Kurokawa Onsen
Kurokawa Onsen
4.5
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
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4.5
476 reviews
Excellent
286
Very good
143
Average
29
Poor
12
Terrible
6
GIT
Melbourne, Australia444 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
If you are city folks and looking for a quiet getaway, this is the place. However, if you are the sort of person who likes concrete buildings, shopping malls, fancy restaurants, michelin star meals - this is not the place for you. The people that come to this town are outdoor lovers, and they enjoy outdoor Onsens. Most onsens here are open air baths and this place is lined with quaint ryokans. So, you have to like all these in order to spend a few quiet days here.
All in all, I rate this place average as Compared to Kinosaki Onsen, Kaga Onsen in Honshu, and Josankei in Hokkaido, as this place is a bit rural for me.
All in all, I rate this place average as Compared to Kinosaki Onsen, Kaga Onsen in Honshu, and Josankei in Hokkaido, as this place is a bit rural for me.
Written 22 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NumWan
Bangkok, Thailand156 contributions
Dec 2011 • Couples
My husband and I stayed in Takefue ryokan, which was a little far away from the town and visit the town during lunch time for a few hours during our stay. The town itself was a small one and, for me, I think it is especially designed for onsen hopping, where you get to try so many onsen in one go. Of course, bathing too many times a day could be tiring, but since I do not have so many chances for onsen in my country, this was a great fun.
Once you are in town, I would recommend you to visit information office for the first thing to acquire English map. The map has picture of each rotemburo of each ryokan so that you can choose where to go. You can also purchase onsen pass for 1,200 yen which allow you to visit three onsens within 6 months and can acquire information about your lunch places in town and leave your luggages there too. Note that if you travel to Kurokawa onsen by bus, you will have to walk about 7-10 minutes to the information office though. Also, I would recommend you to prepare some cash in your pocket since Kurokawa Onsen is a small town, most shops do not accept credit card.
For persons who have not had this kind of trip before, here is what you do once you enter the ryokan for the bath. First you have to take off your shoes before enter. Then you show the onsen pass to the reception. They will take out one sticker on the pass and stamp their ryokan symbol there. Then ask them to guide you where the bath is because all the signs will be in Japanese. Note that for male bath, the sign will be in blue and for women, it will be in red, but you wouldn’t know until you got there. If you want to put your bag in locker which most ryokans provide in their changing room, then you need 200 Yen to put in. Personally I found that I didn’t need to use the locker in some of the ryokan since there were no one sharing the bath at all. You will have to prepare your own towel to dry yourselves after bathe too. Only some ryokan has the towel selling at their shop. A small one will do. It is particularly useful for women if you want something to cover you in case that you want to walk from one bath to another. Once you are bathing, you can put the towel by the side, so that it doesn’t get wet.
During our stay, we managed to visit six onsen places. First one was Ikoi Ryokan. It has a standing bath for women and a rock bath. The bath wasn’t that big, but the standing bath was pretty fun. In front of the ryokan, foot bath was also available together with hot-spring boiled egg (100 Yen each) and lit fire with iori to sit and eat the egg. Second one was Fumoto ryokan. After entering the ryokan, we had to walk across in-door bridge across the river to the onsen. The women bath was upstairs while the men’s was on ground floor. Here the water temperature seemed hotter than at Ikoi. The bath size was also bigger and you can hear the sound of the river while bathing (although not quite the view since along the river were full of ryokans). Here was one of the place where both my husband and I got the whole bath for ourselves. After bathing, we could relax on benches on the bridge while drinking water before leaving the ryokan. Third place was Oyado Nishiyu. The enter and the walk way inside the ryokan was very private and pretty. The water here was hotter than other places and has a faint sulphur smell. There was a small tub of hot spring water for you to pour onto yourself before getting in the big rock bath. The bath itself was surrounded with bamboo trees and was pretty relaxing. Forth one was Iyashnosato Kiyashiki which was further away from the town, but in walking distance. The water was cloudy and full of white particles, but the colour was blue-ish. This one was so-so for women bath and is the one I like least, but my husband told me that there was a door connecting to a mixed bath which has stunning view. However, there was a Japanese guy bathing there, so he didn’t call me in. So, I guess it was good for men after all. Fifth one was Yamamizuki which was even further away from town (20 walk). For women bath, there were two indoor and one outdoor baths. The indoor and outdoor baths were a little further away from another, so this is where the small towel would be helpful. All baths were next to the river and small waterfall. Very beautiful and I’ve heard from my husband that the male bath had even greater view. We voted this one for our favourite. The ryokan has also provide free shuttle bus service so that you don’t have to walk to the town, but we found that the walk was also pretty nice and the view along the road was great too, especially after having such big breakfast and dinner from our ryokan. Last one was Kurokawaso. This ryokan had very big indoor and outdoor bath. However, it seemed pretty popular and there will be few other people joining the bath. My husband said that the view from male bath was a cliff view and was very good. However, the women’s bath was facing the main road, so I could hear the car pass by while bathing.
I think we also tried most of the restaurant in the town. There was a very lovely tofu shop just opposite information center. Everything in the course are made of tofu. Once you enter the shop, they will serve you cold tofu to eat with shoyu or ponzu sauce. Then boil tofu. You can then order set lunch or a la carte. I liked the gilled tofu with ume sauce and the fried tofu. They also have okomiyaki tofu. The dango in front of tofu shop was also delicious. There was also an udon shop near information office. The noodle and the soup was awesome. Along the way to the river, there was a dessert that looks like doriyaki, but it has mochi and cream inside. My husband and I liked it so much that we bought back the whole pack. In town, there was a coffee shop that sold cocoa, tea, coffee and croquette which was a good place to stop by and sit in. The croquette, I think, it was made from Yamaimo root instead of potato. Another shop where you can sit in and eat sold matcha green tea and red bean with mochi. Our favourite was the hot red bean soup with grilled mochi. Only one shop we didn’t have a chance to sit in because we were too full was curry shop, but it looked promising too.
All in all, we enjoyed our trip at Kurokawa Onsen very much. Instead of pub crawl, we changed it to onsen crawl, which is a lot healthier and you still have the choice to enjoy your sake during and after dinner too. If you are passing by, we would recommend you for a one or two nights stay.
Once you are in town, I would recommend you to visit information office for the first thing to acquire English map. The map has picture of each rotemburo of each ryokan so that you can choose where to go. You can also purchase onsen pass for 1,200 yen which allow you to visit three onsens within 6 months and can acquire information about your lunch places in town and leave your luggages there too. Note that if you travel to Kurokawa onsen by bus, you will have to walk about 7-10 minutes to the information office though. Also, I would recommend you to prepare some cash in your pocket since Kurokawa Onsen is a small town, most shops do not accept credit card.
For persons who have not had this kind of trip before, here is what you do once you enter the ryokan for the bath. First you have to take off your shoes before enter. Then you show the onsen pass to the reception. They will take out one sticker on the pass and stamp their ryokan symbol there. Then ask them to guide you where the bath is because all the signs will be in Japanese. Note that for male bath, the sign will be in blue and for women, it will be in red, but you wouldn’t know until you got there. If you want to put your bag in locker which most ryokans provide in their changing room, then you need 200 Yen to put in. Personally I found that I didn’t need to use the locker in some of the ryokan since there were no one sharing the bath at all. You will have to prepare your own towel to dry yourselves after bathe too. Only some ryokan has the towel selling at their shop. A small one will do. It is particularly useful for women if you want something to cover you in case that you want to walk from one bath to another. Once you are bathing, you can put the towel by the side, so that it doesn’t get wet.
During our stay, we managed to visit six onsen places. First one was Ikoi Ryokan. It has a standing bath for women and a rock bath. The bath wasn’t that big, but the standing bath was pretty fun. In front of the ryokan, foot bath was also available together with hot-spring boiled egg (100 Yen each) and lit fire with iori to sit and eat the egg. Second one was Fumoto ryokan. After entering the ryokan, we had to walk across in-door bridge across the river to the onsen. The women bath was upstairs while the men’s was on ground floor. Here the water temperature seemed hotter than at Ikoi. The bath size was also bigger and you can hear the sound of the river while bathing (although not quite the view since along the river were full of ryokans). Here was one of the place where both my husband and I got the whole bath for ourselves. After bathing, we could relax on benches on the bridge while drinking water before leaving the ryokan. Third place was Oyado Nishiyu. The enter and the walk way inside the ryokan was very private and pretty. The water here was hotter than other places and has a faint sulphur smell. There was a small tub of hot spring water for you to pour onto yourself before getting in the big rock bath. The bath itself was surrounded with bamboo trees and was pretty relaxing. Forth one was Iyashnosato Kiyashiki which was further away from the town, but in walking distance. The water was cloudy and full of white particles, but the colour was blue-ish. This one was so-so for women bath and is the one I like least, but my husband told me that there was a door connecting to a mixed bath which has stunning view. However, there was a Japanese guy bathing there, so he didn’t call me in. So, I guess it was good for men after all. Fifth one was Yamamizuki which was even further away from town (20 walk). For women bath, there were two indoor and one outdoor baths. The indoor and outdoor baths were a little further away from another, so this is where the small towel would be helpful. All baths were next to the river and small waterfall. Very beautiful and I’ve heard from my husband that the male bath had even greater view. We voted this one for our favourite. The ryokan has also provide free shuttle bus service so that you don’t have to walk to the town, but we found that the walk was also pretty nice and the view along the road was great too, especially after having such big breakfast and dinner from our ryokan. Last one was Kurokawaso. This ryokan had very big indoor and outdoor bath. However, it seemed pretty popular and there will be few other people joining the bath. My husband said that the view from male bath was a cliff view and was very good. However, the women’s bath was facing the main road, so I could hear the car pass by while bathing.
I think we also tried most of the restaurant in the town. There was a very lovely tofu shop just opposite information center. Everything in the course are made of tofu. Once you enter the shop, they will serve you cold tofu to eat with shoyu or ponzu sauce. Then boil tofu. You can then order set lunch or a la carte. I liked the gilled tofu with ume sauce and the fried tofu. They also have okomiyaki tofu. The dango in front of tofu shop was also delicious. There was also an udon shop near information office. The noodle and the soup was awesome. Along the way to the river, there was a dessert that looks like doriyaki, but it has mochi and cream inside. My husband and I liked it so much that we bought back the whole pack. In town, there was a coffee shop that sold cocoa, tea, coffee and croquette which was a good place to stop by and sit in. The croquette, I think, it was made from Yamaimo root instead of potato. Another shop where you can sit in and eat sold matcha green tea and red bean with mochi. Our favourite was the hot red bean soup with grilled mochi. Only one shop we didn’t have a chance to sit in because we were too full was curry shop, but it looked promising too.
All in all, we enjoyed our trip at Kurokawa Onsen very much. Instead of pub crawl, we changed it to onsen crawl, which is a lot healthier and you still have the choice to enjoy your sake during and after dinner too. If you are passing by, we would recommend you for a one or two nights stay.
Written 3 January 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
幸大 下
29 contributions
Aug 2015 • Family
I visited Kurokawa Onsen with my family recently. It was my fourth visit and we could really enjoy there as always. This time we stayed at ryokan named Kurokawa-So(黒川荘) for two nights. Room, food and onsen, everything was great.
By the way, one thing I realized this time was there were more foreign tourists there than last time I visited. For future tourist to Kurokawa Onsen, I write down here some tips how to get and enjoy there.
1. Bus from Kumamoto Station/Kumamoto airport
I believe the cheapest and most convenient way to get Kurokawa Onsen is to use bus named "Kyushu Odan Bus". You can check information and make reservation from following web site.
http://www.kyusanko.co.jp/sankobus/english/
Unfortunately you cannot expect that bus driver can speak English, Please make sure to get ticket with number from the machine at bus door when you get on board. You have to pay amount of number in your ticket which shown in the sign board when you get off.
2. Onsen Hopping Pass
http://www.kurokawaonsen.or.jp/eng_new/free/free.php?intFreeKey=101&intKKey=3
You can take three Onsen in other ryokan which you are not staying with this pass. You can buy the pass at any ryokan.
Hope these tips help you!
By the way, one thing I realized this time was there were more foreign tourists there than last time I visited. For future tourist to Kurokawa Onsen, I write down here some tips how to get and enjoy there.
1. Bus from Kumamoto Station/Kumamoto airport
I believe the cheapest and most convenient way to get Kurokawa Onsen is to use bus named "Kyushu Odan Bus". You can check information and make reservation from following web site.
http://www.kyusanko.co.jp/sankobus/english/
Unfortunately you cannot expect that bus driver can speak English, Please make sure to get ticket with number from the machine at bus door when you get on board. You have to pay amount of number in your ticket which shown in the sign board when you get off.
2. Onsen Hopping Pass
http://www.kurokawaonsen.or.jp/eng_new/free/free.php?intFreeKey=101&intKKey=3
You can take three Onsen in other ryokan which you are not staying with this pass. You can buy the pass at any ryokan.
Hope these tips help you!
Written 25 August 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adeleastridr
Tokyo, Japan67 contributions
Oct 2012 • Couples
I fell in love with Kurokawa Onsen pretty much immediately. It is everything that was promised, quaint and full of Japanese old school charm. It amazed me how the local people have built an attraction town by harnessing nature, celebrating, using and also protecting the hot spring.
There are indeed no convenient stores, modern day facilities or entrainment in the area. What you do get is a chance to relax in nature while living in a way that disconnects you from modern influences, a simpler yet pampering way of life.
Worth going to the main Tourist Information Center to pick up a map of the area and ask for advice. We bought 2 wooden day passes for 1500 Yen each. It allowed us entry to 3 hot springs per pass (valid for 6mths I think). Spoilt for choice, I told the lady at the information center the onsens that I had shortlisted, and she provided very good tips by letting me know that one of the onsens on my list has 1 bath with a waterfall view, but on the day I wanted to visit, the waterfall view was for men's bath. I returned the next day instead when they switched it over to women's bath. She also advised on shuttle bus timings to Yamamizuki and helped us plan our onsen hopping efficiently. We went in the fall, which was great as the color of the Japanese Koyo leaves is amazing at this time. Completed onsen passes can be scribbled on with wishes and tied to a shrine, along with other passes.
My 3 personal favorite spots were Yamamizuki, Hozantei and Kurokawaso (there are many I have not been able to visit, like Okunoyu, which was closed that week)
There are a couple of old school restaurants, sake shops and snack shops as well. My favorite stop was the Shirotama shop serving old school Japanese mochi desserts and tea.
There are indeed no convenient stores, modern day facilities or entrainment in the area. What you do get is a chance to relax in nature while living in a way that disconnects you from modern influences, a simpler yet pampering way of life.
Worth going to the main Tourist Information Center to pick up a map of the area and ask for advice. We bought 2 wooden day passes for 1500 Yen each. It allowed us entry to 3 hot springs per pass (valid for 6mths I think). Spoilt for choice, I told the lady at the information center the onsens that I had shortlisted, and she provided very good tips by letting me know that one of the onsens on my list has 1 bath with a waterfall view, but on the day I wanted to visit, the waterfall view was for men's bath. I returned the next day instead when they switched it over to women's bath. She also advised on shuttle bus timings to Yamamizuki and helped us plan our onsen hopping efficiently. We went in the fall, which was great as the color of the Japanese Koyo leaves is amazing at this time. Completed onsen passes can be scribbled on with wishes and tied to a shrine, along with other passes.
My 3 personal favorite spots were Yamamizuki, Hozantei and Kurokawaso (there are many I have not been able to visit, like Okunoyu, which was closed that week)
There are a couple of old school restaurants, sake shops and snack shops as well. My favorite stop was the Shirotama shop serving old school Japanese mochi desserts and tea.
Written 31 January 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SPAFAN711
Singapore, Singapore69 contributions
Dec 2013 • Couples
Beautiful onsen town which has kept its traditional charm. We arrived by bus and were captivated by the beautiful scenery, especially the thick layer of snow on the wooden roof of many of the buildings. Suggest to stop by at the tourist information centre to get the list of onsens and area map. It is a small town and most of the further out ryokans with the onsens provide shuttle bus services to town. We enjoyed our stay very much at the Sanga, which has nice outdoor onsen. You can get the onsen hopping pass at 1200 Yen which gives you access to 3 onsens. In addition to Sanga, we tried Yamamizuki, Kurokawa and Shinmeikan. We like Yamamizuki the best for its great view. Next is Sanga outdoor onsen. Shinmeikan is interesting with the cave onsen. We hope this onsen town keeps its rustic un spoilt charm and will definitely be back for more onsen holidays.
Written 26 December 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael : The Deep Retreat & Yoga Studio
Port Douglas, Australia55 contributions
Feb 2015 • Couples
This was a lifelong dream to come to & well worth the wait! I'm an onsen addict so this trip was well researched.
We discovered the best way to get there is from Fukuoka Airport via bus. It's a beautiful ride up into the mountains.
The town is ridiculously enchanting, picturesque & cute! The information centre has an English map of the town, all onsens & restaurants. There is a relaxation lounge behind it which comes in handy in between onsen hopping.
We went at the quiet time in February, the snow made it even more exquisite. In many of the onsens we were the only ones there which was wonderful. Be mindful that many places close down for cleaning Thursdays however some are still open.
Our hotel was Sanga Ryokan, deep in the valley, & having visited many other ryokan onsens in the area, one of the best in town. Our favourite onsen, outside of Sanga Ryokan, was Yamamizuki which had amazing riverside baths.
This town vary rarely sees westerners so if you want a true, authentic onsen experience then this is the place for you!
We discovered the best way to get there is from Fukuoka Airport via bus. It's a beautiful ride up into the mountains.
The town is ridiculously enchanting, picturesque & cute! The information centre has an English map of the town, all onsens & restaurants. There is a relaxation lounge behind it which comes in handy in between onsen hopping.
We went at the quiet time in February, the snow made it even more exquisite. In many of the onsens we were the only ones there which was wonderful. Be mindful that many places close down for cleaning Thursdays however some are still open.
Our hotel was Sanga Ryokan, deep in the valley, & having visited many other ryokan onsens in the area, one of the best in town. Our favourite onsen, outside of Sanga Ryokan, was Yamamizuki which had amazing riverside baths.
This town vary rarely sees westerners so if you want a true, authentic onsen experience then this is the place for you!
Written 14 February 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Quebec_Abroad
Quebec148 contributions
Mar 2015 • Couples
Kurokawa Onsen is very relaxing, it was our holiday during our trip. You can spend the day just walking around, there are some very nice walks outside of town that you can combine with onsen hopping to the further ones. We tried Yamamizuki, it has only outdoor bath for men but an outdoor bath for women with a nice view of the river & 2 outstanding indoor baths for women, one of stone, the other of wood, both with a fabulous view of a little waterfall. It also has a café that serves espresso & siphon coffee, what a treat. We then went to Hozantei which has outdoor baths hot & cold for separate gender, we really enjoyed the milky quality of the water, the very quiet surroundings (it is 3 km outside of town) & the beautiful gardens surrounding the ryokan. After a good walk in the hills we finished the day at Kiyashiki, where the onsen is better for the men than for the women - it has a standing bath, which the women's side does not have. Also, when we went, the water was so hot in the outdoor bath on the women's side that I could not go further in than my knees & had to stay in the indoor bath which was not as hot but not as nice. We stayed at Wakaba Ryokan which we really enjoyed, excellent service, wonderful room, and really liked the indoor & outdoor baths there too, which still had a view even if the onsen is in the town. We would definitely come back if we are again in Kyushu, to try more of the onsens.
Written 4 March 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vitus Y
Hong Kong, China202 contributions
Nov 2012 • Couples
Authentic & quaint, this hidden gem must be accessed by car. It is very popular for Japanese onsen lovers but relatively unknown to foreigners like us. It's not far from the better known Yufuin which is much more touristy & crowded. We bought two wooden onsen passes each from the Tourist Info Centre (風之舎) which entitled us to visit up to 6 more ryokan onsens in the Kurokawa onsen town. All ryokans & respective onsens visited had a very different setting & theme.
We stayed for 2 nights in Yamamizuki (山水木) upon recommendation by friends (booked 5 months in advance). The rotenburo was right along a small river with expansive view; great ambience in a natural & relaxed atmosphere. This together with the rotenburo in 黒川荘 were the best amongst the 7 onsens we visited in total.
This quaint town was good to be explored on foot, but a number of ryokans such as 山水木 & 黒川荘 were a short drive away from the main town area.
We stayed for 2 nights in Yamamizuki (山水木) upon recommendation by friends (booked 5 months in advance). The rotenburo was right along a small river with expansive view; great ambience in a natural & relaxed atmosphere. This together with the rotenburo in 黒川荘 were the best amongst the 7 onsens we visited in total.
This quaint town was good to be explored on foot, but a number of ryokans such as 山水木 & 黒川荘 were a short drive away from the main town area.
Written 18 January 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elina M
Omihachiman, Japan23 contributions
Jul 2018 • Solo
I was initially sceptical that 3 onsen to visit on a pass is not a lot, but it was really enough for a day. I went to caves, oldest ryokan and onsen next to it with waters good for women. All were excellent!
I’d recommend to go there during the week, when it’s quiet, as it was my experience that the difference between weekend and the rest of the week can be like day and night.
Highly recommended to tick of visiting onsen town on your bucket list, and it is on your list, you will find it there after visiting Kurokawa
I’d recommend to go there during the week, when it’s quiet, as it was my experience that the difference between weekend and the rest of the week can be like day and night.
Highly recommended to tick of visiting onsen town on your bucket list, and it is on your list, you will find it there after visiting Kurokawa
Written 11 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
amukkalir
286 contributions
Apr 2018 • Couples
We went to kurokawa onsen on april and stayed 2 nights there. Took the bus from higo ozu, glad we purchased the bus ticket in advance because it was full.
We stayed at ryokan ichinoi and purchased nyutoo tegata. Went to yanamizuki, san-ai and yamabiko. San-ai and yamamizuki provides shuttle, you can check the schedule at the visitor center. San-ai has the best onsen view overlooking aso hills. Yamamizuki comes second with its riverside onsen. Yamabiko specialty lies in its milky water.
The town itself is small. So does the onsen if you compare it to onsen resort hotel but i found the town to be more charming than other onsen towns i’ve been to. There were no concrete buildings. Just traditional, retro ryokan with cute little stores and rustic riverside walkway. It makes the perfect photo spot. If you prefer grand and luxurious ryokan this might not be for you but if you want small, charming place to rest and unwind i suggest to stay in kurokawa onsen for at least one night
We stayed at ryokan ichinoi and purchased nyutoo tegata. Went to yanamizuki, san-ai and yamabiko. San-ai and yamamizuki provides shuttle, you can check the schedule at the visitor center. San-ai has the best onsen view overlooking aso hills. Yamamizuki comes second with its riverside onsen. Yamabiko specialty lies in its milky water.
The town itself is small. So does the onsen if you compare it to onsen resort hotel but i found the town to be more charming than other onsen towns i’ve been to. There were no concrete buildings. Just traditional, retro ryokan with cute little stores and rustic riverside walkway. It makes the perfect photo spot. If you prefer grand and luxurious ryokan this might not be for you but if you want small, charming place to rest and unwind i suggest to stay in kurokawa onsen for at least one night
Written 15 May 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Are there any attractive sights in Kurokawa onsen town that I can visit when I am not soaking in the onsens? I am thinking of spending 3D/2N there to relax but is wondering if that might be a bit too long since the town is small and may not offer much to do? Are there any nice trails in the area?
Written 20 June 2018
Has anyone tried visiting Nabegataki Waterfalls while staying at Kurokawa Onsen? If I spent 2 nights at the Onsen, I reckon I will have some time to make a short day trip to the Waterfalls if it is not too far away. Is it easy to get a taxi at Kurokawa Onsen to get to the Waterfalls and how long will it take?
Written 9 July 2018
Hello.Sher. If you do not visit Kurokawa yet, I must show you some way to get there from Fukuoka. JR lines from Hakata in Fukuoka will take you Hita where is an halfway to Kurokawa, there you will change to bus servise which takes you to the destination Kuokawa. Do not miss only four servises a day. Good luck, Sher.
Written 15 October 2016
How easy is it to access the onsens in this area if you dont have a car and plan on using trains ?
Written 19 July 2015
It is easy to get to - however you can only take the train as far as Aso, from them you need to take a bus from Aso station to Kurokawa
Look on the web for the Sanko Bus portal site, and the Odan bus line to Kurokawa onsen.
The English link did not work well when we tried to book, so the owner of our guest house in Fukuoka booked the seats for us; make sure you either have a reservation number, or that somebody writes on a piece of paper your name in Japanese, as the bus driver will not speak English & might not recognize easily your name when you say it.
You can also take a bus directly from Fukuoka or from Kumamoto.
However we enjoyed the train ride & it was nice to stop in Aso for a few hours
Written 28 July 2015
Is there any bus and bus timing from JR Aso Station to Kurokawa?Must I reserve the bus seat in advance especially during peak period like cherry blossom period?
Is it possible to do 3 onsens namely Yamazuki to Hozantei to Kiyashik on the same day?How? Walking or is there shuttle service?
How long does the 3 onsens take?
If my bus arrive at 1030am and depart at 1630 is this possible?
Written 23 March 2015
Hi Gus
Check the Odan bus website for the timings, look at the 2nd bus line - Kyushu Odan bus. It is better to get a reservation, but when we tried to reserve online the site was not working so the staff at our ryokan made a phone reservation for us. However, if you do it by phone, make sure that you either have a reservation number written by the staff (ask them to do so), to that the staff writes your name in Japanese on a piece of paper - when we got to the bus, the driver had a reservation sheet all written in Japanese & we could not recognize our name, so it took a moment to get things sorted out but everything was fine.
The bus line staff at the station are helpful to explain how to pay for the bus & where to get on, but they cannot reserve a seat for you.
Have a good trip!
a.
Written 24 March 2015
j'aimerais savoir comment il est possible de réserver, j'aimerais aller au yamamizuki oi okyakuya..;mais les sites sont en japonais, cette escapade est prévue pour le début du mois d'octobre
Written 22 February 2015
Hi. I am looking for a ryokan that has a private outdoor onsen that's part of the room. I also have a 9 year old and would prefer a nonsmoking room. I would love to have a beautiful view as well! Any suggestions?
Written 14 February 2015
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