Kumamoto Japan 
Winter
TRAVEL LOG vol.1
Logged by Garth “Kakeru” Crouch
A travel writer and translator who explores “off the beaten path” Japan.
The Incredible Hot Springs of Kumamoto
OVERVIEW
The island of Kyushu is world famous for its hot springs, or onsen as they’re called in Japanese, and Kumamoto Prefecture is certainly not lacking when it comes to its incredi"/kumamoto-japan/imgelection of places to enjoy onsen.
I’m no stranger to onsen, and have been to many across the country. Even so, I was blown away with the quality and beauty of onsen here in Kumamoto.
Onsen have been enjoyed by the Japanese for centuries, for relaxation, and health and beauty. They can be enjoyed year-round, but are especially comforting in the cold of winter! One of the best ways to enjoy onsen is to stay in a Japanese style inn or ryokan. This way, you have access to the hot spring morning and night!
If you’re staying in a hotel that doesn’t have hot springs, never fear! You can pay a visit to a day hot spring, or a ryokan that allows those not staying at the accommodation to use their onsen facilities between certain hours of the day. Furthermore, some places offer what’s called “kashikiri onsen”, which are hot springs that you can make a private reservation to use.
I wi"/kumamoto-japan/imgtroduce you to some of the prefecture’s amazing hot spring facilities here, as well as give you a simple guide to bathing etiquette, and the different kinds of hot spring facilities that you may come across.
Amakusa Region
I visited the scenic and historic Amakusa region in southwestern Kumamoto Prefecture. After spending the day driving around and enjoying the region’s natural beauty, I was ready for a nice hot bath.
Amakusa City --- Amakusa City
Hotel Ryugu
While I had booked a fantastic modern and spacious accommodation facility to spend the night in, I really wanted to relax in a natural hot spring bath. Luckily, Hotel Ryugu was only a short drive away. While the hot springs inside the hotel were for guests, they also had private kashikiri onsen available for both guests of Hotel Ryugu and non-gue"/kumamoto-japan/springeserve.
Not only was the price cheaper than I had expected, the facilities just blew me away!
There were several rooms to choose from, so I picked the one that called to me the most, and I was not disappointed. The room consisted of a changing area, a washing area, the main hot spring, and an outdoor deck overlooking the bay. I couldn’t believe that this whole hot sprin"/kumamoto-japan/summermpletely mine for the next hour!
The onsen here are sodium springs tha"/kumamoto-japan/summerntle on the skin, and have been called bijin no yu, which means “the beauty’s bath.” The spring is said to be effective for a range of ailments, from muscle pain and neuralgia to chronic stomach "/kumamoto-japan/imgsses.
Sliding glass doors also give you some room temperature control. I opted to have the doors completely open to let in the sea breeze. The onsen is quite hot, so the cold air made the whole experience more com"/kumamoto-japan/summer.
Passing by the reception area, you’ll find a charming bar to enjoy a drink after your hot bath. Continuing outside before heading down to the onsen, is a stone table set into the ground with w"/kumamoto-japan/imgrunning underneath for you to put your feet in. A group of young ad"/kumamoto-japan/imgwere having a friendly drink at the table and seemed to be really enjoying the atmosphere.
Hotel Ryugu --- Amakusa City
Kurokawa hot spring
A hot spring resort town nestled in lush forested mountains. The hot spring waters of Kurokawa Onsen come from Mt Aso, the largest active caldera volca"/kumamoto-japan/img Japan, and of the largest in the world. I had heard of Kuroka"/kumamoto-japan/imgsen before, and a few of my Japanese friends who had be"/kumamoto-japan/imgere told me it was great. Of course I believed them, but I didn’t yet understand just how great it would be!
The drive through the countryside to Kurokawa was breathtakingly beautiful. Bamboo, pines, cedar trees, fields with mist woven in between, and the odd cottage or traditional Japanese house here and there. I’m surprised it didn’t take lo"/kumamoto-japan/imgto get to Kurokawa considering I stopped to take so many pictures a"/kumamoto-japan/imgthe way."/kumamoto-japan/winter"/kumamoto-japan/img"/kumamoto-japan/img"/kumamoto-japan/img"/kumamoto-japan/img"/kumamoto-japan/img"/kumamoto-japan/winter"/kumamoto-japan/cn"/kumamoto-japan/tw"/kumamoto-japan/kr"/kumamoto-japan/jp"/kumamoto-japan/_nuxt"/kumamoto-japan/_nuxt"/kumamoto-japan/_nuxt"/kumamoto-japan/_nuxt"/kumamoto-japan/_nuxt"/kumamoto-japan/_nuxt"/kumamoto-japan/_nuxt
On arriving at Kurokawa Onsen, the first thing that caught my attention was the gorgeous Japanese style buildings all around this hot spring resort town.
After checking in at Ryokan Nanjoen, I put on the yukata that was laid out for me in my room, borrowed one of the hotel’s fancy umbrellas, and went for a stroll.
The resort town has restaurants, cafés, sweet shops, souvenir stores, and of course saké featuring locally brewed and rare varieties of alcohol, all in beautiful Japanese-style stores.
Running through Kurokawa Onsen is the Tanoharu River. As you walk on the footpath along the ryokan-lined river, you can see hot spring water cascading into the river below, tree-covered mountains above, huts and historic-looking buildings. Heading further along, there was an installation of bamboo lanterns strung across the Tanoharu River.
As it was evening, the soft glow of the spherical lanterns gave the whole place a magical feel. (The installation called Yu-akari is held during the winter months and adds a sense of warmth to the town.)
I returned to my hotel and decided to take a quick bath before dinner. It was already night time, but there was still a view to enjoy with the faint light of other nearby ryokan in the dark of the countryside. I headed straight out to the open-air hot springs, called rotenburo.
I was the only person there at the time, so it felt like I had my own private bath again. There were baths of varying heat and depth, and to my surprise, the bath closest to the forest was a deep standing bath; my first time to try one and it was honestly the best thing ever!
After having the perfect bath, I headed inside to the restaurant for dinner. When staying at a ryokan, you’ll find that dinner is most often a Japanese-style course meal featuring local cuisine and produce.
Basashi, raw horse sashimi, is a traditional delicacy in Kumamoto, and a small plate was served with dinner. Sometimes referred to as sakura niku, restaurants, izakaya, and hotels all over the prefecture serve this delicacy. However, basashi is not for everyone, so if you aren’t up to giving it a try, let the hotel know in advance and they can swap the basashi for something else.
A great bath, followed by a delicious meal and I was ready to relax in my large comfy Japanese room. While away at dinner, the table in the middle of my room had been moved to a corner and my futon was laid out and prepared for me. I made a cup of green tea and enjoyed some sweets I had bought from my walk around the town earlier. The combination of paper shutters, tatami mats, and soft lighting seemed to help my mind relax, and the fluffy futon sitting in the middle of the room called me to sleep.
I woke up with enough time to squeeze in another bath before breakfast. To my amazement, I had the whole bath to myself again! As it was morning, the male and female baths had been switched around (a common practice at many ryokan), so I was able to see what the other side was like.
Unlike the up-down layout of the bath the night before, this side had three different baths that were all fairly level, plus a cool water foot bath that you can sit along the edge of. The view over the town and the surrounding mountains in the morning was just as uplifting as the onsen bath itself.
Kurokawa hot spring --- Minamioguni Town, Aso District
Ryokan Nanjoen --- Minamioguni Town, Aso District
Onsen Etiquette
Making the most of your onsen experience is of course the number one priority! However, hot spring etiquette is also very important. If you’re not sure what to do, try asking the staff. Of course, there are plenty of online instructions and videos too, so you can connect to the Wi-Fi at your accommodation and do a quick search.
The basics: There are two very important things you need to remember when using hot spring baths.
One: You need to wash your body before you enter the hot spring bath so that you don’t dirty the water. Designated washing areas are set up, often with shampoo, conditioner, and liquid body soap, so have a good scrub before getting into the onsen.
Two: You are not allowed to wear clothes, including bathing suits, in the baths. After getting undressed in the change room, only take the small towel into the bathing area with you. This towel is also not allowed in the water, so leave it by the edge or fold it and place it on your head. Use this towel to wipe away excess water before heading back inside to the change room.
After you’ve finished enjoying the hot spring, there is no need to rinse the beneficial hot spring water off. This is a personal choice though, and some people do like to rinse off afterward, even if it’s just to help cool off.
Some facilities are breathtakingly beautiful, and you may be tempted to film or take pictures inside the bathing area, but as hot springs are shared spaces filming is prohibited inside. Take the picture in your mind and just enjoy that moment yourself.
Final Thoughts
There are incredible onsen all over Japan, but the hot springs I visited in Kumamoto have left a lasting impression on me. Of course, the main feature is the onsen themselves, but scenery and atmosphere play a huge part. For first-timers, getting naked in front of strangers can be a lot to handle. I would recommend trying a kashikiri (private) onsen first. If you’re in Kumamoto, and the first private onsen you try is Umi Hotaru at Hotel Ryugu, then you’ve set the bar very high from the start! If you want Japanese style ryokan hotels, mountains, rivers, and the full onsen experience, then Kurokawa Onsen is a must. You won’t be disappointed by the magic of this peaceful onsen resort town!