaki, was gazing at the surface of the lake from the outdoor hot spring bath Shitanyu when he saw a flying fish: its scales appeared to be gold in color and it shone from the rays of the evening sun.  Because of this story, the lake gradually acquired the name Kinrin Lake since Kinrin means gold scale.
    There is a hot spring by the western side of the lake and a cool spring to the eastern side.  As a result, the water is warm even in the winter and that is why fog rises in the winter.  The fish in the lake swim about so pleasantly that unconsciously your eyes start to follow them.
    Depending on your location, the view of the lake changes, so it is best to stroll at a leisurely pace.