Kurokawa Onsen Okunoyu

Kurokawa Onsen Okunoyu is a hot spring ryokan in the Kurokawa Onsen area of Minamioguni Town, Aso District, Kumamoto Prefecture. Set within 2,000 tsubo of land amid Aso’s great nature, it offers nine types of baths including open-air baths and family baths. Unique options include a river bath overlooking the stream below, a cave bath, bedrock bath, steam room, an onsen-heat pool, and more—so you can fully enjoy bath-hopping within the property. In snowy Kurokawa, bathing in an open-air bath surrounded by snow is also recommended. Day-use bathing is available as well. There are 26 guest rooms, naturally surrounded, and you can choose the style you like. Dinner is a carefully crafted rustic-style kaiseki, with each dish thoughtfully prepared, offering refined flavors that please both body and mind. Breakfast is similarly enjoyed in a setting surrounded by greenery. Popular across a wide range of ages, it’s considered a ryokan worthy of being called “first-class.” With gardens to stroll and many baths to explore, you could easily feel a full day is not enough even just within the ryokan. Access: from JR Hohi Line Aso Station, take the Kyushu Odan Bus and get off at Kurokawa Onsen (then it’s right there).