Kurokawa Hot Spring Village is surrounded by the verdant mountains of Kumamoto Prefecture. Kurokawa Onsen, located on the border between the Aso region of Kumamoto Prefecture and Oita Prefecture, is a popular hot spring resort that is always chosen as one of the top 10 favorite hot springs in Japan. Recently, many overseas visitors started to visit this area.
Kurokawa Onsen has a whopping 7 out of 10 hot spring types in the world. This is an environment that is hard to find even in Japan, a hot spring powerhouse. If you use a hot spring tag, it is possible to soak in all of the hot spring types, making this an attractive hot spring.
Kurokawa Hot Springs – Ryokan Inn –
Kurokawa Onsen considers all 26 inns and the landscape of the satoyama as “one ryokan” and issued Japan’s first tag that allow visitors to choose their favorite three hot springs to bathe in. The tags are valid for six months from the time of purchase, so you can take your time to visit the hot springs, or you can visit all three at once. This tag is made of thinned wood from the tenacious Oguni cedar trees that grow at the foot of Mt. Aso. It is very fragrant. Since 1% of the proceeds from the sales of the tag are returned to nature conservation activities, using the tags to enter the hot springs also contributes to the protection of hot spring resources.
You may need help when choosing which onsen to visit. In this case, I recommend that you visit the onsen in the order suggested by the onsen sommelier in the brochure. For example, if you want to improve your constitution, it is recommended to visit iron, sulfur, and sulfate onsen in that order, so it is effective to choose an inn that has that type of onsen. It is fun to enjoy the special types of baths, such as the standing baths, where you take bath holding onto a stick standing, and the beating baths. By visiting hot springs, you will understand your preferences of the hot spring water types, and it will help you deciding to stay which ryokan you would stay for the next trip.
Elegant hot spring village
There are inns on both sides of a winding, up-and-down road. Perhaps it is because many inns make use of the terrain as it is, or perhaps it is because you have to take the elevator up to the fifth floor and then take the stairs up one more floor to get to the open-air bath, or because the entrance is on the third floor and you have to go down two floors to the bath, etc. The path is confusing and the inside of the inns is a maze.
Onsen Tamago (hot spring eggs) were sold at the front of the ryokan. Photogenic.
kurokawa onsen Jizo Hall
As you walk down Chuo-dori Street, you will see the Jizo Hall. It is known for the story of “Substitute Jizo,” which is the origin of Kurokawa Onsen, and the headless Jizo (a Jizo whose head and body are separated) that appears in the anecdote is enshrined here. Visitors can dedicate their used bath tags.
The ceiling paintings here are colorful and stunning. To the Jizo Hall, please pay a visit.
Kurokawa Onsen is a hot spring resort located in the southern part of Kumamoto Prefecture, where you can heal your body and soul in the midst of nature. A quiet hot spring town, where you can enjoy a variety of hot spring qualities with a Japanese flair. You are sure to be delighted!
Stay tuned for more updates of Japan. See you soon!
Click here for more.
コメント